FA Cup 1Q

15th September 2007

Attendance - 346

Team - Debbage, Burton, Janes, Appleby, Hartas, Lyth(Andrews 73), Ormerod, A Raw, Hackworth, Brunskill, Charlton(Drinkall 52). Subs not used: Vickers, Campbell, Nogan.

Report - by Andrew Snaith -
Whitby just about advanced to the second qualifying round of the FA Cup, thanks to an 88th minute winner against Northern League Shildon on Saturday at the Turnbull Ground.

Town led three times but repeatedly let things slip in a nervy encounter, even conceding a second equaliser a minute before top marksman Danny Brunskill settled matters in a grandstand finish.

In the first meeting of the two clubs since April 1997, highly-rated youngster Tyson Masters almost put the visitors ahead inside three minutes, but the 21-year-old headed onto the roof of the Whitby net.

At the other end, keeper Andrew Spence cleared the ball from Brunskill's feet as the big striker bore down on goal. However, the Seasiders were ahead soon after as Brunskill turned provider with a neat through-ball which allowed Tony Hackworth to beat the visitors' offside trap and slot under Spence.

The lead lasted 13 minutes until Adam Emson took advantage of some poor defending, latching onto assistant manager Stuart Niven's well-weighted pass as Whitby's backline parted like the red sea and sidefooting home.

But the Blues rallied and quickly re-took the iniaitive when deep inswinging corner from Andy Burton, was headed back across goal by Alex Janes at the far post for Brunskill to react quickest and fire past Spence from point blank range.

On 32 minutes, midfielder Andy Raw thought he'd won his side the chance to double their advantage from the penalty after going down under a Shildon defender's challenge right on the edge of the area. Referee Mr Bell's whistle sounded immediately, but elation turned to anger for Raw, who was furious to be yellow-carded for diving.

The former Fishburn Park skipper was in the action again moments later, returning a neat one-two with Whitby captain Matty Appleby for the ex-Barnsley star to drill first time just over the Shildon crossbar.

The second half began in similiar fashion as Karl Charlton this time ran from the halfway line beating three players before lashing over the top from the edge of the 18-yard box. It was to be the former Northallerton winger's last touch of the game, as he was replaced by subsitute James Drinkall, making his first appearance at the Turnbull since April.

Andy Howarth made way for experienced ex-Gateshead schemer Dion Raitt soon after, and it wasn't long before the Railwaymen should've got back on track. Ross Cowan surged past the Town defence, put poked wide with the goal yawning in his wake.

Twenty minutes from time, Niven was again the architect, this time combining with Masters to play in Raitt, but the well-travelled former Spennymoor midfielder miskicked wide after stealing in at the near post.

Whitby committed the cardinal sin of making a substitution at a corner- but injured centre-half Ashley Lyth limped off, to be replaced by forward Sonny Andrews- with no defenders on the Blues' bench. From the following set piece, Masters fired over after Appleby failed to clear.

Appleby then almost made amends at the other end, picking out the previously-quiet Anthony Ormerod with a diagonally hit free-kick, but the former Middlesbrough man headed straight into Spence's gloves at the keeper's near post.

The Northern League First Division outfit, some two levels below Town in the pyramid system, had made a nonsense of that gap in the second half and deservedly levelled three minutes from time. Niven again set up the chance, finding Emson in space, but the youngster still had plenty to do before unleashing a left-foot volley from a tight angle that flew across James Debbage and inside the far post.

Whitby woke up again and the ball was fired towards Hackworth who again held onto things superbly forcing himself into a shooting position but rattling the near post, only for Brunskill to again pop up in the right spot to find the net from unmissable range.

The Seasiders' top scorer had a chance to score an underserved fourth on the balance of play, but hammered a trademark effort inches over the bar from 18 yards. Shildon had one last chance to earn a replay in County Durham two minutes into injury time, but Darryl Hall could only head a difficult chance up and over the top.