UniBond Premier Division

2006

Attendance - 136

Team - Campbell, Reid, Brumwell, Appleby, Farthing, Claisse, McTiernan (Hughes 77), Nogan (Scaife 71), Raw, Brunskill, Ormerod. Sub not used: Parkin.

Report - Whitby Town ended their recent winless run with a priceless away victory at Ashton United on Saturday – the first on their travels this season. Danny Brunskill's brace was enough to see the Blues come from behind after Ciaran Kilheeney put the Robins ahead with all the goals coming in the second half. Town started brightly with Ormerod cutting in from the left and firing just over the crossbar from just outside the penalty area. On 20 minutes Dave McTiernan chested down in a crowded box for Brunskill to fire against a defender but the rebound was poked wide first-time by McTiernan. At the other end, the league's second top-scorer Ciaran Kilheeney took advantage of Tom Reid's loss of possession on the edge of the Whitby box to half-valley goalwards and force a fine save from Campbell. On 34 minutes Whitby thought they'd broken the deadlock when Tom Claisse's free-kick found Ormerod on the edge of the box. The former Middlesbrough striker beat the onrushing keeper and his shot was goalbound shot was helped over the line by Tom Raw, but the assistant flagged for a marginal offside. Four minutes later Raw nearly made amends after winning a free-kick due to being grabbed around the throat by a home defender. Matty Appleby stepped up and rattled the resulting free-kick via a slight deflection, against the crossbar with keeper Mottram struggling. However, it was the home side who finally showed towards the end of the half. Danny Forde's ferocious 20-yard half-volley almost caught Campbell out, but flew inches wide. The second half began in similar fashion to the first, with Whitby looking the more dangerous. Two minutes in, Claisse advanced into the hosts' area and directed the ball towards the other side of the six-yard box, but a United defender hooked clear at the near post. The Whitby pressure continued with McTiernan seeing his angled drive slide away from goal. But Ashton took the lead against the run of play in a defensive nightmare. Kilkenny ran down the left, beating Appleby's sliding challenge and Farthing as he came in, and as Campbell also guarded the near post, the Ashton forward fired across goal and inside the far post for 1-0. It took just three minutes for Whitby to respond as Ormerod crossed from the left and Brunskill was left unmarked to head powerfully low past Mottram from 10 yards. On 64 minutes, Raw's quick feet saw him push Hitchen back into his own six-yard goal before laying back to the edge of the box for Claisse to force a good low save from Mottram. Campbell's goal-kick then found its way to Raw on the right who switched play and Ormerod crossed for Brunskill's half volley on the turn to fly just over from 12 yards. Whitby were laying siege to the hosts by this stage and Scaife tried his luck from the edge of the box, with his effort deflected over the top. Scaife was in the right place at the right time at the other end, hooking the ball over his own head from his own goal-line while facing away from goal to deny United an equaliser eight minutes from time. Sub Craig Hughes then did well to pick out Raw inside the area who, having had two good claims for a penalty turned down, finally got the benefit of the doubt from the official after pulled to the ground by Michael Murray. Brunskill made no mistake from 12 yards, burying his third penalty of the season into the roof of the net.