UniBond Premier

19th November 2005

Attendance - 265

Team - Campbell, Atkinson, Veart, Wilford, Hudson, Scaife, Ormerod, Nicholson, Raw(Richards), Brunskill, McTiernan. Subs Barber, Batchelor

Report - by Andrew Snaith - Whitby’s seven match unbeaten run at the Turnbull Ground came to an end on Saturday at the hands of FA Cup giantkillers Burscough. The Lancashire side hung on with both their goals coming direct from free-kicks with Whitby striking the post and having a shot cleared off the line in an epic finale.

The Blues, decimated by injury and suspension, welcomed back Paul Atkinson and Chris Hudson, with the returning Karl Richards on the bench. Once again, 11-goal top scorer Aron Wilford appeared in the centre of defence, with regular number four Danny Farthing missing out through suspension after 78 successive appearances.

The Turnbull pitch was well-beneath its usual high standard after the rainfall of the previous week, with out and out guts and effort likely to be the deciding factor.

Within three minutes, the Seasiders had struck the woodwork when Craig Veart’s left wing cross was poked against the far post by skipper Scott Nicholson with Burscough keeper Matthew Boswell beaten.

At the other end, the Linnets came close when the league’s second placed marksman Tony Gray would’ve had his 18th of the season after good work from Ryan Bowen and David Eaton except Dave Campbell was equal to the task, saving well at the 23-year-old striker’s feet.

On the half hour, the visitors, who famously knocked League One Gillingham out of the FA Cup just two weeks previous, grabbed the lead. Martin Crowder went down just outside the Whitby box after a neat build-up involving Liam Blakeman. Crowder then dusted himself off and expertly curled the resulting free-kick over the wall, Henry-style and into the top-right corner of the Whitby net, giving Campbell no chance.

Worse was to follow for the hosts as influential forward Tom Raw who was rated just 50/50 to start pre-match, limped off and was replaced by former Hartlepool Utd left-winger Richards, with Dave McTiernan moving to the right and Ant Ormerod joining Danny Brunskill up front.

And Richards was soon in the action, combining well with Brunskill, and Nicholson who shot well wide from the edge of the box. Burscough, and Gray in particular, continued to look dangerous, and the former Bangor City forward who played in Europe with the Welsh outfit, let fly from 20 yards, with Campbell producing an international-class save to push the ball wide. However, Whitby were still in the game and just before the break, a long period of possession culminated in McTiernan hooking over the crossbar from distance.

The second half opened with a typical Whitby cavalry charge. Three minutes in, and Nicholson fed Craig Veart, who hooked over the bar. Brunskill then raced down the left and drove across goal only for Boswell to parry wide.

As expected, the championship-chasing visitors, were still a threat and Campbell was again at his best to not only save but also cling onto Mark Byrne’s awkward low drive from distance on a testing Turnbull surface.

Atkinson then advanced down the right for Whitby, before crossing for Wilford to evade two challenges and fire high over the Burscough bar.

However, once again the visitors struck when Nick Scaife was adjudged to have upended Liam Blakeman, who spent plenty of the afternoon on the ground, just outside the Blues penalty area. Gray nonchalantly stepped up and with the same precision as Crowder, curled the ball over the Whitby wall and inside the far post for 2-0 with 20 minutes remaining.

Roared on by the home crowd, the Seasiders threw themselves forward and clawed their way back into it within two minutes. McTiernan surged down the right before driving the perfect ball across the face of goal for Richards to bravely head home amongst the flailing legs in the six yard box for 2-1.

Within moments, Nicholson drove over the top from distance and was again denied after Boswell showed guts to save at the combative midfielder’s feet, injuring his knee in the process.

With time running out, Gray made way for Jeff Underwood in the 90th minutes as the Lancashire side understandably tried to run down the clock. In injury time, with Whitby camped in the visitors half and shots pinballing across the Burscough box, Brunskill saw his drive prodded off the line by Crowder.

Ironically, the referee blew for time just as Burscough’s David Eaton chipped over Campbell and the ball headed goalwards.- an incident that would’ve better summed up the match, and the home side’s frustration had it occurred at the other end.