Team - Liversedge, Craddock, Lyth, Hassan, Burgess, Batchelor(Dalton 82), Barnes(Owens 77), Beadle, Hackworth(c), Scott, Leeson. Subs: Oakley, Lambert, Campbell D.
Report - by Andrew Snaith - Gareth Evans' last minute header denied Whitby all three points on Saturday, as visitors Colwyn Bay netted twice in the last seven minutes at the Turnbull Ground.
Harry Dunn kept faith with the side who held Bradford Park Avenue to a 1-1 draw on Monday night.
The Blues were indebted to young goalkeeper Nick Liversedge early on. The 22-year-old did well to push right-back Luke Denson's low drive to safety on six minutes, then moments later pulled off a superb double stop to first deny Denson, as he followed up from a corner and then to beat away Dave Challinor's volley.
So it was against the run of play when the Seasiders took to the other end and grabbed the lead. With 16 minutes on the clock, makeshift strikers Andy Leeson and Jimmy Beadle combined, with Leeson's driven right-wing cross converted neatly on the turn by the former York City midfielder, pushed further forward than usual.
Left wing-back Chris Batchelor drove over from distance for Town, before Ibby Hassan's sliding block denied Damien Allen at the other end. However, despite missing a natural striker, Whitby doubled their lead on 34 minutes. Leeson, more suited to the right of defence, timed his run perfectly to latch onto Tony Hackworth's through ball, before holding his nerve and slotting past Christopher Sanna for 2-0.
The away side had suffered just one defeat previously all season, as well as a draw with Halifax- twice conquerors of Whitby. They continued to threaten with Michael Lea heading over, then the well-placed Daniel Grannon glanced wide from Allen's deep right-wing free-kick just before the break.
Colwyn began the second period as they ended the first and Challinor's long throws were now causing mayhem in the Blues' box- Bay's player-manager, celebrating his 35th birthday, was once the longest thrower of the ball in the English game, reaching 45 metres while at Tranmere Rovers. An awkward free-kick was touched on by Lee Davey, but the ball struck Colwyn's Karl Noon and flew wide.
Kev Burgess then tripped the lively Allen as he raced down the right, earning the Whitby centre-half the game's only yellow card. Allen, a former Manchester United junior, dusted himself off and delivered the resulting set piece to the far post, where Hassan nodded off his own goal line and Noon poked wide.
Noon then showed plenty of running but dreadful control saw the ball again bounce off the ex-Prescot forward's knee and twenty yards to his left, rolling out of the box when one on one with Liversedge.
As well as throws and free-kicks, corners were also a problem for the Blues defence, with another fine delivery picking out substitute Ian Sheridan, but Noon passed on his leaden touch to his replacement, enabling Hassan and Liversedge to block in tandem at the near post. Burgess then somehow worked the ball off his own line following a series of deflections, as Bay turned the screw. In the second half of a double change, Gareth Evans came on for Davey.
With young players Batchelor and on-loan Corey Barnes, an acquisition from Darlington, flagging, Harry Dunn made two quick changes himself for the final 15 minutes. Bustling striker Jamie Owens replaced nippy midfielder Barnes and another forward Ged Dalton came on for wide-man Batchelor.
Within seconds, Bay had a goal back. Fraser McLachlan finally poking home after a 10-20 second-long scramble which saw the ball ping across Whitby's six yard box.
Almost inevitably then, in the final minute, Challinor's throw from the right was flicked on by Grannon and nodded sweetly inside Liversedge's right-hand post by the well-placed Evans. The Seagulls could even have won it three minutes into injury time but substitute Anthony Sheehan, on for Michael McGraa, headed over from point blank range.
