Penrith Ladies earned the first bragging rights for the new season when they beat Workington Town Ladies 2-1 at Frenchfield in mid-week.
The two Cumbrian rivals had delivered a highly entertaining game.
It was a competitive affair which showcased the current strength of the game in the county.
The early season spoils ultimately went to the home side on the night, thanks to a late goal mouth scramble in the dying seconds of the game which was poked home by Kerri Mallinson from close range.
The early exchanges were shared equally between both teams with Penrith threatening the Town back post from a corner and then Kirsten Donald firing over from a central position on the edge of the home side’s penalty area.
Clear openings for either side were hard to fashion given the intensity of the game generated through spirited pressing and an intent by both teams to contest every ball.
The first good luck at goal fell to Penrith after the ball was speculatively headed forward and Abbie Foster reacted well to take control but could only produce a tame headed effort into the safe hands of Laura Miller in the visitors’ goal.
A dipping effort for Town from Nat Broad on the right followed soon after which briefly brought the attention of the Penrith keeper Hope Lawson.
A Kirsten Donald strike from a free kick delivered by Linzi Donaldson just after the half hour mark brought Lawson into action again.
Good positioning from the keeper resulted in her defusing the threat well.
Hayley Bracken went close soon after when she rose well to meet a corner from Broad on the right, but her headed effort flashed past the wrong side of the post.
It was somewhat against the run of play when the home side went ahead with around ten minutes of the first half remaining.
A free kick from Lawson was flicked forward in the middle of the park and found the feet of Kayleigh Wharton.
The young striker displayed great control and poise as she carried with intent before creating the half yard needed to get her shot away across Miller and find the far right corner.
Lawson was called into action in quick succession before the half finished.
The first came from a corner from the right which Keeley Chatters connected with before Lawson lifted the ball over the crossbar and the second when Broad’s delivery from the right was heading goal bound.
Morgan McGrady was introduced to the game soon after the second half started, and her presence was clearly unsettling the home back line. Latching onto a through ball, McGrady attempted to round Lawson but the keeper was alert to the danger and scrambled well to clear the ball behind to safety.
With 70 minutes played, Foster tested Miller from 35 yards out with the Town keeper making a fine save to push the ball over the bar to safety.
Lawson’s attentive display between the post was evident again from a Town corner as she punched to clear.
Chatters was on hand again but had to react quickly and as a result her header lifted over the bar.
Town were pushing hard and looking the more likely to score and their guile was rewarded in the 79th minute when four of the five second half substitutions linked to pull Town level.
Leila Branthwaite had been introduced on the right and her energy and go forward had unsettled the home left flank.
Her quick thinking throw-in connected to meet the lively movement of the impressive Ella Beadsmoore who had brought creativity and control since her introduction.
Beadsmoore drove at the Penrith defender before crossing to find Sarah Smith intelligent flick on to MGrady at the edge of the area who hit an instinctive strike at goal finding the top corner and leaving Lawson stranded.
Town went close again from a Beadsmoore corner on the right which was headed narrowly wide by Bracken from just past the penalty spot.
Penrith followed soon after in a break away attack against the visitors back line. Young centre back Molly Blair showed good strength and positional awareness to influence the home attacker before the ball found Mallinson who could only find the post with her snap shot strike at goal.
Town looked to have broken through soon after when Bracken released McGrady in behind on the right. Her delivery was heading towards Smith backing up, however a last-ditch attempt from a home defender somewhat fortuitously found its way in to Lawsons hands.
Forster and Stacy Harkness Grant fired wide soon after before a series of free kicks for the home side offered further sights on goal.
The final one was the telling one when Kim McCormick’s free kick from the right rebounded off the cross bar and eventually found the feet of Mallinson who fired home to win the game.
Town’s keeper Laura Miller was awarded the player of the game by Penrith for some solid goalkeeping and Kayleigh Wharton receiving the accolades from Workington for the composure and control she displayed throughout.
Town are away this weekend at Haslingden before they get their home campaign underway next Wednesday at the Fibrus against Morecambe.
