FA Trophy

20th October 2007

Attendance - 93

Team - Campbell, Vickers, Janes, Andrews, Brumwell, Lyth, A Raw, Drinkall(Adams 51), Hackworth, Brunskill, Charlton. Subs not used: Hartas, Wilson, Nogan, Myers.

Report - Whitby Town player-manager Lee Nogan announced his resignation after the Blues' slipped out of the FA Carlsberg Trophy at fellow Unibond Premier side Ossett Town on Saturday.

The Seasiders' supremo handed a first ever start to under-19 striker Sonny Andrews, and dropped himself to the bench as he recovered from a calf problem. The visitors' new look strike partnership started brightly and combined inside the first minute. Danny Brunskill held the ball up well and played in Andrews who sidefooted narrowly wide.

At the other end, Whitby keeper Dave Campbell called for a tricky driven cross but ended up having to push the ball wide. Andrews was again involved on six minutes with a low drive from the edge of the Ossett box that Piotr Skiba did well to hold onto.

On 13 minutes, Ossett's Jamie Walshaw should've done better as he glanced a right-wing cross inches wide from close range. The hosts were starting to threaten after being pinned onto the back foot early on and another dangerous low cross from the right saw Rob O'Brien get in ahead of Phil Brumwell but poke over the top from point blank range- the Blues' stand-in skipper injuring himself as he slid in to block.

Whitby failed to heed that warning and the West Yorkshire side were ahead within three minutes. Former Ossett Albion wing-back Mike Vickers slipped to let in Ryan Serrant whose shot was saved by Campbell, the Whitby stopper then reacted superbly again to block from Walshaw on the rebound, but was powerless to stop Carl Fothergill slotting home with the third attempt.

As the visitors tried to battle back, Andy Raw advanced from midfield and found Andrews, who was drawn wide and put over a misdirected cross from the byline that soared past Skiba's far post. Lee Stratford then tested Campbell from distance with a 30-yard dipping effort on the half volley, that the Blues' stopper was forced to tip over at the last second. A minute later, a desperate scramble in the Whitby area culminated in a wild effort deflected over the crossbar.

The ever-dangerous Walshaw forced Campbell to push a sharp effort round his near post on 33 minutes and from the resulting corner, no-one picked up Dan Meadowcroft at the far post who headed into the net via the underside of the bar for 2-0.

Tony Hackworth, playing just behind Brunskill and Andrews in a 4-3-3 formation, then exchanged passes with Brunskill before firing straight at Skiba. O'Brien chipped just wide for Ossett from the edge of the box, and at the other end, James Drinkall nodded a far post corner wide two minutes before the break.

However, it looked for all the world as the home side had sewn things up just five minutes into the second half. Hackworth miscontrolled to allow Aiden Savory to power an unstoppable half-volley past Campbell and into the bottom-right corner of the net from 18 yards.

Within moments, Tom Adams on his return from a thigh injury, replaced Drinkall in midfield and Whitby started to gather some momentum.

Raw's well-executed side volley was spilled low down by Skiba, who managed to recover before visiting players could pounce. Two minutes later, Brunskill chested down for Hackworth to drive wide. But Brunskill, Whitby's runaway top goalscorer for the past two seasons, did find success when he decided to take matters into his own hands on 57 minutes. The ex-Spennymoor forward made space for himself in the Ossett box before turning and firing inside the bottom-left corner of the net.

If the hosts weren't worried at 3-1, hearts must've been fluttering two minutes later when the visitors added a second. Skiba dropped a high ball on the edge of his area and Hackworth was on hand to steer the ball into the empty net.

Ossett could've put the result beyond doubt with two golden chances. Firstly, substitute Scott Jackson fired straight at a covering defender from point blank range, then an angled drive flew wide, with impressive Whitby defender Ashley Lyth going in the referee's book after berating the linesman, one of three disappointing officials, for keeping his flag down.

To their credit, the away side weren't going down without a fight and laid seige for the last ten minutes. On 83 minutes, a spot of pinball in the Ossett box ended with Karl Charlton striking the post from close range, but this time, the offside flag was raised.

Three minutes from time, Raw let fly with a ferocious left-footed effort from 20 yards which Skiba palmed over. From the resulting corner, another trademark Brunskill turn and shot flew inches wide. The home side should've had the cars started on 89 minutes when Jackson lined up a shot on the turn of his own when on the Whitby goal line, but the 30-year-old former Farsley midfielder somehow failed to connect.

The Blues had one last chance to punish Jackson's mistake and clinch a replay in the final minute. A diagonal ball across the Ossett box fell to the well-positioned Charlton, whose angled drive brought a parry straight back into the crowded box from Skiba, but his defenders just about managed to hack clear.