A youthful Workington Reds side hold a slender one-goal advantage at half time in their Integro League Cup clash with Marine tonight.

Workington had made several changes from the side that lost out at Rushall over the weekend.

Reds have a busy week with a Cumberland Cup tie still looming on Thursday and have made no bones about the fact that the league has to be their priority.

So they mixed up the side with a smattering of experience and plenty of youth with Phil McLuckie captaining the side.

In the absence of manager Lee Andrews, Gari Rowntree took over the reins on the sidelines.

And the youngsters were certainly not looking out of place in the early stages, with Ben MacDonald, Tommy Whitehead, Jamie Mellen and keeper Tom Fowler all starting the game.

But it was a good start for the home side. Just inside the 10th minute of play, Workington did well to get the ball into the box and Nathan Waterston turned to shoot but the keeper just got a hand to the ball and it went into the side netting.

But just moments later Jamie Mellen played the ball into Waterston, again in the area and he chested it down and poked a low ball home past the keeper and into the back of the net to put his side ahead.

Reds were moving the ball about well and restricting their opponents to the odd break but they still looked dangerous on occasion.

But the home side looked intent on extending their advantage and Mellen put a near identical ball in to the one that helped Waterston to his goal.

This time it was looking for the outstretched foot of Tommy Whitehead but the youngster couldn't quite get there in time and the keeper gathered.

Jordan Holt took on the Marine defence and danced his way through before bringing in Sam Joel and Waterston but the latter was crowded off the ball and Marine broke back.

Joel did well bringing the ball out to the left before putting in a low cross, aimed for Whitehead but his first touch wasn't the best and Marine could clear.

Then, at the opposite end of the field Reds had to defend a free kick in a dangerous position. It was put out for a corner but this time Fowler gathered and steadied any nerves.

In the end the two sides finished at half time with Reds still holding that one goal lead.