UniBond Premier

18th February 2006

Attendance - 337

Team - Campbell, Atkinson, Veart, Farthing, Wilford, Nicholson, McTiernan(Robinson 76), Brumwell, Blott(Raw 70), Brunskill, Ormerod. Sub not used: Batchelor.

Report - by Andrew Snaith - The Blues suffered a big blow to their hopes of reaching the play-offs after squandering a 3-1 lead to draw 3-3 thanks to a last minute equaliser from visitors Bradford Park Avenue at the Turnbull Ground on Saturday.

Manager David Logan made four changes from the side that tumbled out of the League Cup the week before at Farsley Celtic, with Ben Escritt missing out through a knock sustained in that game, the experienced Dave Campbell reclaimed the number one jersey, teenage midfielders Karl Richards and Mark Barber were replaced by veteran Phil Brumwell and fit-again Dave McTiernan, with 18-year-old Ryan Blott signing on-loan from Scarborough on Friday making his debut up front at the expense of Graham Robinson.

The visitors were quickest out of the blocks threatening first inside three minutes when Dean Calcutt's cross found Achille Traore whose well-struck drive was parried wide by Campbell. But after the subsequent corner came to nothing, the Blues found their rhythm and Avenue's shaky backline again looked fallible when Danny Brunskill was pulled back by Dan Jarvis right on the edge of the box. Brunskill took the resulting free-kick which slid just out of the grasp of the Whitby forwards enabling keeper Neil Thompson to collect.

But Brunskill was not to be denied, the man Town fans call Bruno, turned neatly just inside the Avenue area after Veart's corner was flicked on first by Aron Wilford and then Ant Ormerod, for Brunskill to blast low past the unsighted Thompson.

Bouyed by Brunskill's 12th goal of the season, Whitby now dominated with Wilford heading over another Veart cross on 17 minutes. Scott Nicholson came painfully close to doubling the Seasiders lead with a sweetly struck chip that came back off the Bradford crossbar and Blott mistimed his instinctive bicycle kick at the far post.

The half hour mark saw Brunskill again involved, the former Spennymoor man this time unleashing a ferocious 20-yard half volley that Thompson did very well to save low to his right.

The tide continued to flow Whitby's way and the Seasiders duly grabbed a second two minutes before half-time. McTiernan set off on a typical mazy run down the right flank, before supplying a pinpoint centre for Ormerod to supply the perfect diving header past Thompson from 12 yards for 2-0.

However, this only seemed to reinvogorate the away side with Calcutt firing wastefully over from a good position seconds later, but with half-time looming Avenue clawed their way back into the match. Craig Smith was allowed plenty of time to deliver a dangerous low cross that Bradford's own on-loan Scarborough midfielder Jimmy Beadle just-about sidefooted past Campbell's sprawling right glove from eight yards.

Visiting manager Gary Brook surely must have thought his side had a great chance of levelling the scores in the second half, only for the West Yorkshire club to find themselves two goals down three minutes after the restart.

The lively Blott raced clear before being upended by Thompson, who somehow avoided a card of either colour, but referee Mr Tiffin had no hesitation in pointing to the penalty spot. Veart stepped up and sent the Avenue keeper the wrong way, slotting the ball tidily inside the bottom-right corner of the net.

But if Blues fans expected a rare easy ride at home they were sadly disappointed four minutes later thanks to a moment of brilliance from Calcutt. The former Accrington Stanley playmaker ran from the halfway line to beat two Whitby defenders before striding into the penalty area and stroking effortlessly past Campbell for 3-2.

Even so, Whitby remained in the drivers seat, playing most of the football and causing most of the problems. On 67 minutes, Brunskill muscled his way down the left and cut back for McTiernan to have a low drive charged down. Seconds later, Brunskill raced clear on goal, only to miscontrol at the vital moment and allow Thompson to collect. At the other end, Bradford's 10-goal leading scorer Tom Greaves came close, heading Beadle's dinked cross just wide.

Tom Raw replaced Blott in a like for like change with 20 minutes remaining. And within six minutes, Robinson took McTiernan's place- the impressive youngster deserving the warm applause of the crowd. In-between, Brunskill saw another effort cleared off the Avenue line by Liam Flynn.

But Whitby were to rue their missed chances, as Avenue found another gear in the dying seconds. The 16th placed side forced a succession of corners and with 90 minutes on the clock, captain Dean Jones challenged Campbell in the air, with the Blues keeper spilling the ball for Jones to fire home from point-blank range for a last gasp equaliser. Week after week, similar challenges are given as free-kicks to the keeper but Whitby players and fans alike were left to stare wide-eyed at the referee, who awarded the goal.

In a remarkable contest, Avenue showed why they'd shipped the most goals in the league as Whitby had two more guilt-edged opportunities in injury time. Both fell to Ormerod- the former Middlesbrough striker chipping just over from the edge of the box as Thompson left his line to close the forward down. And finally, two minutes into added time, Ormerod raced goalwards but struck an unconvincing effort straight at the keeper who blocked just inside his own area.

And in the mayhem, Avenue could even have repeated their fete of the first half and grabbed a shock winner of their own when Flynn drove just wide from a corner in the dying seconds.