27th September 2003

Attendance - 282

Team - Clementson, Reed, Williams, Betts, Hall, Dixon, Nicholson (Swales,M), Linighan, Veart, Burt (Ure), Ormerod (Johnson)

Report by Andrew Snaith - Whitby cleared their first FA Cup hurdle with ease on Saturday, and earned themselves £3,750 thanks to three second half strikes. Plucky Cheshire side Winsford United from the North West Counties Division Two, three levels below the Blues, hung on for over an hour before Brian Linighan’s first goal for the Seasiders broke the deadlock. Skipper Ben Dixon and Craig Veart added the gloss with two more goals.
A fairly tepid opening to this cup clash saw Whitby monopolise possession but failed to carve out any clear openings in front of goal. On 13 minutes, Anthony Ormerod’s goalbound low drive was turned round his left hand post by Winsford keeper Chris Kiernon.
Seven minutes later, Jamie Burt’s right wing cross was glanced by Ormerod. The Blues looked sure to break the deadlock on 35 minutes when Ormerod’s pinpoint cross was headed over by Scott Nicholson from point blank range. A minute later the visitors almost gift-wrapped a Whitby goal when Dave Chambers’ unexpected point-blank diving header was just about held by a shell-shocked Kiernon.
The visitors’ only chance of note was a deflected free-kick just outside the Whitby box from skipper Mark Quinn which flew wide. At the other end, Nicholson headed over for the second time, while Veart’s goalbound free-kick was well saved by Kiernon in the end. The home crowd grew increasingly frustrated at Whitby’s tendency to retain possession for long periods by frequently playing the ball back towards their own goal as the half wore on. The half-time whistle was blown with the scoreline blanker than David Beckham in a public library.
The second half followed a similar pattern until just after the hour mark when Whitby won a free-kick just inside the touchline on the Winsford left, some 35 yards from goal. Dead ball expert Veart must’ve heard the advice from the crowd to “hit the keeper” as he curled over a deep cross that Kiernon spilled and Linighan was on hand to slide home the loose ball in a crowded six yard box.
On 65 minutes, Ormerod, who was a constant threat to the visitors all afternoon, burst through the Winsford defence only to see his close range drive blocked well low down by Kiernon. However, Whitby didn’t have to wait much longer for their second breakthrough as Dixon nodded home from the resulting Veart corner for 2-0.
Harry Dunn then brought on one popular striker for another with 20 minutes left, as pacey youngster Lee Ure replaced Burt, who’d had a very quiet afternoon by his high standards.
Within a minute, the Blues had a third goal when Veart’s blinding 30 yard volley flew into the top left corner of the Winsford net giving Kiernon no chance. The angry keeper then blasted his defence, hammering the ball towards the crowd in sheer frustration.
The Cheshire side did have chances late on, as Clementson dropped a high ball in the crowded Whitby box, but Quinn’s subsequent effort was blocked by the alert Blues backline. Ormerod left the field to deserved applause from the paltry 282 crowd probably outnumbered by the workers from the nearby Jehovah’s Witness kingdom hall, the lightning quick Steve Johnson was his replacement.
Winsford should’ve grabbed at least a consolation goal in the closing stages. Firstly, Stuart Wellstead’s mazy run and cross was somehow missed by Chris Webber at full stretch with an open goal gaping in front of him, then Clementson spread himself well to deny Wellstead himself in the final minute. As well as the Jehovah's Witnesses, it was also a damn pleasure to see TV's Sheep Molester, a living legend in Derby, Whitby and much of the western world in attendance!!!

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