UniBond Premier

16th August 2008

Attendance - 379

Team - 1 Ben Escritt 2 Lee Pallender 3 Kevin Burgess 4 Lee Nogan 5 Richard Forster 6 Mark Tinkler 7 Steve Huggins 8 Shaun Ross 9 Tom Raw 10 Danny Brunskill 11 Karl Charlton 12 Andy Thompson 14 Andy Burton 15A shley Lyth 16 Sam Garvie 17 Brendon Ledgway (GK)

Report - by Andy Baxter - From kick off it became very evident that both sides wanted a good start to the season, and both quickly settled into passing, attacking football. The best opening effort came from Whitby in the 14th minute, when a quickly taken free kick to Whitby's new signing, Mark Tinkler, saw his 20 yard effort fly narrowly over the Buxton bar.

But it was the visitor's who took the lead in the 21st minute, when a deep corner was headed back across the area and the Buxton captain, Mike Towey, headed home from 7 yards. Buxton continued to pressurise the home side and Gavin Knight should have capatalised on his effort 8 minutes later, only to see his shot go into the side netting. Then again, within a minute, he had a free chance to increase the lead, and this this time his shot went 3 yards wide.

Whitby also came close with a close range header from Tom Raw which flew past the right hand post.

In the 35th minute, a lovely passing move by the visitors, ended with a screaming shot from Scott Maxfield from 25 yards out, bringing an acrobatic, flying save from Ben Escritt in the Whitby goal. Whitby moved up a gear for the last 10 minutes of the half, but couldn't break down the solid, Buxton defence.

In the 52nd minute, Whitby were awarded a free kick 20 yards out, which was bent around the wall by Steve Huggins, only to see it fly inches past the left post and the well beaten Scott Hartley in the Buxton goal. On the hour, Whitby replaced Nogan and Ross with Burton and the impressive youngster, Sam Garvie, who with his first touch soon afterwards, turned at the edge of the area and chipped his shot a fraction over the bar, to the agony of the expectant home fans.

Mid way through the second half, again following a neat Whitby buildup, Karl Charlton turned on the edge of the Buxton box and his low shot through the defenders legs, was well held by the unsighted keeper, Hartley.

Both teams appeared to cancel each other out for a 15 minute period before the visitors ensured they took all 3 points, when in the 89th minute, Buxton's Gavin Knight, collected the ball and from a good 25 yards out, drilled it past Escritt.

Whitby will have been very disappointed not to get something from this game, but on balance, the score really reflected the match, and in fairness, none of the home supporters could complain at the end result.