WORKINGTON 0-1 HINCKLEY UNITED

Attendance: 462

By ANDY GIBBS at BOROUGH PARK

HINCKLEY United continued their hoodoo over Workington as a solitary goal was enough to give them victory and make it 11 games unbeaten against The Reds.

In a close fought game, Adam Webster’s penalty midway through the second half was the decisive factor and one goal was always likely to settle a game of few clear-cut chances – it went Hinckley’s way to justify the near 500 mile round trip to West Cumbria for United’s loyal band of supporters.

 United fielded four new signings, James Mace and Lee Collins slotted into a new look back four, Dan Dillon began on the left side of midfield against one of his former clubs whilst striker Matt West impressed, he and Webster worked tirelessly up front and with Chukki Eribenne starting on the bench and Ange Lorougnon serving a two game suspension, Dean Thomas has plenty of options up front.

New look Hinckley looked sharper early on, they kept the ball well but after forcing a couple of early corners, they could only create half chances, Richard Lavery headed an Andy Gooding free kick wide, West saw his fierce shot blocked by Lee Andrews for a corner and Andy Hall volleyed off target.

The home side came into the game as the half developed and had the first shot on target when Gareth Arnison worked himself a shooting opportunity on the edge of the area, but fired straight at Chris MacKenzie, and late in the half, United’s keeper almost conceded a bizarre goal when his attempted clearance rebounded off Matt Henney before dropping wide.

The second half was a more far open affair as chances came and went at either end. Twice Arnison could have put the home side in front soon after the interval. After a United attack broke down, Workington broke quickly and had men over, but when Henney fed Arnison with only the keeper to beat, he shot weakly and MacKenzie saved. Moments later, Arnison beat the offside trap to break free in the inside left channel but his cross-cum-shot was cleared by Stuart Giddings.

At the other end, Webster’s shot was well saved at his near post by Tony Caig and Gooding fired wide after a well worked corner from Hall before the goal. United produced the best move of the game as they kept possession well along their left flank, a sublime back-heel from Hall found Giddings on the left hand edge of the area, his cross was handled by Kyle May and Webster blasted the penalty into the top corner.

Once Hinckley got their noses in front, they always looked like maintaining their advantage and could have extended it but Eribenne, making his debut as a substitute for West, wasted a couple of decent opportunities, whilst the only real scare for United came in the final minute of time added on when Henney seemed poised to shoot from 12 yards, but Giddings made a timely intervention and Workington’s last chance to salvage anything was gone.

WORKINGTON: Caig, Langford, Rowntree, May, Andrews, Hardman (Shannon 71), Henney, Hopper, Jonny Wright, Arnison, Anthony Wright. Subs not used: Ruttledge, Robinson, Casson, Taylor

HINCKLEY UNITED: MacKenzie, Mace, Giddings, Lavery, Collins, Franklin, Hall, Gooding, Webster (Taylor, 77), West (Eribenne, 70), Dillon. Subs Cartwright, Lister, Storer