Mickleover turn over Workington as the in-form Reds are shocked

After seven straight defeats in January, Mickleover ended their dismal run as they shocked in-form Workington Reds.

The west Cumbrians had won four in a row and had just beaten two of their promotion rivals.

But, such is the unpredictability of football, a shock always looked on the cards as the visitors simply didn’t settle.

After a scrappy first half, it became clear that, if Reds were going to add to their recent impressive run, they were going to have to dig in and win ugly.

But that prospect disappeared in the first seven minutes of the second half when Mickleover grabbed two important goals.

At Borough Park three weeks earlier, Reds had buried the Derbyshire side with four goals in eight minutes immediately after the interval.

This time, they had a taste of their own medicine and two more goals in the final 15 minutes completed a dismal result – that nobody could have seen coming.

In truth the pitch was difficult, hard and bobbly, not one to suit the Reds but good teams have to adapt and they simply didn’t.

Mickleover handled them better and were deserving winners with a result which could reignite their season as they seemed to be going only one way.

The first half was scrappy. Mickleover had more territory and had more possession than the Reds but the visitors could have gone in at the break with a two-goal lead.

Rob Wilson curled one of his typical efforts from the edge of the area just wide and Jack Ryan wasn’t far away with a header.

But they weren’t the talking points. Scott Allison was clearly fouled after laying-off the ball in the box, going down after a scissor-tackle.

Then, after a lovely shimmy just inside the area to lose his marker, he curled a shot beyond debutant keeper Nicky Draper.

But unfortunately, the ball came back off the inside of the upright and was hammered clear by a defender.

By comparison, Mickleover never seriously threatened the Workington goal – plenty of possession but the final ball was always poor.

So, it was a remarkable change in fortune for the home side on the resumption.

After 47 minutes, they grabbed the all-important first goal.

Tyler Blake, a young striker on loan from Mansfield, held-off Kyle May in a battle for a ball knocked forward and went on to steer his shot past Aaran Taylor.

Five minutes later the impressive Blake linked well with veteran Clinton Morrison and Andy Dales finished in style.

Workington did have an immediate chance to get back into it but, when Conor Tinnion was left with a chance on his favoured left foot, he skied a shot over the bar.

In truth, Reds never got back into it and, on 76 minutes, Blake got clear again to beat Taylor.

He completed his hat-trick five minutes from the end, lashing in a great shot when clear again down the middle.

It perhaps summed-up Reds’ afternoon in the last minute.

A Wilson shot from the edge of the box was deflected and Allison following-up lifted the ball over the keeper as he went to ground.

It bounced slowly towards the post and, although substitute Nathan Waterston got there, it was a fraction too late and he could only stab the ball against the upright and behind.

Mickleover: Draper, Slone, Turner, McGrath (Belgrave 86), Mills, Burgin, Sales, Morrison (Baskerville 78), Blake, George (Johal 80), Scott. Sub (not used) Lansdown.

Workington: Taylor, Simpson, Rowntree, May, Calvert, Wright (Joel 58), Symington, Wilson, Ryan (Waterston 69), Allison, Tinnion. Subs (not used) Smith, Douglas, Fowler.

Referee: Ed Pidduck; Crowd: 209

Star Man: Rob Wilson