by Peter Scherer (Images: Steve Ingers)
It was touch and go that the match would even take place, but some sterling work behind the scenes had the snow cleared, as we welcomed Workington to the Don Amott Arena.
Starting line-up: 1- Yusuf Mersin 2-Jake Bennett 3-Brandon Ferron 4-Will Atkinson 5-Nathan James 6-Danny Benson 7-Tony Smith 8-Curtis Weston 9-Stuart Beavon 10-Andy Dales 11-Jamie Soule. Subs: Fin Ryder, Tyreace Palmer, Justin Iwobi, Edimond Oppong, Dylan Edwards.
It was fairly even opening few minutes, with Workington testing Mersin with an easy save five minutes in. But two minutes later Smith picked his spot, with a great shot from outside the box, tipped over the bar by keeper Mitchell for the first corner of the game.
Dales then put the ball across the face of the goal, but there was no one there to connect. Workington then got a break and an amount of confusion in the home defence followed, as Mersin came out but didn’t claim the ball, before Atkinson cleared the initial danger.
But the ball was fired straight back in and Smith tapped a visiting strikers ankle, who went down heavily, with the referee pointing straight to the penalty spot.
Rigg duly dispatched the penalty to make it 0-1. Although Sports kept pushing forward, the goal had given our visitors extra confidence to push on too, making the home defence work harder.
Bennett and Ferron were working on the overlaps, with Atkinson, Benson and James in the middle. But Mickleover went close again 15 minutes in, when some good work from Weston on the left found Beavon. His shot was deflected just wide though.
Two minutes later James gave away a careless free kick just outside the box, but fortunately the free kick delivery was poor and the danger had gone.
Approaching the half hour mark Smith had made some space on the right, he managed to pick out Soule, but again his attempt was blocked.
But Mickleover were still pressing for the equaliser and after 34 minutes a Dales corner found Beavon again, but his header was just wide of the right-hand post.
Ferron then ran almost half of the pitch, before he managed to shoot from a tight angle on the left, and with the keeper making a fumbled save, it was another corner.
Workington’s defence were somehow surviving the battering, and after some nice interplay between Bennett, Soule and Smith, it ended with another Beavon shot just wide of the right-hand post.
Only a minute later Beavon was in there again with a header just over, after Soule and Ferron’s build-up, but desperately close.
It could easily have been a second for Workington though, when after 40 minutes the whole defence froze, giving Nugent a free shot, totally unchallenged, which fortunately hit the bar.
Sports then got a break and Smith crossed again from the right as he tried to seek out Dales, but the ball was intercepted, just before he was able to connect.
Into time added on Dales got a break, he beat the defence and faced the advancing Mitchell as he raced off his line. But the shot lacked direction and finished well wide of the target and so it remained 0-1 as the half time whistle blew.
Barely had the second half got underway and Soule was brought down in the box, but appeals were waved away, despite it looking a more legitimate claim than the one awarded to Workington, that split the sides.
Dales broke through the defence again after 52 minutes, but his close range shot was blocked by Mitchell, as the light rain became heavier as it drifted across the pitch.
It was close again for Mickleover again two minutes later, after another precise cross from Ferron on the left. Soule made a perfect turn but his effort struck the upright again, with the rebound blocked.
Ambrose was then booked for a solid challenge on Beavon, but Dales’ free kick failed to trouble the keeper.
Mickleover then made their first change after 63 minutes, with Palmer replacing Soule. The debutant Palmer quickly made an impact, when Dales sent a cross field ball from the left to find him with acres of space. With patience and accuracy he picked his spot, beating Mitchell on his far post to finally make it 1-1.
Two minutes later Dales found Palmer again, he was through on the right but his cross was cut out, as the visitors defence were pegged back in their own box.
There was another corner with a repeat after Beavon’s header was blocked, but Atkinson fired over the bar. It was all Mickleover as they were now chasing for a winning goal and made another change with Edwards on for Beavon.
Dales put a ball into the box but the defence managed to clear it, but then 77 minutes gone and it turned again. Workington hadn’t really tested the home defence in the second half, but they won a corner on the right after a break. Once again no one took charge and it fell to Jake Allan who gratefully accepted the chance and made it 1-2.
From a possible win after a totally dominant second half, Mickleover were heading for another defeat. They swapped Oppong for Smith in the closing minutes and had one last chance when Dales was fouled on the edge of the box. His free kick came off the wall, before the corner came to nought.
But four minutes into time added on Workington were awarded another innocuous penalty, which Rigg scored to seal a flattering 1-3 win for Workington, leaving Mickleover with a six consecutive defeat.
