UniBond Premier Division

24th March 2008

Attendance - 211

Team - Campbell, Brumwell(Claisse 36), Tobin, Appleby, Pallender, Nogan, Burton, Ormerod(Gildea 78), T Raw(Garvie 75), Brunskill, Charlton.

Report - by Andrew Snaith - Karl Charlton's first ever hat-trick for the Seasiders and teenager Sam Garvie's maiden Whitby goal lifted Town out of the relegation zone at the expense of defeated hosts North Ferriby United on Easter Monday.

The Blues lined up without injured defenders Ashley Lyth and Kevin Burgess, who picked up a knock during Friday's debut defeat to Guiseley. However, joint managers Graham Clark and Phil Brumwell were able to welcome back former boss Lee Nogan, midfielder Anthony Ormerod and wing-back Andy Burton.

But it was the home side, sitting two points and one place above third-bottom Town who made all the early running. In the second minute, 31-year-old winger David Cooke fired an angled warning shot across the face of Dave Campbell's goal and narrowly wide.

The Blues continued to be second-best as United, second-best in the 1997 FA Vase final at Wembley, looked much the livelier, forcing a number of set pieces with defender Phil Rowland nodding wide from one of them.

Whitby's first chance came on 17 minutes and culminated in Tom Raw's shot on the turn in a crowded area being deflected just past keeper James Windeatt's near post.

However, it was the hosts who deservedly led halfway through the first half, when Russell Fry was able to jink his way along the byline and cross for Chris Bolder whose shot was parried by Campbell, only for Gary Bradshaw to follow in with his head.

Two minutes later, Campbell again blocked Andy Thompson's low drive, but, this time, just about managed to get in ahead of the full-back to smother the loose ball.

The same length of time passed before Ferriby threatened again. Ben Morley beat Town's flimsy offside trap but should've done better as Campbell managed to get a hand to an attempted chip and claim the ball at the second attempt.

If only his opposite number could've shown the same assurance three minutes before the break. Windeatt, making just his third appearance of the season and under no pressure at all, dropped Matty Appleby's right-wing cross at the feet of the gleeful Charlton who slotted home a vital Whitby equaliser.

The Seasiders, who had to regroup after Brumwell was injured late in the first half after a collision- midfielder Tom Claisse replacing him, looked a different proposition in the second half.

And within a minute of the restart, they had the lead. Another Appleby cross was headed down by Danny Brunskill for Charlton to cleverly backheel through the legs of his marker and past the unsighted Windeatt.

The men in green attempted to roar back, winning two free-kicks in a minute. The first saw Michael Price's neat floated left-wing ball, nodded wide by Rowland, and the same player completed a hat-trick of missed headers after rising ahead of skipper Paul Foot moments later.

On the hour, Whitby's 24-goal top scorer Brunskill hammered an instinctive effort from the edge of the area just over the top via a defender's touch.

But as on Friday, it took two second-half changes, this time three minutes apart, to really up Town's goal threat as former New Marske winger Garvie and bustling forward Liam Gildea replaced Raw and the very quiet Ormerod with 12 minutes remaining.

Within seconds of his arrival on the pitch, Gildea fired straight at Windeatt from 20 yards, with the stopper snapping up the rebound.

At the other end, Bradshaw headed wide from a great position after Foot's flick on, and Campbell did well to take the heat out of a ferocious 25-yard Price blockbuster, to catch on the first bounce.

But a keeper who was well and truly feeling the heat was United's Windeatt. And on 82 minutes, a punt over the top was controlled superbly by Garvie who almost farsically held onto the ball as defenders dived in left, right and centre before finally deciding to beat Windeatt from close range for the killer third.

Understandably, Neil Allison's men surged forward in numbers desperately looking for a way back into the game, but, at the same time, left themselves open to a fourth goal in the final minute. Garvie this time turned provider, after beating Price all ends up down the left flank, the youngster centered for Charlton to power home a rare headed goal and clinch an even rarer, but richly deserved, hat-trick.

Things could even have turned out better for the visitors in the aptly named injury time when another ball over the top found Garvie who was clear on goal but clattered by the onrushing Windeatt just outside the Ferriby box. The Ferriby gloveman's afternoon was summed up when he recieved an inevitable red card while on the ground recieving treatment. Brunskill fired the resulting free-kick over the crossbar, but Whitby fans were more concerned that Garvie made a quick recovery, and a vital three points towards Premier Division safety had been secured.