Last updated at 12:18, Wednesday, 08 August 2012

Penrith 0 Workington Reds 4: Will Penrith’s first defeat or Workington’s most emphatic win of pre-season have any bearing on the months ahead? Probably not.

Gareth Arnison

Brian Williams knows his side will not meet opposition of Reds’ quality in the Ebac Northern League and Darren Edmondson realises his team will not be able to dominate like they did at Frenchfield in the much tougher world of Conference North.

A good run-out, though, for both managers as the season draws ever nearer.

Penrith, in fact, get underway on Saturday – in the FA Cup, no less – while Reds play their final friendly at Kendal and manager Edmondson will be hoping to add to his wafer thin squad in readiness for the serious business on Saturday week.

Reds dominated the game from start to finish and the score line might have been even more conclusive by the end had they been a bit more ruthless in front of goal.

Scott Allison had a shot on the Workington goal in the opening minutes but that was their one serious effort in the first half.

Nigel McCombie was keeping Reds at bay almost on his own at the other end thwarting Mark Boyd, Jonny Wright and Phil McLuckie with a superb double save and Jordan Connerton. The latter did round McCombie wide on the goal line but Wright’s shot was cleared off the line by Dan Bulman.

Penrith’s resistance was finally broken in the thirty third minute when Arnison and Connerton had shots saved before McLuckie forced the ball home from close range.

The visitors doubled their advantage seconds before the interval after Willie Paul upended Arnison on the edge of the area. Boyd stepped up to take the free kick and planted the ball into McCombie’s net with the ‘keeper helpless.

Man-of-the-match Boyd was enjoying the freedom of the park and it was his ball which released Jake Simpson who, in turn, set up Arnison for Workington’s well taken third on the hour.

An Arnison header was disallowed as the scorer had strayed offside but the elegant striker got his second, Reds’ fourth, just before the end.

First published at 11:28, Wednesday, 08 August 2012
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk