Reds end home fixtures with win

Last updated 12:57, Wednesday, 23 April 2008

Reds 1 Worcester City 0: After five 1-0 home defeats since late January, it was just rather nice to round-off the season at Borough Park with a similar tight score-line in Reds favour.

Reds players congratulate Dan Kirkup, left, who scored the only goal in last night’s victory

There have been more exciting matches, and this one was probably type-cast as an end-of-season throwaway, but at least it enabled Workington to end the campaign on a high.

The fans have had to suffer a series of low-scoring contests at Borough Park since that remarkable five goal blast sunk Tamworth on February 9.

There were few opportunities to send Worcester away with the same sort of treatment as their Midlands neighbours, but over the 90 minute piece Workington were deserving winners.

The only goal which settled the contest in Workington’s favour came on 55 minutes.

Craig Johnston, enjoying a ball-playing Graham Anthony-style role in mid-field, delivered a perfect corner and Dan Kirkup rose confidently to head beyond Chris Sanna for his first goal in a red shirt.

Johnston had sprayed the ball around confidently in the first-half and was clearly relishing the opportunity to fill the role vacated by the suspended Anthony. It was one of his inch-perfect passes which released Jonny Wright on 18 minutes to fire in an early shot which was brilliantly tipped onto the bar by Sanna to prevent what would have been a sensational goal.

Wright, a few minutes earlier, had done really well to bring down and control a Johnston cross but was leaning back when he tried to finish and could only lift the ball over the bar.

Those were Workington’s best efforts in the first-half and the one real threat from Worcester came right on the break.

Arran Taylor might have been surprised by Craig Wilding’s dipping shot from the edge of the area, over a wall of defenders, but the young keeper turned it over the bar in acrobatic fashion.

Taylor, brought in for his second start in three games impressed again with his confident handling and is clearly a young man with a bright future in the game.

He had no further direct shots to save but in the second-half coped well under a strong aerial presence when the ball was tossed dangerously into the box and he had to come through bodies to make punches or catches.

Workington were closer to scoring than their opponents. Matthew Berkeley hit the post from close range after substitute Rory May had failed to clear a long throw.

Good work by Phil McLuckie down the right could have produced the second goal but he was unfortunate to slip as he was about to pull the ball back for the supporting figures of Berkeley and Wright.

Although Worcester had their best spell of the game in the last 15 minutes they could never seriously unhinge the Workington defence in which Kyle May had another outstanding game.

MATCH FACTS

MAN OF THE MATCH - CRAIG JOHNSTON: Did a great passing job in midfield, particularly in the first-half and later he showed an appetite for hard work helping out his defence in the closing quarter.

KEY MOMENT: Dan Kirkup’s first goal for the club on 55 minutes. It was so important, given their run of form at home, that Workington scored first.

Reds: Taylor, Andrews, Rowntree, May (Gray 85), Kirkup, McLuckie, Johnston, Hopper, Berkeley, J. Wright, A. Wright (Hardman 22). Subs (not used): Gullen, Edmondson, Collin.

Crowd: 267

Referee: Ian Gittins