by John Hopkins
WARRINGTON Rylands made hard work of it in the rain but, thanks to a second-half goal from Jake Burton, earned all three points as the 2-1 victors over a tough Workington side.
The match was end-to-end but it was The Blues who were the first to score when Matt Regan met a perfect Ben Hardcastle corner and headed a stunning power shot through a crowded goalmouth to leave keeper Alex Mitchell flapping against fresh air.
The Reds put the home defence under pressure after the break and their hard work paid off within five minutes as the ball bounced awkwardly in front of Luke Pilling and over his head for the equaliser.
Pushing for the winner, the away side continued to control the second half and thought their chances had arrived when awarded a penalty, but they hadn’t taken Pilling into consideration.
Once again the Warrington keeper performed his penalty magic and kept his side in the game with a superb save.
Luke Pilling makes another fine penalty save – Picture John Hopkins
Manager Neil Reynolds made a few changes which immediately had an impact on the match. Ashley Leather used his speed to create problems down the right; the returning Scott Bakkor used his strength in front of goal; but Jake Burton with his ball control did the damage for Workington.
Warrington’s ‘Never Say Die’ attitude began to show as it was them who re-took control of the match. A goal looked inevitable as they continued to press and came close when the ball hit the crossbar. A poor clearance fell to Burton whose shot thundered past everyone to hit the back of the net and give Rylands the much-needed three points.
Next up is a tough challenge away at high-flying Worksop Town on Tuesday 17th December.
Matt Regan watches the ball go into the net
