Friendly

16th July 2005

Attendance -

Team - Escritt, Atkinson, Richards, Obern, Hudson, Nicholson, Ormerod, Scaife, Robinson, Brown, A Gildea. Subs: Wells, Veart, McTiernan, Burke, Keenan.

Report - by Andrew Snaith -efender Chris Hudson, who left the Blues in May 1999 to represent Harrogate Town and Pickering, made a dramatic return to action on Saturday at Bridlington, helping his side to a clean sheet and later, signing on the dotted line for the new season. 27-year-old Hudson was joined by debutant midfielder Andrew Brown from former rivals Spennymoor United, as well as trialist Tom Burke, a centre-half previously at Arngrove Northern League neighbours Guisborough Town.
The 'real Seasiders' were missing five first-teamers with keeper David Campbell and player of the season Danny Farthing on holiday, and three strikers also unavailable: Liam Gildea(at a wedding), Steve Johnson and new signing Tommy Raw.
Campbell's understudy Ben Escritt however, put on a superb display betwen the sticks, featuring some top handling and three excellent saves.
But it was the Blues who threatened first and really should've led inside the opening seconds, when Graham Robinson found himself completely clear but expecting an offside flag that didn't come, the South African blazed over from six yards.
Escritt came to Whitby's rescue for the first time when Brid's runaway top scorer last season Paul Palmer saw his goalbound effort tipped over expertly by the former Stokesley stopper.
Whitby local lad Steve Swales, playing left-back for the home side made his first impression, scything down Ant Ormerod after the tricky winger beat him down the right flank. The Blues almost made their Premier Division status count when nervous keeping from another ex-Whitby man Gavin Kelly, saw David Wells head just wide, arriving late at the far post.
Wells, who starred down the left towards the end of last season when on-loan from Northern League Billingham Synthonia netting twice at Workington, looked lively with another former loanee, released Hartlepool United man Karl Richards, behind him at left-back.
Unibond First Division Town's Martin Thacker curled over a neat 25-yard free-kick late in the half.
Into the second half, and substitute Dave McTiernan tricked his way into the Brid box but was denied low down by the hosts' young goalkeeper, himself replacing Kelly.
It was a welcome sight to see Nick Scaife, blighted by a shoulder injury last season, back in a Whitby shirt, though the tall midfielder sent a speculative shot well over from distance.
Whitby were looking very solid at the back with Mark Obern taking advantage of Farthing's absence to impress alongside fellow beanpole centre-half Hudson. Veteran Craig Veart made a brief second half appearance from the bench and flighted a few dangerous crosses but did little else in what was little more than a cameo.
Paul Atkinson gave a steady display, with manager Dave Logan giving debutants Burke and Keenan a run out. The blazing English summer brought out some severe haircuts with Whitby sporting five skinheads on the field simulataneously at one stage- though Veart's barnet was enough to easily cover the rest of the back four.
Skipper Scott Nicholson was the pick of Whitby's outfield players, alongside new signing Andy Brown who went forward at every opportunity to help out lone-striker Robinson. Brown tried a serious chest ons as he literally barged his way through to goal before the impressive Lee Harper at the heart of Brid's defence made the clearance.
Late on, Whitby were lucky to hang on to their clean sheet when Burke and Keenan got in a real mess, gifting Thacker a clear route to goal, only for Escritt to make another superb reflex stop and deny the experienced midfield man.
For their first match of the season, Whitby looked very composed, managing some lovely one-touch play going forward and appeared very solid with their two banks of four in defence and midfield- the equally strong presence of Brown playing just behind Robinson.
As usual, it was up front where things looked threadbare, but with Robinson on his own, and three forwards missing, more can be expected in the weeks to come and manager Logan may still be on the look out for that missing piece of the jigsaw- a 20 goal striker.