Workington 1, Gateshead 0

BY ROBERT SUMMERSCALES

The Reds continued their solid preparation for the new season, following up Thursday evening’s 1-0 win at Gretna with an impressive win by the same scoreline over Gateshead at Borough Park. 

The Blue Square Premier outfit, who narrowly avoided relegation on the final day of last season, also opened their pre-season campaign on Thursday, narrowly losing 3-2 to a very strong Middlesbrough XI side full of first team stars.

As expected, Darren Edmondson shuffled his pack somewhat and the Reds starting line-up contained five changes from the team that opened at Gretna.

Lee Andrews was an enforced absentee attending a family wedding while Gareth Arnison was coming to the end of a fortnight’s holiday.

Anthony Wright also had to sit-out the game with a badly bruised ankle following a knock at Gretna. He expects to be ready to return in a fortnight.

The visitors fielded a strong first eleven which included two players with brief Premier League experience (Ben Clark and Martin Brittain) and Tyrell Burgess, a Bermudan International.  He started brightly and looked threatening with a number of pacey runs down the left.

After a frantic and scrappy opening eight minutes, in which neither team really settled, it was the visitors that created the first chance.  Former Carlisle striker, Brian Wake’s planted a header across goal flicked off Andy Langford’s scalp and dropped inches wide of Aaran Taylor’s goal with the keeper well beaten. 

The first employment of any note for either goal keeper came in the 19th minute when Aaron Taylor’s header from an inswinging corner was saved comfortably by Josh Mimms. 

This seemed to lift the home side and they created two really good openings within the next five minutes.  First, Conor Tinnion’s driven cross was narrowly missed at the far post by Taylor.  Then Gari Rowntree, who had earlier received brief treatment after a strong challenge, dispossessed the Gateshead right-back with a superb sliding challenge and played in Jonny Wright who had a shot from six yards deflected wide for a corner.

The game then dried up again as neither side was having much success keeping the ball, due to the speed at which the midfields were closing down.  Jonny Blake was certainly winning his fair share of tackles, while Gateshead skipper Clark was impressing with his composure, organisation and aerial prowess.

The game caught fire again in the final five minutes of the half.  Burgess, who after a promising start had been marked out of the game by Langford, switched flanks and, with a clever pass, found Alex Francis who shot well from 20 yards but straight at Taylor. 
Then came the chance of the match - spritely winger Tinnion had a mazy dribble down the right, cut inside and delivered a delicious cross that beat the entire Gateshead defence and goal keeper but was somehow missed at the far post by the stretching Taylor. 

Gateshead came close in stoppage time as his namesake, the Reds keeper, struggled to handle the moist ball but caught well, under pressure at the second attempt.

After a physically demanding first 45, Gateshead flexed the muscle of their larger squad at half-time, starting the second with an almost entirely different side. 

However, it was the Reds who started brighter and they broke through on 69 minutes.  It was a goal of real quality; after tidy team possession.

Substitute Adam Main released David Hewson on the overlap and his pinpoint cross was met firmly by the head of trialist Matty Tymon, eight yards out and he gave the keeper no chance.

The game had survived 75 minutes of play before the heavens opened and with the rain, came a very enjoyable final 15 minutes. 

The game began to get a little bit stretched as Gateshead opened up in search of an equaliser, and it was Workington who seemed to benefit. 

Both Phil McLuckie and Rico Colulo made good breaks forward without providing good final ball. Then with eight minutes remaining McLuckie had a chance to seal victory but shot straight at the keeper after being put through by the impressive Hewson. 

Tymon then went close; just failing to get enough on the rebound after Colulo’s shot from distance was spilled.

Hindmarch seemed to have made improvements physically and impressed with his strong competitive edge.  Elsewhere, Alex White, one of four trialists, looked solid and reliable at centre half.

Reds now have three days to prepare for the visit of Carlisle United on Tuesday evening and boss Edmondson will presumably be calling for more of the same.

Attendance: 165

Reds: Taylor, Langford, Rowntree, May (Main 58), White, Hewson, Blake (McLuckie 45), Vipond (Colulo 62), J. Wright (Ruttledge 75), Taylor (Tymon 45), Tinnion (Hindmarch 45).
Referee: S. Taylor

*Rob Summerscales is a young man from Frizington hoping to break into journalism. He is going to a specialist College in Stafford and will be providing a few reports for Getnoticedonline.co.uk by way of practice.

---

Bookmark with: what are these?