The Pitmen continue to struggle for form, goals and points away from home, as they suffer their second defeat on the road this week with a narrow reverse to Workington at Borough Park this afternoon

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Following Tuesday night's horror show in the rain at Coalville, manager Rob Smith had been busy re-shaping his side with the double capture of Richard Platt from Gloucester City and Callum Bullock from Chorley, both on dual registration. He handed Platt an immediate debut at right-back whilst Bullock was named amongst the substitutes. Conor Levingston was given a full debut in place of Jordan Nadat, whilst Alex Melbourne started at left back in place of Matt Martin

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Workington - play-off semi-finalists last term - had struggled for form and points since the start of the season, and, much like the Pitmen, were looking for their season to start in earnest. Their first win since the opening day of the season had come in midweek, a 5-2 win over Altrincham to lift the Reds away from the bottom three and just a point behind the Pitmen in the league table

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The early stages of the game were of typical fare between two sides lacking in form, with a number of misplaced passes and a distinct lack of cohesive build-up play. A good run from Chekaine Steele in the eleventh minute saw the youngster cut inside and lift his angled shot over the bar and into the open terrace behind the goal

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Four minutes later, Workington's first half-chance of the game fell to Anthony Wright as he drilled a shot just wide of goal after an assertive run into the Hednesford penalty area

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The game remained tight and cagey on both sides, with Platt gifting the ball to Sam Joel in a dangerous position on twenty-three minutes. Platt was thankful to Ben Bailey for his quick thinking to hack the ball clear before Joel could get his shot away from fifteen yards out

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On the half-hour mark, Workington's Anthony Wright stung the fingers of James Wren with a long-range effort after he had wriggled into space just outside the Hednesford box

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Hednesford skipper Tom Thorley responded in similar fashion for the visitors five minutes later but lifted his long-range shot high over the crossbar as he created a pocket of space for himself on the edge of the Workington area

 

Then, from out of the blue, Workington took a barely-deserved lead on thirty-eight minutes; the Hednesford defence failed to effectively clear the ball from their penalty area, allowing Conor Tinnion to volley the ball past Wren from twenty yards out with a fine strike

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The Pitmen - no doubt with a rocket from Smith and Chambers ringing in their ears at half time - emerged far the better side in the opening stages of the second half, with Steele driving a shot narrowly wide of goal on forty-eight minutes

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Workington stopper Arran Taylor made a superb save to deny James Lawrie a certain equaliser on fifty-two minutes, turning the ball away from goal to deny the midfielder a certain goal from six yards out

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Another chance fell to Steele on fifty-five minutes, but his header was diverted away from goal by a last-ditch deflection from Dan Wordsworth. This was followed in the next attack with another block by Wordsworth to deny Danny Glover

 

Levingston's full debut came to a premature end on fifty-nine minutes as he was replaced by fellow new boy and loanee Bullock, who lined up wide on the left wing

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Ben Bailey made a superb block to keep the scoreline at 1-0 on seventy minutes, turning Jordan Holt's shot from a Sam Smith cross over his own crossbar for a Workington corner

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Three minutes later a great ball through by Jack Ryan found Joel clean through on the Hednesford defence, but his shot lacked direction and he bundled his shot wide of goal

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The hardworking Steele had run himself into the ground and was replaced by Tyler Lyttle in the right wing on seventy-four minutes after an assertive display from the winger

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Workington centre-back Josh Calvert was unlucky not to wrap up all three points on seventy-seven minutes, heading over the crossbar from six yards out after rising to claim a free header from close range

 

With five minutes remaining, the away side made an attacking change as they continued to chase the game, with Jordan Nadat coming on in place of Joe Fitzpatrick

 

Taylor saved his best save until the final moments of the game, as the Pitmen pushed forwards in search of an equaliser. On eighty-seven minutes, he made a breathtaking save to turn Glover's goalbound shot away from goal and retain Workington's three points

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It's been a disappointing week for the Pitmen, with Smith likely to be busy in the transfer market once more in the next seven days as he looks to make further changes to an unbalanced squad that is demotivated in some places. Another play-off semi-finalist from last season is next up as Nantwich Town visit Keys Park as the Pitmen look to maintain an unbeaten start at home so far this campaign

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Workington: Taylor, Simpson (Smith 69), Symington, Wordsworth, Calvert, Wright, Earl, Holt (Ryan 71), Allison, Joel, Tinnion     Unused subs: Douglas, Rowntree, Mellen

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Hednesford Town: Wren, Platt, Melbourne, Bailey, Mutton, Fitzpatrick (Nadat 85), Steele (Lyttle 74), Thorley ©, Glover, Lawrie, Levingston (Bullock 59)    Unused Subs: M. Martin, Ballinger