FA Cup 1st Qualifying Round

12th September 2009

Attendance - 370

Team - Campbell, Hassan, Lyth, Ingram(Close 62), Burgess, Hanson, Beadle, Hackworth(c), Blott(Brunskill 46), Dalton(L Gildea 67), Charlton. Subs not used: Ormerod, A Gildea, Woodhead.

Report - by Andrew Snaith - The Blues sneaked past previously free-scoring Yorkshire coast neighbours Bridlington on Saturday to book a place in the FA Cup Second Qualifying round and earn £3,000 prize money.

Strong recent performances meant evergreen goalkeeper David Campbell made his 394th appearance in a Whitby number one shirt, ahead of teenager Tom Woodhead. Manager Harry Dunn named an unchanged side from that cruelly denied in the 94th minute at FC United of Manchester in midweek.

Unsuprisingly, after putting together a 100% run in the North Counties East Premier, including 22 goals in five games, the hosts started strongly though failed to test Campbell in the opening exchanges. At the other end, Jimmy Beadle's speculative drive was always rising from 25 yards, and Brid's Craig Palmer also beat the crossbar with a half volley from similiar range moments later.

Ryan Blott, on the end of a bit of stick from the Brid fans after his recent move from rivals Scarborough tested ex-Seadogs goalkeeper Mark Wilberforce with an awkward shot that skidded in front of the keeper, but lacked pace and was smothered by the gloveman. Nathan Hotte then waste the first clear cut chance of the match on 36 minutes. The former Frickley utility man forced his way to the edge of the Whitby box but dragged his shot well wide when well placed.

Ash Dexter then popped up at the far post but could only nod straight at Campbell who palmed the ball away at point-blank range and the Blues backline cleared. Blott went in the referee's notebook after a high challenge around the halfway mark, before setting up and striking a chance towards the end of the half.

Blott who notched over 50 goals at Scarborough Athletic in almost as many games, first turned provider, pulling back for Beadle to shin narrowly wide from the edge of the penalty area. Two minutes before the break, Blott drove weakly straight at Wilberforce on the turn.

There was still time for the hosts, who forced numerous corners, to miss another good chance on the stroke of half-time. Palmer hooked goalwards inside the Whitby box only for the ball to deflect off another Bridlington player's head and fly over the crossbar.

After a flat display from the visitors where the two division gap between the sides looked to be reversed, Dunn was no doubt scathing in the away dressing room, and Blott was the first victim, with his yellow card likely helping to sway his manager. Dunn introduced the popular marksman Danny Brunskill in his place. Whitby began purposefully but without extending Wilberforce early on. However, it was the Brid defenders who will have been licking their lips when the previously-imperious Denny Ingram limping off with a dead leg on the hour- full-back Brian Close his replacement, as Ibby Hassan covered in the centre of defence.

But moments later, it was the home defence under pressure as great work from Karl Charlton running from deep and Brunskill sending a deflected effort across goal where skipper Tony Hackworth sliced his snap-shot just wide. Brunskill drilled narrowly over the top, before Whitby's vital third and final change that arguably altered the course of the match. The quiet Ged Dalton, was replaced by bustling fellow forward Liam Gildea on 67 minutes.

And within six minutes, Charlton's perfectly weighted through ball picked out Gildea who held his nerve to run into the area and place an angled drive across Wilberforce and inside the far corner of the Brid net, sending the near-100-strong travelling support wild.

Even the introduction of former Blues forward duo Jack Wilkinson and Alex Rhodes for Palmer and Craig Burdick within five minutes of each other could do little to stir the clearly deflated home side who had given their all and comprehensively outplayed Whitby during the first half.

Finally Whitby's Unibond Premier status was starting to show as the match wore on, and Brunskill's characteristic drive on the turn was spilled by Wilberforce but just about cleared by his jittery backline, not used to such pressure after enjoying five, six, and seven goal victories in recent weeks. Indeed, the home side's only shot on goal after an injury time corner saw Wilkinson send a wild bicycle kick well wide of Campbell's goal.