By John Walsh

Last updated at 12:37, Monday, 17 November 2008

Hyde United 4 Workington Reds 4: Workington Reds were denied a tonic win at Hyde by a last-gasp goal in the seventh minute of time added on.

The red number had displayed four minutes extra would be played but then Workington’s Anthony Wright went down with a head injury in his own box.

That put more time on the clock but it was from the last attack of a topsy-turvy game that Hyde player manager Neil Tolson scored the goal that gave the Tigers an undeserved point.

For Hyde, even though they had led 2-1 at half-time, were second-best for most of the game and Workington were desperately close to collecting their first away win of the season.

An eight-goal thriller it might have been for the home fans, but the vast majority of Workington supporters travelled back to west Cumbria disappointed.

The general view was that it felt like a defeat.

Darren Edmondson’s men had responded to some blunt observations at half-time and were much the better side after the break.

Three goals in a 12-minute spell seemed to have put the west Cumbrians in firm control – a brace from top scorer Jonny Wright and a contender for goal of the season from Shaun Vipond.

With less than a quarter of an hour to go Workington looked to be in cruise control and it was their inability to close out the game which so frustrated manager Edmondson.

He said afterwards: “The disappointment for me was that we weren’t clever enough to see out time. We should have won that game and deserved to. We had the opportunity to take the ball into their corner and play down the clock but didn’t take it. We were naïve in that respect and in the end it cost us the win.”

Workington went into the game only three points clear of their rivals so a win for either side would have been crucial.

Right from the start the Cumbrians looked the sharper, more focused and confident side. Hyde had lost their last home game 5-2 – and it showed.

Vipond brought the first save of the game from Craig Dootson when the home keeper had to be alert to turn over a clever free-kick from the Carlisle loanee.

It was no real surprise when Workington went in front on 12 minutes. Vipond lifted the ball forward and a clever header from Jonny Wright found Anthony Wright on the far edge of the penalty area.

Without hardly pausing to line-up a shot the midfielder cracked a fierce, low drive into the corner of the net, leaving Dootson helpless.

It was the perfect start for the Cumbrians and with Hyde looking ill-prepared and uneasy there seemed a good opportunity to forge clear.

But the Tigers responded within five minutes from what was really their first serious threat. Wayne Maden found too much space down the right and his low pull-back was steered home at the near post by Chris Simm.

That set-back didn’t seem to upset Workington unduly and they could easily have got back in front very quickly.

Gareth Arnison shot just over when presented with an opportunity from the edge of the area while an even better chance was squandered by the central defensive pairing.

Kyle May and Lee Andrews both went-up for a corner and were unchallenged.

Unfortunately they both went for the ball together, collided and whose head it came off didn’t matter as it flew wide – with the players both left on their backsides on the ground.

To make it worse Hyde virtually went down field and took the lead. This time some good play out on the left saw Sim work the ball across the edge of the box to recent signing Dino Maamria and the veteran ex-Northwich manager slammed a strong shot beyond Adam Collin into the corner of the net.

Somehow everyone knew there were going to be more goals, yet few would have

plumped for three rapid in the second-half to hand the initiative to Workington.

The equaliser came on 55 minutes when good work by Dave Hewson on the right saw him feed Phil McLuckie and a perfect cross was headed home stylishly by Jonny Wright.

Nine minutes later Workington took the lead, again Jonny Wright was the scorer – finishing very clinically after Anthony Wright had lined him up with a clever square ball in front of goal.

Reds could have put themselves out of sight for Dootson made a brave block at the feet of McLuckie before the young midfielder missed a great chance. Put through by Jonny Wright with just Dootson to beat he fired past the home keeper but was left to hang his head in frustration as it flashed inches past the post.

However, it looked as though it would not be a problem, as Workington scored a fourth on 67 minutes.

It was a cracking effort by Reds’ man of the match Vipond, who was signing-off after completing a three month loan spell with the Borough Park club.

Picking-up the ball ten yards inside his own half he first of all shrugged off a challenge and then hared up-field. A clever swerve of the hips took him past the last defender and as he closed in on goal he finished with aplomb with a shot into the bottom corner.

Surely that was going to be good enough – 4-2 in front and looking in control.

But Hyde were given a life line on 77 minutes. David Morley, a former Carlisle loanee, thumped in a strong shot from the edge of the area which Collin did well to block with a flying save but it fell to Sims who thumped the ball into the roof of the net.

In a tense and edgy finale Hyde scrambled their equaliser from the last kick of the game. Sims got to the by-line and pulled the ball back for Tolson to tap in from a yard out – and there was only time for Reds to kick-off again before the referee blew for time – it was that close.

MATCH FACTS

STAR MAN - SHAUN VIPOND: Great performance and super goal to finish-off his three month spell with the Reds. Workington will be hoping something can be arranged and it won’t be his last appearance for them.

Reds: Collin, Hewson, Rowntree, May, Andrews, McLuckie (Johnston 83), Vipond, Hopper, J. Wright (Hardman 89), Arnison (Coleman 89), A. Wright. Subs (not used) Robinson, Edmondson.

Referee: Scott Ledger, Barnsley

Crowd: 303

First published at 11:23, Monday, 17 November 2008
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk