Workington Town Ladies Storm Into League One Play Off Final After Stunning 68 0 Victory
Workington Town Ladies stormed into the League One play-off final after a stunning 68-0 victory over Leigh Miners Rangers.
The Fibrus Community Stadium witnessed a dominant display from Workington, who controlled the contest from the opening stages and continued to build their advantage throughout the match. The hosts produced a relentless attacking performance while also keeping Leigh Miners Rangers scoreless, eventually completing a comprehensive victory that secured their place in the competition’s final.
Workington made their intentions clear after only four minutes when Josie Scrimgour crossed from close range, finishing around 10 metres from the posts. Leonie Bragg added the conversion to give Town an early lead, setting the tone for an opening period in which the hosts repeatedly threatened the Leigh defence.
Town extended their advantage five minutes later through a well worked attacking move involving Nikita Gibson and Evie Tonkin. Gibson raced approximately 30 metres down the wing before finding Tonkin inside, allowing the Scottish international to cross near the posts, although the resulting conversion attempt was unsuccessful.
The pressure continued almost immediately, with Tonkin again showing impressive footwork to evade defenders before creating the opportunity for Georgia Naylor to score. Bragg successfully converted the try, giving Workington a further boost as the home side continued to find openings against a Leigh defence struggling to contain their attacking movement.
Leigh did manage to survive one further Workington attack when Kacey Currie was adjudged to have knocked on around 10 metres from the line. The visitors were unable to make meaningful use of the possession that followed, however, as returning Town captain Beth Adams forced another knock-on and helped maintain the pressure on Leigh.
Workington added another try in the 22nd minute after Scrimgour produced a finely judged kick behind the defensive line. Bethani Fearns got through to score, while Bragg added the conversion, taking the hosts to 20 points and maintaining a scoring rate that left Leigh facing an increasingly difficult task before half-time.
The next score did not arrive until the 35th minute, but when it did, it was another impressive individual effort. Currie produced a powerful solo run, weaving between defenders before touching down out wide, and the successful score gave Workington a 26-0 advantage as the interval approached.
Workington resumed the second half with the same attacking intensity, with Fearns making a powerful run that scattered defenders and created the opening for Sophie Price to score. Scrimgour then added another try after displaying excellent footwork before racing clear, taking Town's advantage to 34-0 as their control of the contest continued.
The hosts continued to attack after reaching the 34-point mark, with Keeley Chatters making an important break before feeding Tonkin. The Scottish international finished under the posts, allowing Bragg to add the conversion and move Workington further ahead, while Leigh were unable to respond with a score of their own.
Leigh briefly threatened after a difficult bounce from the restart handed them possession, but Workington defended effectively during one of the few periods when the visitors were able to apply sustained pressure. Town soon regained control, with Fearns making another strong run and linking with Price to create the chance for Katelyn Misfud to score.
Bragg converted Misfud's try to make the score 46-0 before Workington added another shortly afterwards. Price made another strong run before Currie was caught high and a penalty followed, giving Town an attacking opportunity that Beth Adams finished by crashing over under a group of Leigh defenders. Bragg again converted, taking the score to 52-0.
Workington refused to ease their attacking efforts despite the commanding margin. Bragg broke through the Leigh defensive line around 20 metres from the line and stepped past the full-back to score, although she was unable to add the conversion. Town then moved beyond 60 points when Tonkin and Fearns created space for Leia Turner to cross, with Tonkin adding the conversion.
The final score completed Tonkin's outstanding afternoon as she crossed under the posts to claim her hat-trick. She also added the conversion, bringing the final score to 68-0 and confirming Workington's place in the League One play-off final against Wakefield at the DIY Kitchen Stadium. The final is scheduled for September 20.
The result has already generated significant interest among Workington supporters, with the Derwent Park Supporters Club selling out two coaches for the journey to the final. There is also the possibility of a third coach being organised by the Travellers Rest Supporters Club, underlining the level of support behind Town following their emphatic semi-final victory.
Leigh Miners Rangers coach Kev Hattersley praised Workington after the match, saying Town had been the best team Leigh had faced across their three meetings. He said the Workington side deserved the opportunity they were pursuing and expressed the hope that Leigh would eventually reach a similar stage themselves in the future.
Workington coach Gareth Nicholson described the performance as an amazing game and highlighted the determination required to score 68 points against Leigh. He was also pleased to see Beth Adams return to action, explaining that the captain came on for two 10-minute spells and contributed by getting herself onto the scoresheet.
Nicholson also praised the wider team performance, particularly the contributions of Evie Tonkin and Bethani Fearns. He said the pair were superb and played important roles in creating some of the tries, while also pointing to the incredible pace displayed by Workington during periods of the match.
There was further positive news regarding the squad ahead of the final, with Nicholson confirming that Beth Weir, Lexi Hodgson and Kayleigh Robinson-Murray could all return for the decisive fixture. Bethani Fearns was named player of the match following her influential performance during the comprehensive semi-final victory.
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