Workington Town Women picked up their first three points of the season in their opening home game at the Fibrus Community Stadium.
They came out on top in a seven-goal thriller against Morecambe.
They looked like they were coasting as the game entered the final 10 minutes having fought to secure a two-goal lead.
However, a late revival from the Shrimps Women resulted in the home side having to rely on a late Cassie Donald special to seal all three points in a 4-3 victory.
Town were slow out of the traps and were penalised in the 5th minute when Charlotte Grey reacted quickest to a loose ball on the let of Town’s penalty area and drilled the ball home whilst taking the advantage of the stiff breeze at her back.
Buoyed by their strong start, the visitors sought to take control of the game with their lively front three eager to offer runs in behind Town’s defensive unit being fed by a midfield trio that were happy to oblige.
Town’s back line of Niamh Morgan, Molly Blair, Linzi Donaldson and Loz Campbell were being put under a fair amount of pressure, but they stood up to the challenge and repeatedly rebuffed the visitors advances whilst being marshalled by goalkeeper Laura Miller.
The first quarter on an hour was all Morecambe’s making, however the tide was set to change and control swung firmly back in Town’s favour from that point onwards.
This was sparked by the tenacity and drive from Morgan at right back and her connections with Bea Barber up the right flank.
Territorial advantage was being taken and supported by Campbell and Nat Broad connecting on the left.
Central threats were coming from Cassie Donald, Ella Beadsmoore and Sarah Smith’s intelligent linking, while Chloe Little offered a stabilising control from slightly deeper.
Progress was predominantly down Town’s right with Morgan’s marauding runs and wicked deliveries into the box.
One instance saw her cross flash by the front line, begging to be turned home but with no joy.
Morecambe’s Keeper Sophie Ackred was certainly more engaged than her counterpart Miller as the creative juices of the Town attacking division started to flow.
Town drew level in the 28th minute after telling work from Barber resulted in a shot being saved by Ackred before rebounding to Broad backing up.
Broad doesn’t turn these opportunities up very often and was eager to clinically drill the ball home and restore parity.
Town continued to threaten, but the visitors stayed solid, and the half finished all square with one goal apiece.
The second half started in the same vein as the first half had finished with Town taking the game to the visitors.
Keen pressing in the middle of the pack had quenched the creativity of the Shrimps’ midfield and as such their front line were at best feeding on occasional scraps.
In contrast, Town were hungry to take the lead and attacks on Ackred’s goal were mounting.
This paid off in the 65th minute when Broad dinked a delicate pass to Smith on the left of centre which was dispatched with great precision past the hardworking Ackred.
Their lead was increased 12 minutes later when Donald rifled the first of her telling brace with a well timed back post run to meet a Donaldson free kick taken from 15 yards inside Morecambe’s half from the right touchline.
This led to a five-minute spell of madness where a seemingly commanding lead was coughed up before the final telling strike from Donald was delivered.
This started when the visitors were somewhat fortuitously awarded a free kick in a central position on the edge of Town’s area.
Yasmine Carswell stepped up to take and produced a fiercely driven strike into Millers top right corner which looked to have been unstoppable given the trajectory and power.
Three minutes later the Shrimps were back on level terms when good work down their right had ended with a dangerous ball being driven towards the Town six-yard box which took a wicked deflection from an honest attempt to clear to safety.
Miller was unsurprisingly caught of guard and despite her best efforts the ball nestled into the back of the goal.
All looked to have been lost for the home side. These two telling late acts could have drained the energy and belief from the Town ranks.
However this was not the case, the challenge had been set and the clock was ticking.
Town pushed forward with the ball ultimately finding its way to Ackred.
The keeper’s out of hands clearance from the right edge of the area offered an ariel challenge which Donald accepted with her counterpart from Morecambe, but tellingly went in Town’s favour.
Seeing the keeper off her line and struggling to recover, Donald unleashed one of her special long-range strike from 30 yards out which travelled past the helpless Ackred and into the Morecambe net, prompting celebrations on and off the field alike.
This was the final telling act of the game, and the home side’s nerves were evidently settled soon after when the full-time whistle blew and relieved celebrations followed.
Cassie Donald was awarded the Player of the Game for an industrious performance over the full game which was finished off with her fine brace of goals.
After the game, Town’s manager Paul Mckenzie was quick to praise the efforts of both his team and their counterparts from Lancashire.
He said: “We have all just witnessed a great advertisement for regional level female football. The game had everything, skill, fight, desire, drama, goals, moments of brilliance and ultimately relief for us and disappointment for our visitors.
“These two teams have given their all and thankfully for us, the result fell in our favour which I think on balance over the 90 minutes we fully deserved.
“I was concerned about facing Morecambe in the lead up to the game at a time when what is a relatively new squad for us is still gelling.
“ I knew that they would bring fight and desire as one of their main advantages, they always do, and this makes them difficult to break down.
“We spoke about this before the game and again at half time and the response from our squad was superb. There is a strong spirit growing at the club, one which is probably more developed now than what we might have anticipated it being, given that we only came together eight weeks ago.”
Town Women are at home again this weekend, however the fixture clashes with the Town men’s League One team’s final home fixture of the season and as such will face Chorley Women Development at Lakes College, Lillyhall, on Sunday afternoon with a 2pm kick off.
