UniBond Premier Division

2004

Attendance - 229

Team - Campbell, Atkinson, Veart, Farthing, Linighan (A.Gildea), Nicholson, McTiernan, Robinson, Johnson (L.Gildea), Ormerod, Bishop - Sub not used Obern

Report - by Andrew Snaith - Whitby’s faint title hopes evaporated after a 5-1 humbling from free-scoring play-off chasers Burscough in West Lancashire on Saturday.

The Blues now face a dogfight to retain a play-off place after dropping to fifth- their lowest league position since September. The high scoring Linnets had recorded an impressive 4-0 win over third-placed Hyde United and rattled seven past Lincoln in recent months.

However, Blues boss Dave Logan welcomed back experienced left-back Craig Veart, after a five-week lay-off with a cracked rib. Veart’s stand-in Graham Williams was missing through injury, as was long-term victim Nick Scaife. Neil Bishop recovered from a dead leg to start- Alex Gildea’s rehabilitation continued as the left-sided midfielder once again started on the bench.

Whitby were quickly out of the blocks, and an excellent passive move from their own half, culminated in Veart’s far post header deflected behind for a corner. Moments later, Ant Ormerod fired a speculative effort over the bar from 20 yards.

At the other end, Danny Farthing ended Ryan Bowen’s mazy run crudely on the edge of the visitors’ box, earning himself a booking. However, the resulting free-kick struck the Whitby wall and was scrambled clear.

Graham Robinson picked up Whitby’s second half yellow card after a late midfield lunge, as the hosts started to put together some excellent passing football, moving the ball swiftly from one side of the pitch to the other. Liam Blakeman’s superb through-ball released Matty Parry on 15 minutes, but Dave Campbell did enough- forcing the Prescot midfielder to fire wide.

But it was only a matter of time before the home side, who had three different hat-trick scorers in January alone, found a way through. They led on the half hour when Jeff Underwood’s perfect rightwing cross was misjudged by Campbell and Martin Crowder was left free to nod home unmarked at the far post.

23-year-old leading scorer Paul Gedman then missed two good chances to extend the Linnets lead. First, firing a vicious drive narrowly wide and then Crowder turned provider with an identical cross to the one he converted minutes earlier, but Gedman headed over at the far post.

On 38 minutes, Steve Johnson’s pace and trickery took him in off the right flank to fire a skidding low drive that just passed Newnes’ right-hand post with the keeper scrambling to get across.

Burscough continued to cause problems and Parry’s superb run ended with the 20-year-old firing a rising effort just over the top. Blakemen then had a low shot charged down and White’s follow up was deflected just wide.

Whitby’s isolation in attack was highlighted crucially in the final minute of the half when Ormerod strode clear but found three defenders blocking his path to goal and not one blue shirt in the Burscough half.

Just before the half-time whistle, Campbell suffered a nervous moment when Crowder’s miss-hit attempted cross from the right looped onto the roof of the net with the Blues stopper desperately back-pedalling.

Manager Logan made a positive change at the interval, with big centre-half Brian Linighan making way for Alex Gildea, and the versatile Scott Nicholson dropping into defence.

Good work from Gedman almost set up a second for the hosts within 30 seconds of the restart, but Parry poked over from the edge of the box at full stretch.

But the Blues rallied back into the match and levelled just three minutes into the second half. Not for the first time that afternoon, the home defence were caught square appealing for offside as Johnson latched onto a long ball, rounded Newnes and his neat close range finish beat Bell on the line for the equaliser.

Whitby then enjoyed their best spell of the match with two huge turning points undoubtedly sewing the seeds for the events that followed.

First, Johnson was presented with an identical chance after reacting first to a loose ball in the home box but this time he and Newnes collided, with the ball rolling narrowly wide. Both players required lengthy treatment, and Johnson had to be helped off the field by the Whitby physio and replaced by Liam Gildea. Then, sustained pressure forced two corners in quick succession with Ormerod’s goalbound header nodded off the line by Jeff Underwood. The rampant home side then surged forward, catching the Blues on the break and Blakeman fired home a tremendous 20 yard piledriver into the top right corner after an equally impressive run and cross from David Eaton.

From then on it was all Burscough, with Campbell tipping over brilliantly from Parry’s explosive 25-yard hit. The resulting corner was headed invitingly back across goal by 21-goal Gedman, only for Bell to nod over from sniffing distance, when it appeared easier to score.

Campbell did well to catch a ferocious Parry drive from fully 30 yards, before the hosts put the result beyond doubt on 66 minutes. Underwood and Gedman combined to leave Atkinson out of position and allow Parry’s cross to be turned home clinically from 12 yards by Blakeman.

On 75 minutes, Eaton lashed a low cross perilously across the face of Whitby’s six yard box, the ball somehow evading the sliding Blakeman at the far post to roll into touch.

But the ball was soon back in the Whitby net. Campbell parried Parry’s low drive, only for Crowder to react quickest and bury Burscough’s fourth and his second. There was even time for Derek Goulding’s side to heap further embarrassment on the beaten Blues, when substitute Mark Byrne powered home an incredible swerving 25-yard drive that gave Campbell no chance and flew into the top-left corner of the Whitby net.

In the end, an emphatic victory for a side who have netted nearly 40 times in their last 11 matches, and boast a youth side who reached the last 32 of the FA’s Youth Cup, only to go down 2-1 at Premiership giants Arsenal. With just six points separating the two sides, seventh-placed Burscough with two games in hand a mighty +20 goal difference, must represent the biggest threat to shot-shy Whitby’s hopes of an end of season promotion play-off place.