Another highly-pleasing away performance earned Reds maximum points, despite having to play for the whole of the second half with 10 men.

Skipper Gari Rowntree was shown a second yellow card on the stroke of half-time for a typically committed tackle on home captain Jon Challinor inside the Stamford area. 

He had been booked for a foul five minutes earlier and referee David Avent considered the second one had been reckless.

At that point Reds were ahead from a Joe McGee strike and it was a deserved lead against a Stamford side who had not won at home so far, and had not seriously threatened the Workington goal.

But the handicap meant that Reds were on the back foot from the resumption with Stamford enjoying much more of the ball and subsequent territory than they had done earlier.

It meant Derek Townsley and his management team needed total commitment from the Workington players to maintain their advantage and see it through to the end – and they certainly got it.

Phil McLuckie and Kyle May were the standout performers but Townsley admitted afterwards that he had been proud of the way the whole side had stuck together to get through a tricky situation.

The win moved Reds up to seventh place in the Evo-Stik Premier Division table, just two points off the play-offs and six off the leaders Blyth, with a game in hand.

With Rowntree off for the second half, Reds still opted to play with two banks of four which meant Anthony Wright dropping into the left-back berth and Joe McGee playing deeper in midfield.

So what had started as rather a scrappy affair became much more intense and entertaining, and then frantic for the last 10 minutes when Stamford had their goalkeeper sent off, without a replacement on the bench.

It meant midfielder Dominic McGarr donned the keeper’s top and gloves with his side still pushing for an equaliser and Reds now a bit more confident on the break. 

It was quite breathtaking stuff and after four minutes of added time, Reds were able to reflect on a job well done.

The visitors could have been further ahead than 1-0 at the break and McGee might easily have been laying claims to the match ball during the interval.

The best early chance fell to the busy ex-Morecambe player but with just keeper Richard Knight to beat, he tried to pick himself a more favourable shooting position. That delay proved costly as it enabled a home defender to get back and make a saving tackle.

McLuckie, an all-action outlet down the right, had gone closest when he got on the end of deep Conor Tinnion cross and his header was scrambled behind by Knight.

It was McLuckie who had a hand in the opening goal on 38 minutes. A run down the right and a ball inside saw James Earl win possession with a timely tackle before feeding McGee on the edge of the area. He quickly seized the opportunity to get in a shot which went over Knight into the net.

Minutes later McGee almost made it two, after good play between Earl and Tinnion, but his shot scraped the outside of the post.

Then came Rowntree’s red card which rather changed the shape of the game when they resumed, but with May using all his strength, experience and dogged resistance down the middle alongside young Sam Smith, Stamford’s chosen route in was blocked effectively.

Reds were also dangerous themselves on the break. McGee should have scored again after a terrific break down the right by Jake Simpson but although he got on the end of the cross, he fired high over the bar from eight yards.

They did, however, double their lead on 74 minutes. A Tinnion corner wasn’t cleared and when it dropped in the box, McLuckie fired home from close range.

Although the game looked won against one of the league’s strugglers, Stamford had one important stat in their favour – they have scored in every match.

That record was maintained on 77 minutes when a curling corner into the Reds box caught substitute Josh Calvert awkwardly on the chest and flew into the net.

But this remarkable game took another twist on 81 minutes when home keeper Knight was sent off.

Reds had engineered a clean break and McLuckie was haring away towards goal when Knight raced out of his area. The Reds midfielder shot and Knight clearly went down to save with his hands, leaving the referee with no alternative.

Without a second keeper on the bench Stamford had to look for volunteers and it was midfielder McGarr who took over.

He was no dummy either, making two decent stops to deny both Reds substitutes Gareth Arnison and Calvert, while at the other end Jonny Jamieson dealt confidently with a couple of late corners to see Reds over the finish line.

Stamford: Knight, Myles, Fox, Challinor, Carr, McGarr, Hall, Hicks (Neil, 70), Shariff, Clements, Richards (Rawdon, 83). Subs (not used): Jones, Lee.

Workington: Jamieson, Simpson, Rowntree, May, Smith, Wright, McLuckie, Earl, Tymon (Arnison, 71), McGee (Calvert, 71), Tinnion. Subs (not used): McCartney, Studholme, Mitchell.

Referee: David Svent.

Crowd: 436.

Star Man: Phil McLuckie.