By John Walsh

Last updated at 11:58, Wednesday, 12 August 2009

Gainsborough Trinity 0 Workington 1: Patched-up Workington battled to a brave win at Northolme, which rather made up for the controversial Blue Square North defeat on the opening day.

Andy Hardman

It also helped ease the ordeal of being delayed four hours on the homeward journey while defender Kyle May was attended to in a Lincoln hospital.

May had been stretchered off nine minutes from time with a badly cut head after an aerial collision, which prompted six minutes of added time at the end.

Workington already had May’s defensive partner Lee Andrews handicapped by a calf injury from the first quarter of the game, while striker Jonny Wright had not been risked because of a hamstring concern.

Despite the problems, Workington were deserving winners against a Trinity side which had seen severe changes from the one which conceded a league double to the Reds last season.

Reds shaded a goal-less first-half, which was rather scrappy and shapeless, and were also the better team in a more open and attractive second period.

The only goal came on 62 minutes when Andy Hardman, the smallest player in the box, got his head to a curling free-kick from Anthony Wright, to steer it beyond Phil Barnes and into the bottom corner.

Ten minutes earlier Reds had carved out the best chance of the game when Gareth Arnison broke through before finding Hardman unmarked in the box. He took his time but rather passed the ball to diving keeper Barnes so the save was a fairly routine one.

Hardman had gone close at the end of the first-half with a dipping shot from 35 yards which was just over the bar.

Dan Shannon, brought in for his first Blue Square North start in Jonny Wright’s absence, had seen one first half shot fly past the foot of the Gainsborough post with Barnes scrambling across goal.

He also produced a trademark left foot rocket later in the game which had Barnes beaten but flashed past the post again.

Shannon had worked particularly hard to close-down the Gainsborough defenders so that Reds’ own defending started at the front.

Their pressing game, particularly when they had the incentive of the first goal, served them well so that really Trinity never seriously threatened.

They got the ball into the box on several occasions but Reds usually dealt with it supremely well. Anything that did get through on goal was comfortably dealt with by keeper Tony Caig.

A header by Lewis McMahon, who got on the end of a long throw, had Caig stretching to turn it over the bar but most of his other work was fairly routine.

The one possibility for Trinity came midway through the second-half when Luke Beckett stole in late to a deep cross from the right and was able to get in a header but one which bounced down in front of Caig and then into his grateful arms.

Up until his injury May was immense at the heart of the Workington defence and it was a typically brave challenge in the air which led to his injury.

In the re-shuffle that followed Andy Langford moved into the middle alongside Andrews; Wright switched to full-back and Dan Robinson was brought on to work hard down the right hand side.

It was a testament to how well they shaped-up that in the 15 minutes played after May’s departure, Trinity hardly looked like salvaging a point.

Workington had commitment and endeavour in all areas of the field and that is a recipe for success in this league. All Reds’ best performances at this level have stemmed from that sort of approach.

Reds: Caig, Langford, Rowntree, May (Robinson 81), Andrews, Hardman (Ruttledge 85), Henney, Hopper, Shannon, Arnison, A. Wright; Subs (not used): Edmondson, Casson, Taylor.

Star man: Kyle May

Referee: James Hermuzi (Worksop)

Attendance: 419

First published at 11:30, Wednesday, 12 August 2009
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk