Captain Conor Tinnion is touch-and-go to feature in Workington Reds’ mammoth top-of-the-table clash with title rivals Ramsbottom United this afternoon.

Tinnion picked up a groin injury in training ahead of last weekend’s home game against Marske United and dropped from the starting line-up to the bench for that game.

Manager Danny Grainger felt he had to introduce him in the second half that day to help his league-leading side see out their win – with Tinnion happy to play through the pain barrier for his team.

Now he is facing a late fitness test to judge whether he will be available to feature in today’s trip, with Grainger willing to wait as late as possible to hear whether his skipper can play a part in one of Reds’ biggest games of the season.

“I am hoping we will have everyone fit for Ramsbottom; the only one that is touch-and-go is Conor Tinnion,” he said.

“It was obviously a risk we had to take in that moment in the game last weekend.

“He didn’t train on Tuesday, more as a precaution than anything else, but it’s something we’ll have to leave as late as possible to make a decision on.”

If Grainger is unable to call upon Tinnion for today’s game against the league’s second-placed side, he has full confidence in the players who could fill the gap.

The two Brads – Carroll and Hubbold – and Ceiran Casson combined well in midfield against Marske, while versatile new signing Cole Lonsdale is getting up to speed and settling into the way Grainger wants his team to play.

And Ramsbottom will still have the threat of in-form striker Scott Allison to contend with – a player Grainger labelled the best in his position in the NPL North West Division after he extended his scoring run to eight successive league games.

Grainger said: “He’s on fire at the moment and for me is probably the best striker in the league.

“He brings so much to the team and it’s not just his goals.

“His link-up and play and workrate are fantastic.

“We can be seeing out a lead in the 90th minute and he’s there, chasing back to win the ball for the team.”

The Reds boss was critical of his team’s first-half performance last Saturday but conceded that he had since watched the game back and believed they were better than he gave them credit for.

“On reflection, and analysing the game, I was probably slightly harsh saying it was one of our worst performances but they set the standards really high and it is obvious when they are below them,” he said.

“When you look back and see the chances we created and that we nullified them to only one real chance, I was happier with what I saw.”