UniBond Premier

26th January 2008

Attendance - 254

Team - Campbell, Lyth, Janes, Appleby(Claisse 44), Tobin, Pallender, Burton, Brumwell, Gildea(Adams 70), Brunskill, Charlton. Sub not used: Newby.

Report - by Andrew Snaith - Poor marking cost Whitby for the second home match running, as sixth-placed Eastwood Town moved within three points of the top five and completed a double over the Seasiders on Saturday.

Whitby managers Graham Clark and Phil Brumwell made one enforced change from the side that won 3-1 at Stamford last weekend. In-form forward Anthony Ormerod missed out with flu, but fit-again Liam Gildea was able to take the ex-Middlesbrough man's place in a straight swap.

Eastwood sat sixth, eleven points clear of the Blues, at kick-off, but with a poor away record of just one win on the road since September. In a dour opening, Whitby had the first chance of note on 19 minutes when Gildea broke but Badgers' keeper Ian Deakin was down quickly to block at the former Blyth striker's feet, and, caught between shooting and crossing, Karl Charlton chipped the rebound well wide.

At the other end, the outstanding Lindon Meikle got in behind the Blues backline, but Dave Campbell was quickly off his line, to put off the lively winger, who lobbed the ball over Campbell, but could only land it on the opposite side of the six yard box.

With six minutes of the half remaining, Whitby's former Darlington left-back Alex Janes advanced forward into the acres of space afforded him by the away defenders, and struck a speculative 20-yard effort just off target.

But it was the men from Nottinghamshire who should've broken the deadlock two minutes before the interval, when towering centre-forward Marc Smith headed over the crossbar unchallenged, from a left-wing cross.

Meanwhile, Whitby captain Matty Appleby had been chasing shadows for much of the afternoon, but it was still a suprise to see the former Premiership midfielder substituted just a minute before half-time- with 20-year-old Tom Claisse his replacement.

The second period opened with some bright play from the home side. Gildea and Andy Burton exchanged headers down the Whitby right, and the latter advanced to the byline before crossing for Charlton to nod goalwards at the far post, but the Eastwood defence to clear.

Once again, Paul Cox's side caused problems on the break and missed another glorious chance on 51 minutes. The visitors had four forwards, to Whitby's three defenders, but midfielder Ian Screaton, to the probable anger of his team-mates, chose to fire straight at Campbell from 20 yards.

However, Screaton's blushes were spared moments later, when the play-off chasers finally grabbed the lead. Subsitute Anthony Howell, on for Leon Wainman just two minutes earlier, popped up at the far post to drill under Campbell for the opening goal.

But with East Midland cheers still in the air, Whitby flew straight up the other end, with 23-goal marksman Danny Brunskill, unleashing a fierce trademark effort on the turn that rattled Deakin's right-hand post.

Meanwhile, Smith had obviously learned from his earlier miss. As on 61 minutes, the former Guiseley forward nodded his far post header straight into the ground, with Campbell having to scramble back and clutch the ball at the second attempt as it ballooned towards the roof of the net.

Two minutes later, Lee Pallender's mistimed slide tackle left the Blues' defender in no mans land as Screaton got in first, 30 yards from goal, and brought a good save from Campbell with another effort from distance.

However, it was the Blues who found the net on 69 minutes when a right-wing cross was headed against the underside of the crossbar and just over the line by the unlikely figure of Janes at the far post- the defender's second goal of the season. The ex-York City youngster then did his bit to rouse the home faithful with a passionate fist-clenched celebration to the Turnbull Ground's main stand.

But even with the crowd in the game for the first time, the Seasiders shot themselves in the foot with some all too familiar lapse marking with 15 minutes left. In almost identical fashion to a goal conceded at the Turnbull just a fortnight earlier, Eastwood skipper Paul Mitchell was left completely on his own on the left-edge of the Blues box, to side step one challenge and curl inside Campbell's left hand post.

In the final ten minutes, Howell's vicious half-volley flew just wide, and Charlton's far post chip was similiarly off target for Whitby. Though the hopelessness of the Blues' task in finding the net for a second time was best illustrated by the weary Gildea, being replaced by midfielder Tom Adams, with no forwards on the bench. This just a minute after the scores were tied.