It is not ideal, but the Lions make their longest trip of the season on Tuesday evening as they travel to the coast to take on Workington in a rearranged fixture following another draw last time out, writes Scott Kelly.
“There were loads of positives to take. I thought the boys were excellent. It is just the nature of the situation we are in. At times I thought we rushed things.”
Boss Ian Richards remained upbeat despite conceding a late goal against Cleethorpes Town. That is two 1-1 draws for the new boss, with Tuesday night the opportunity for his first victory.
Team News
Leo Farrell made a return with around a half an hour performance on Saturday. Richards confirmed he will remain with the club until at least January, but his hamstring issue will continue to be monitored by the club and parent club Barnsley.
Jake Lawlor opening the scoring for the Lions but was replaced early on with a hamstring injury. He could miss out.
Liam Ridehalgh will definitely be missing, with Richards confirming he is not yet 100% fit to return.
The Opposition
Founded in 1921, Cumbria club Workington have only been Northern Premier League members since promotion in the 2022-23 season. They were originally relegated from this league after finishing rock bottom in the 2018-19 season, But an immediate return was consistently halted by the COVID pandemic, with the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons curtailed early. A devastating play off final loss in 2021-22 was then followed by play-off success in 2022-23.
17th and 12th placed finishes have followed but they do however see themselves bottom of the league going into Tuesday evening’s game. A victory, depending on its margin, would take the Reds above Guiseley in the table, which would see the Lions drop into the relegation zone.
Despite their lowly position they have improved of late, with seven of their 13 points accrued coming in their last three league matches. Victories over Stocksbridge and Hyde was followed by a hard-working 3-3 draw at Rushall Olympic on Saturday.
This upturn in form coincided with a change of manager. Billy Barr was appointed as manager earlier this month following the departure of Darren Edmondson. Their playing squad includes skipper Steven Rigg, goalkeeper Alex Mitchell, defender Steven Swinglehurst, on loan defender Hayden Atkinson, long-serving midfielder David Symington and forwards Alfie McDonough and Nathan Reid.
Defender Tyler Magloire has also recently joined the club on non-contract terms after playing in nearly half of Northampton Town’s games in League One last season. He was released by the Cobblers at the end of the campaign.
Previous Meetings
The Lions did the double over Workington last season, with a 2-0 victory at Nethermoor being followed up by another 2-0 success in Cumbria.
Tuesday’s hosts have only won one of the last 13 meetings between the sides, stretching back to 2005. That was a 2-1 success at Borough Park in April 2024. Guiseley have won 10 of those 13 meetings, with two games being drawn.
Listen Live
If you cannot make it to Cumbria, live audio commentary can be found via the Mixlr app or via guiseleyradio.mixlr.com from 7:35pm on Tuesday.
Tickets
Tickets can be purchased on the day at the turnstiles with cash or card payment or online now.
Tickets are priced at:
- £14 Adults
- £10 Concessions
- £5 16-17s
- FREE U16s
You can pick up a matchday programme priced at £3 each.
Coach travel is no longer available for this fixture.
The Evening’s Other Clashes
There are three other clashes in the Northern Premier League on Tuesday evening, with FC United of Manchester and Hednesford Town looking to close the gap on Warrington Rylands at the top of the table.
The clash between Hebburn and Ilkeston is between two sides looking to make a push for the play offs, with the winner looking to get within just a point of the top five.
FC United of Manchester vs Stockton Town
Hebburn Town vs Ilkeston
Hednesford vs Bamber Bridge
