UniBond Premier Division

8th October 2007

Attendance -

Team - Campbell, Lyth, Appleby, Brumwell, Nogan, Adams (Raw), Vickers, Drinkall, Hackworth, Brunskill, Charlton. Subs: Raw, Hartas, and Dominic Wilson.

Report - from www.whitbygazette.co.uk - WHITBY finally ended their losing streak with a hard-fought point at Ashton last night (Mon).
On this occasion, Ashton were probably a shade fortunate to get a point as the Blues were sharper on the night and created the better chances.
Manager Danny Johnson made one change to the starting line up following Saturday's defeat at Worksop, Danny Forde coming in to play at right back in place of Michael Murray.
The visitors have had a difficult start to the season themselves, but they started the game well and seemed sharper than their hosts, winning most of the fifty-fifty challenges and pouncing on any loose balls.
However, it was the home side who created the first clear cut chance, Glyn Barker heading wide at the near post from Neil Chappell's cross after the front man had been played in by a clever pass from Steve Garvey. Whitby's best effort came in the nineteenth minute, when 'skipper Matty Appleby struck a free kick from twenty-five yards. The ball was heading for the top corner, but Damien Rooney produced a fantastic save to tip the ball over the bar for a corner.
Ashton forced a couple of corners, but Whitby defenders were on hand to block shots from Billy McCartney and Matty O'Neill. Michael Vickers had a great chance to score for Whitby, but his shot on the turn flew over the crossbar. Tony Hackworth then struck a shot that drifted just past the far post with Rooney beaten and Vickers' cross to the far post was just begging to be converted, but the home side somehow survived the danger.
In the second half the play ebbed and flowed. Town's Danny Brunskill hit a left foot shot just wide and Hackworth headed wide from Carl Charlton's cross. At the other end Chappell headed wide from O'Neill's cross and the same player had a shot deflected wide after latching on to a fine through ball from Garvey.
David Campbell saved well from Bennett when the Ashton midfielder tried his luck from the edge of the penalty area, but United had a lucky escape when Rooney recovered to clear a Brunskill effort off the line. Substitute Iain Howard got clear of the Whitby defence only to be denied by Campbell and Bennett's follow-up was also blocked. In stoppage time a high ball into the Whitby penalty area from Forde had Campbell struggling, but the Whitby 'keeper kept the ball out, with the aid of the crossbar. The final chance of the match saw Melford Knight heading wide from Danny Caldecott's corner.