Friendly

2nd August 2008

Attendance -

Team - Whitby Town: Brendan Ledgeway, Phil Brumwell(Lee Pallender 80), Ashley Lyth(Steve Tobin 45), Kevin Burgess, Richard Forster(c), Mark Tinkler, Anthony Ormerod, Andy Burton(Sam Garvie 70), Tony Hackworth (Tom Raw 34), Danny Brunskill, Karl Charlton.

Report - Whitby's unbeaten pre-season march continues, but it took an 88th minute Danny Brunskill piledriver to settle matters against Northern League Second Division Esh Winning on Saturday.

But it looked as though the Seasiders were on course for another comfortable afternoon against ANL opposition when they led inside five minutes. A period of pressure culminated in Town winning a corner on their right, and Andy Burton's outswinging cross was nodded home by skipper Richard Forster from close range, with team-mate Danny Brunskill inches away from stealing the final touch on the goal-line.

Burton almost doubled the lead in spectacular fashion after just five more minutes. The former Billingham Town man executing an acrobatic volley at the far post, but the ball flew narrowly over the crossbar.

So it was a suprise then, when the hosts levelled with their first real forray into the Whitby half on 12 minutes. A long ball over the top caught the Seasiders' backline out and by the time Kevin Burgess eventually got back to challenge Tony Hanson, Hanson's strike partner Craig Coates had nipped in to nod home the loose ball.

The Blues then enjoyed their most impressive spell of the match with four clear-cut chances in six minutes. First, Brunskill, the club's runaway 27-goal top scorer last season, turned in familiar fashion just six yards out but uncharacteristically blasted over the top. Seconds later, and Tony Hackworth's ferocious drive from the edge of the area was mere inches too high.

On 25 minutes, Brunskill turned provider, flicking on for Anthony Ormerod to run free at the near post but the former Middlesbrough star's goalbound drive was somehow scrambled off the line by Paul Richardson. Again just seconds passed before Whitby were at it again, Hackworth ran goalward with just one defender shadowing him but the ex-Leeds man pulled the trigger way too early and drove low and tame straight at keeper Andy Colling.

As play jumped to the other end, another effort from nothing almost caught the Blues red-handed. There looked nothing on when Nicky Gibson tried a seemingly-optimistic shot from 25 yards but the ball dipped and struck the top of the Whitby crossbar with trialist keeper Brendan Ledgeway looking unconvincing nearby.

But the visitors' pressure finally told on the half hour when Ormerod got to the byline and chipped a neat ball to the far post where the unmarked Burgess directed the simplest of diving headers past the helpless Colling.

However, once more, a defensive error cost Town, as another rare Esh attack when Ashley Lyth was dispossesed in a vital position was calmly finished by Coates who expertly despatched the ball low past the despairing Ledgeway's right glove.

Town were quickly back at the opposite end and when Hackworth fired a dangerous ball across the face of the box, Karl Charlton laid off for Burton to drive over from a perfect point-blank shooting position, possibly hampered by a late bobble.

Charlton then fancied a go himself. The tricky left-winger who notched 15 goals from that position last term, used a lovely touch to open up space in front of him, but sidefooted narrowly wide of the far post from the left edge of the area.

It seemed the breakthrough must have arrived just a minute later when Brunskill muscled his way to a one-on-one with Colling, only to shoot straight at Colling, who spread himself well, and with considerable bravery, taking into account the power of shot Brunskill is capable of.

The home side nearly completed a hat-trick of goals on the break in the final minute of the half, but Gibson shot straight at Ledgeway after a long unmarked wait on the edge of Town's penalty area.

Perhaps it was the changes made at the interval or orders from the coaching staff, but the second half came nowhere near the high tempo football of the first.

Finally it spluttered into the life with just ten minutes remaining but for all the wrong reasons. Gibson jumped in on Brumwell, and although the youngster took the ball, both sets of studs were showing and the Whitby joint player-boss reacted furiously. After pulling Gibson to the ground in anger, players from both sides dragged Brumwell away, and both protagonists were then sent from the field. As it was a friendly, in name at least, both sides were able to bring on a replacement.

Teenager Sam Garvie who'd come on as a replacement himself minutes earlier for Burton down the right, embarked on a dazzling mazy run as he cut into the six yard box. An Esh defender appeared to leave a foot outstretched which caught the Whitby youngster and sent him to the ground, but the referee waved play on.

A minute later, and fellow substitute Tom Raw saw his slightly-less convincing appeal for handball also turned down after his snapshot struck David Lamb in the Esh area.

Finally, Brunskill, who looked to have worked hard all afternoon for no reward popped up with a strike good enough to settle any tie, competitive or otherwise. The big target man, as he has done on numerous occasions at the Turnbull Ground, unleashed a 20-yard tracer bullet that was past Colling before he had time to react, the ball flying into the roof of the net as a familiar warning to future opponents.