Workington Reds flexed their attacking muscle in a dominant performance from start to finish as they blew away struggling Cumbrian rivals Kendal Town 5-0.

The league leaders were 2-0 up at half-time, in front of 473 supporters who spurned the England game on TV for a feisty clash at Borough Park, with David Symington and Brad Hubbold both scoring well-taken low finishes in the first half.

Charlie Bowman got his first goal of the season in the second half when he glanced Robbie Hebson’s peach of a cross past Town goalkeeper Morgan Bacon and Gari Rowntree got in on the act when he steered a corner in at the back post to ensure Reds’ dominance was reflected on the scoresheet.

Symington then danced his way through with the ball glued to his left foot, before flicking it back to his favoured right to rifle in the fifth.

The NPL North West Division's second-bottom side belied their lowly league position at times in the first half with tidy play, but Reds' quality told and, as soon as the hosts had a two-goal cushion, it was virtually one-way traffic.

Symington crafted the first opening when he burst past his man down the left wing and swung in a delightful cross which was hooked clear by Thomas Fagan at the far post.

The winger was in the thick of things again moments later when Scott Allison played him in out wide and looked to get on the end of the return ball but it was cut out.

Seconds after that, it was the former Carlisle United man who found the back of the net with a powerful low drive which Bacon could do little about as Reds took the lead in the fourth minute.

That could have seen the league’s leakiest defence fall apart, but it was the visitors who had the next chance and they really should have scored as Joseph Dickson inexplicably fired high and wide with the goal at his mercy after Emil Jaaskelainen’s lofted cross found him eight yards out.

Town did not look the pushovers some might have expected from the league table and Michael Hodgson's pace and direct running earned them a corner in the 19th minute which Dickson whipped in but captain Patrick Allington could only direct his diving header wide.

Reds were beginning to tighten their grip on the game, with captain Conor Tinnion and right-back Hebson letting fly with shots which went close as the home side continued to push their visitors back but couldn’t quite carve their way into the box.

They did cut their way through in the 40th minute when Hubbold tucked a perfectly-weighted slide-rule pass into the bottom corner, leaving Bacon rooted to his line for his second goal of the season.

Reds almost made it 3-0 immediately when Bacon charged out of his box but lost the ball and Allison’s curling effort from the edge of the area didn’t quite dip enough to nestle in the far top corner.

Casson seemed to be everywhere in the midfield for Workington as Kendal looked to be chasing shadows.

It was Bowman who found the third goal and got the reward for his relentless hard work to link up play when he nodded Hebson's cross in and looked to have broken Town's resolve as they struggled to escape their half.

Rowntree got among the goals when he steered home a corner in the 66th minute at the back post to make it 4-0 and Nathan Waterston, who had been introduced from the bench and looked desperate to break his goalscoring duck, nearly made it five when he rose highest but his header bounced agonisingly wide a few minutes later.

Fancy footwork from Symington in the build-up and a driven ball across almost gave Allison a goal when his backheel in front of goal was blocked.

Symington’s fearsome right foot reared its head again when he let rip from 20 yards with a rocket which blasted along the ground and smashed off the far post.

The winger was in electric form and he wrapped up the scoring with the fifth goal in the 77th minute when he fired home at a tight angle.

Reds could perhaps have added to their tally in the latter stages but, in the end, they had to be satisfied with a thoroughly professional performance, five fine goals and a five-point lead at the top of the table.