UniBond Premier Division

27th December 2004

Attendance - 542

Team - Campbell, Atkinson (Williams), Veart(Gildea.L), Farthing, Linighan, Nicholson, McTiernan, Scaife, Ormerod, Pounder, Bishop - Sun not used Johnson

Report - by Andrew Snaith - Whitby Town were indebted to goalkeeper Dave Campbell and some awful finishing from ten-man Bridlington as they hung on to close the gap on Workington to four points at the top of the Unibond League on Monday.

A bumper crowd of 542 at the Turnbull Ground saw Dave McTiernan's first-half strike extend Whitby's unbeaten run to 17 matches, but the Blues survived two goal-line Brid misses and a brilliant Campbell save from Martin Thacker's spot-kick.

The physical visitors started their onslaught straight from the kick-off with Craig Veart poleaxed inside ten seconds. And by the end of the half Whitby were to lose their other full-back and Brid, their number nine.

But back in the third minute, the visitors' Paul Palmer was on the pitch and firing in a deflected drive which Campbell just about held on to.

At the other end, Ant Ormerod cut inside and fired in a similar effort that Kelly also got behind and clutched low down. On six minutes, Veart's free-kick was fired across goal by loanee Dave Pounder and the loose ball, headed wide at the far post by the towering presence of Brian Linighan.

Tempers frayed in this full-blooded Yorkshire Coast derby with Brid's Paul Wilson the first man booked after a wave of sliding lunges. As some football remained in the match, the over-lapping right-sided Carl Giblin fired in a testing low effort that Campbell held at the second attempt.

But within four minutes, Whitby grabbed the lead after good work down the right. McTiernan collected just outside the six yard box and shot instinctively through two defenders and low past the flat-footed former Blues keeper Gavin Kelly.

Moments later, McTiernan turned provider, whipping in a right-wing cross that the imposing Scott Nicholson headed just over, after arriving at the far post. But quick as a flash, play spilled to the other end and only the long legs of Danny Farthing prevented Brid levelling the scores.

As Darren Fell raced clear, with just Campbell between him and goal, youngster Farthing sped back and stuck out a desperate trailing leg to deflect the ball wide. Palmer was to play a big part in the dying embers of the first half.

On 41 minutes, his ferocious cross cum shot from the left was acrobatically tipped over the crossbar by Campbell. Then, with a couple of minutes remaining, the Whitby keeper won the next exchange, spreading himself well to parry with his chest Palmer's goal-bound shot near post effort.

But, the big frontman was determined not to lose out in his third confrontation of the final first half minutes. Contesting a seemingly innocous loose ball around the half-way line, he lunged in carelessly on young full-back Paul Atkinson, leaving the Lealholm-based defender laid prostate on the turf. Referee Mr Rowntree had no hesitation in reaching for the red card and sending Palmer back to the changing room a couple of minutes before his teammates. Atkinson was one of many Whitby players left requiring treatment in a cynical 45 minutes.

Unsuprisingly, Atkinson and Veart, who'd limped around at half-pace since the opening minute challenge, failed to emerge for the second period. Striker Liam Gildea and the versatile Graham Williams took to the field instead, with midfielder Neil Bishop forced to partner Williams in a makeshift Blues defence.

Things started slowly again as both sides struggled to create in the opening 15 minutes. However, on the hour mark, Craig Burdick was pulled to the ground by Danny Farthing just inside the Whitby box with both players facing away from goal. Bridlington had themselves a penalty kick and a perfect chance to level the scores. The reliable Martin Thacker stepped up, but Campbell threw himself to the right and gloved the ball away, Bishop half-cleared and Thacker lashed the rebound wide.

Five minutes later, and Darren Fell's turn and shot was fended away by Campbell but the loose ball fell nicely but the former Goole man hammered high and wide from point blank range.

Whitby then had the ball in the net in a frantic five minute period. Firstly, Nicholson slid in for a 50/50 on the edge of the Brid six yard box with Kelly, winning the ball twice but finally losing out to the back-tracking Tomlinson who conceded the corner. From the resulting kick, Nicholson was hauled up for heading out of Kelly's hands, just before McTiernan swivelled and hammered into the empty net from close range.

With 15 minutes remaining, Nicholson was again involved, putting over a perfect driven cross only for Gildea to miss with a far post slide when any contact would've surely won the game for the home side.

In-between, substitute Dave Jones came close for the visitors, picking out Bishop on the line when it seemed easier to score after racing into the Whitby six yard box.

Dave Logan's side mounted a nail-biting rearguard action for the final ten minutes which almost dragged on past five o'clock- the many breaks in play making for a tense finish.

Finally, three shrill blasts of the referee's whistle signalled three more points for Logan's championship-chasing side. Workington, who were one of ten sides who saw their match postponed, now lead by just four points and have played a game more. More-realistic challengers Hyde United, who hold two matches in hand on the Seasiders face three matches in a pivotal week to kick-off 2005. Workington visit the Turnbull Ground at the end of that week on Saturday January 8th.