It was their second competitive trial run before they were due to head into the now postponed Western Premier League (WPL).
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
But now, with all football officially cancelled by Football NSW until April 18 due to the spreading coronavirus, the Lithgow Workmans first grade side will have to do their best to maintain their match fitness in the weeks to come.
The team took on Holroyd Rangers FC in round two of the Football Federation Australia (FFA) Cup on Sunday, March 15 at Lithgow's Marjorie Jackson Oval.
The first 10 minutes saw Holroyd capitalise over Workmans due to a mistake from the back line leading to the visitors to find the back of the net.
Workmans fought hard to defend and keep Holroyd out, having possession for 80 per cent of the match but were unable to equalize the score by full-time.
"We played probably 80 per cent of the ball, we played quite well," Workmans senior player Martin Hunter said.
The score was almost levelled to 1-1 but with Orange branch referee Nick Mostraneel calling a free-kick for a foul by Holroyd with not long to go, there was no advantage for the local men.
"One-nil was a close game, unfortunately we didn't get that advantage when we could have, that would have equalized it.
"I reckon we would've had the legs to run on into extra time because we were the fitter team out there," Hunter said.
"We were making each ball, playing the high and we were gaining."
Hunter said the squad struggled without its key players, with former captain Matt Nunan out with a major injury from a recent trial game against Western FC.
"Unfortunately we are still missing three of our key players and we will be missing Nunan for a long time," Hunter said.
Read more:
However he was pleased with how the squad performed on the day, with stand outs including goal keeper Sam Johnson, forwards Brad Luka and Daniel Stern and stand-in captain Nick Young.
"Sam made three great saves, two could have gone either way but he pulled them out of the air, he did well there.
"Brad Luka was unfortunate not to beat the keeper on the first two attacks and Sterny and Youngy are killer players," Hunter said.
Nick Young will be reigning captain for all representative games while Nunan takes the time to heal up, according to Hunter.
"He has earned this role from when he was U18s and has been in every team that has been led to a title," he said.
Hunter said next on the calendar for Workmans was the Bathurst Challenge Cup to be played on the last weekend in April.
"We're hoping to get straight into the season after Easter and looking to take our win from Bathurst last year into the Western Premier League.
"WPL is a big step for football out here and is our goal to go forward with that," he said.