FA Trophy 2Q

1st November 2008

Attendance - 153

Team - Liversedge, Burgess, Scott, Lyth, Forster, Beadle, Huggins, Hackworth(Nogan 87), Raw(Brunskill 85), Rae(Brumwell 80), Charlton. Subs not used: Bishop, Campbell.

Report - The Blues progressed to the FA Trophy's final qualifying round despite being under the cosh for most of the match and finishing with ten men at First Division South Stocksbridge on Saturday.

After fielding a virtual reserve team midweek at Pickering, Town made one change from the side that drew 0-0 with FC United of Manchester last weekend. Defender Craig Bishop made way for fit again Karl Charlton, with Leon Scott dropping to left-back.

And Charlton could've put the Seasiders in front within five minutes when his goalbound header from Steve Huggins' cross was brilliantly saved by Steels keeper Tom Hewitt.

Hewitt's opposite number Nick Liversedge clawed away Neil Ashley's vicious effort from distance three minutes later, then looked on as a dangerous driven right-wing cross flashed narrowly wide of the gloveman's far post.

The on-loan Darlington keeper didn't do quite so well when flapping at another right wing cross to the far post on 18 minutes, but Andy Ring who rose highest in the Whitby box, nodded against the crossbar.

Charlton saw his driven free-kick clutched well low down by Hewitt at the other end, but more pressure soon after saw Town grab the lead four minutes from the break. Tony Hackworth had two shots charged down before the ball fell invitingly to Michael Rae on the edge of the area, and the ex-Gateshead striker turned and fired low past the despairing Hewitt's outstretched right hand.

Liversedge saved well low down with a drilled free-kick aimed between his frame and the inside of his near post before the offside flag frustrated Stocksbridge for a third time in the match. After the ball twice landed in the Whitby net early on, only to be chalked off by the nearby linesman- one for offside, one for a foul- much to the chagrin of the home support, Carl Fothergill's run was halted by the same official's flag, though in any event, the ex-Frickley man fired wide from close range.

The hosts began the second half strongly with Jamie Vardy looking particularly dangerous down the left. Vardy tricked his way down the same wing on the hour mark and unleashed an angled drive that beat Liversedge but was hooked off his own goal-line by Leon Scott- with the Town keeper able to catch the loose ball.

With 21 minutes left, Vardy headed a teasing Ashley cross from the opposite flank, straight at Liversedge from point blank range after arriving at the far post.

The next seven minutes saw the hosts create and miss a variety of chances with an equaliser looking inevitable. First, Scott again cleared a goalbound drive off his own line, then Ashley's deflected effort into the side netting, was followed by a corner headed straight at Liversedge from spitting distance of the Whitby goal.

But if these were good opportunities, what was to occur in the 77th minute was a gift-wrapped early christmas present with all the trimmings for the Sheffield side personally delivered by the Whitby defence. Substitute Mark Ward's through ball released Fothergill one on one with Liversedge, but the Stocksbridge marksman somehow conspired to shoot straight at the lucky Town keeper, with two defenders then turning to angrily blame each other for a woeful attempted offside trap.

The Seasiders made changes as the final ten minutes ticked over- Rae was replaced by joint manager Phil Brumwell, and Tom Raw made way for Danny Brunskill. As Brumwell attempted to steady things in midfield, Hackworth was pushed up front and the move appeared a masterstroke when the visitors doubled their lead seven minutes from time.

A long diagonal ball out of defence was chased down by the former Leeds United man, who beat one defender before curling expertly past Hewitt from just inside the hosts' area. Goalscorer Hackworth was immediately rested as Lee Nogan became Town's third and final substitute- a logical switch but one which was to backfire during five minutes of injury time.

In the 90th minute, it again looked for all the world as if the home side would finally find the net, but Kevin Burgess' brilliantly-timed last ditch tackle again denied Fothergill from close range. At the other end, Brunskill's desperate-looking snatched effort flew wide from a good position.

Two minutes later, Liversedge was adjudged to have handled outside his own penalty area and was promptly dismissed by referee Mr Hutchinson. With all the visitors' permitted changes made, centre-half Richard Forster was forced to take the gloves. However, the resulting free-kick was charged down and the big defender had little to do for the remaining three minutes as Whitby picked up the £3,000 winners cheque and earned a possible crack at a Conference North side in the next round.