SALFORD City got the better of promotion-rivals Workington AFC after an eight-goal extravaganza at Moor Lane on Tuesday night.
The Ammies opened up a two goal lead after Chris Lynch and Jordan Hulme found the target in the opening exchanges but the visitors levelled before the break with strikes from Sam Smith and Joe McGee.
Salford restored their advantage when Lynch headed home a long Josh Hine throw-in and Ritchie Allen added a fourth from the penalty spot.
Danny Webber ended the game as a contest stroking home Salford’s fifth before Kyle May rounded off the scoring with a consolation goal in second half stoppage time to make the final score 5-3.
The Ammies started the brighter of the two sides forcing the Cumbrians goalkeeper Alex Mitchell into action as early as the fourth minute when he tipped behind one of Hine’s menacing long-throws.
It was only a temporary reprieve for the visitors as the resulting corner-kick was swung in by James Poole and scrambled into the goal by Lynch.
Ten minutes later and the Ammies had doubled their advantage. Hine, signed by Bernard Morley and Anthony Johnson primarily to score goals himself, has quite the weapon in his huge throw-ins and on the quarter-hour another missile was launched deep into Workington territory. Mitchell leapt up to claim the high ball but spilt it and Hulme was on hand to poke into the unguarded goal.
Salford’s lightening start would’ve been capped off had Hine’s rasping shot on 20 minutes made its way into the goal but Mitchell partially redeemed himself, saving well.
Workington halved their deficit with their first threatening attack of the match. Conor Tinnion whipped in a free-kick from the right touchline after McGee was fouled, Josh Calvert did well to knock the ball back across the face of goal where Smith slammed home to get his side onto the scoreboard.
The visitors had now gained a foothold in the game and Mitchell had recovered well from his earlier mistake, now confidently dealing with high balls into his area.
They got themselves level with the most impressive move of the match on 35 minutes. The Moor Lane pitch was something of a pudding so it was even more remarkable when Derek Townsley’s men put together a passing move which culminated in Scott Allison carrying the ball down the right wing and finding Anthony Wright on the corner of the box.
Wright then guided the ball to McGee, totally taking Salford keeper Jay Lynch out of the action and the Workington number 10 stroked his side onto level terms.
Either side could have gone ahead in the dying embers of the first half. Mitchell saved well with his feet to deny John Johnstone before Tinnion curled a bending shot just wide of the sprawling Jay Lynch but the two teams went into the interval with nothing to separate them.
Workington came out after the break clearly deploying a 4-4-2 formation, which contrasted to the 4-5-1 system they’d preferred in the first half and in truth it backfired. Salford had good opportunities to regain the lead through Hine, half-time substitute Danny Webber and Evan Gumbs before their dominance eventually told.
Again it came from the arm of Hine. He hurled into the goalmouth and the ball looked destined to end in the goal without a touch before Chris Lynch got his head to it with the ball on the goal-line. Had Lynch not been so astute and let the ball bounce into the goal untouched a goal-kick would’ve been awarded so hats off to the Salford skipper for his tactical awareness and poacher’s instinct.
It was nearly parity once more when Allison hooked left-footed towards goal only for the ball to strike the base of the post and bounce to safety.
On 72 minutes Salford had the ball in ‘The Reds’ (actually wearing Yellow) net but Webber had strayed offside, however they did not have to wait long for a their fourth goal, even if it came in incredibly fortunate circumstances.
Another Ammies substitute Ritchie Allen attempted a cross into the penalty area which was blocked at close quarters by the arm of Jacob Simpson. The Workington right-back cannot have been more than a yard from his opponent and his arm was clearly by his side yet referee Philip Dermott pointed to the penalty spot.
Allen made no mistake from 12 yards, sending Mitchell the wrong way to double Salford’s lead.
With Workington pushing bodies up field in search of the two goals they now needed, Salford were able to pick off their opponents to land a killer fifth goal. Allen backheeling into the path of the former Portsmouth and Watford strikers path who slid into the bottom corner of the goal.
Webber’s strike ended the game as a contest but Workington did manage to get themselves a late consolation goal when Simpson’s corner was headed in by May in second-half stoppage time.
This was a much-needed win for Salford as with Stourbridge winning last night their play-off place had looked precarious, but victory over a fellow promotion-contender can only give them confidence for the remainder of the season, starting on Saturday away at Skelmersdale.
Workington may consider themselves unfortunate in the cruel way Salford’s fourth goal came about but in truth their defending from set-plays, most notably long-throws, will be something for them to address. They’ll hope to put things right at Ilkeston this weekend.
Line-ups:
Salford: Jay Lynch, Gumbs, O’Halloran, Stopforth, Howson, Chris Lynch (C), Johnston (Allen ’64), Clark, Hine, Hulme (Moses ’78), Poole (Webber ’46)
Subs not used: Mwasile, Burton
Goals: Chris Lynch (5, 59), Hulme (14), Allen (pen 73) Webber (77)
Booked: Clark
Workington: Mitchell, Simpson, Rowntree (C), May, Smith, Calvert, Hindmarch (Hebson ’58), Wright, Allison, McGee, Tinnion
Subs not used: Tymon, Grandison, McCartney, Jamieson
Goals: Smith (25), McGee (35), May (90+1)
Booked: Smith
By Jordan Davies at Moor Lane
@jordandavies09
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