Fragile Reds succumbed to first home defeat

... with this first home defeat of a troubled campaign leaving them next to bottom in Evo-Stik Premier.

And who’s to blame for this sad state of affairs?

Management are certainly not getting the best out of the playing staff, the players, in turn, are shirking their responsibilities and not brave enough or capable to change fortunes around and, yes, the directors have to take their share of the criticism for all of the above and more.

The calendar year has been one long catalogue of disaster with just seven league wins obtained and twenty defeats painfully inflicted upon a team whose confidence is in pieces.

Many of the supporters don’t care either with the paltry attendance due in part to the inclement weather but mainly to an alarming loss of form.

Whitby actually started the downturn in fortunes on New Year’s Day and won just as comfortably on this occasion.

We all hoped it would be different after Conor Tinnion’s opening goal but Whitby sensed the fear factor in the home ranks and two goals in ninety seconds turned the game in their favour.

Rectifying the situation won’t be easy, and it will be later rather than sooner in the grand scheme of things, but matters cannot continue on this downward spiral.

Yet despite their troubles, Reds were clearly the better team in the first half but they only looked at ease after Tinnion’s free kick found a way past Adam McHugh in the twenty seventh minute.

Tinnion, one of the few to impress on the night, had earlier sent a free kick from deep into the danger area and McHugh palmed the ball onto the crossbar in a moment of panic.

And a meandering run, like the Tinnion of old, almost produced a special goal, his eventual shot just drifting wide of the target. Brad Hubbold, also, had an attempt at goal but he will have to wait a little longer for his first goal at this level after he too missed the target.

Matty Tymon was obviously causing problems for his former colleagues at the heart of the Reds defence, on the evidence of his torn shirt. He had two headers plucked out of the air by Aaran Taylor then saw a left foot drive thump the foot of the post.

Town’s inevitable equaliser came after sixty one minutes following the third of three corners in quick succession. Gari Rowntree cleared the first two but the ball fell to Andy Monkhouse and it was third time lucky for him as he lashed the ball home.

It was all over following Town’s next attack with Lewis Maloney scoring the winner after breaking clear down the left and sending a measured shot past Taylor which went in off the upright.

To their credit, Reds battled away to the end but the chances which fell to Jordan Holt and Matty Douglas were headed over the bar while Scott Allison’s shot was saved by McHugh.

The thought of being out of all the cups and in a relegation scrap before the end of October suggests a long winter ahead, all the more reason for everyone to pull together and get us out of this self inflicted mess.

Workington Taylor, Douglas, Rowntree, Wordsworth, May, Cowperthwaite, Holt (Joel, 75), Hubbold (Maguire, 75) Walker, Allison, Tinnion. Substitutes – Mellen, Tidy, Casson (not used).

Whitby Town McHugh, Meredith, McWilliams, Gell, Lees, Monkhouse, Beadle, Hopson (Sukar, 90), Mondal, Tymon, Maloney. Substitutes – Nearney, Wilson, Bullock, Dixon (not used)

Referee Chris Porter, Preston

Booking: Wordsworth (Workington)

Attendance 202