UniBond Premier Division

12th March 2005

Attendance - 243

Team - Campbell, Williams, Veart, Farthing, Linighan, Nicholson, McTiernan (Johnson), Robinson, Wilkinson, Ormerod, Gildea.A - Subs not used Richards, Obern

Report - by Andrew Snaith - Whitby couldn’t keep up their four match winning run after a disappointing draw in West Yorkshire on Saturday.

Dave Logan’s side go into tonight’s crunch trip to third-placed Farsley Celtic lying fifth- just inside the play-off positions. Nick Scaife, likely to miss the season with a dislocated shoulder, was replaced by the experienced Graham Robinson, with new signing on loan from Hartlepool, left-sided midfielder/defender Karl Richards starting on the bench- striker Liam Gildea completed his two-match suspension.

On an awfully bobbly pitch, it was the home side who grabbed the lead on 18 minutes. Steve Robinson’s first-time ball across goal was oddly ducked by namesake Graham Robinson. Well-travelled forward Leroy Chambers teed up Steve Woolford whose shot was blocked, only for Lee Pugh to react quickest and rifle into the top left corner to emphatically break the deadlock.

Lebanese international Wael Nazha shot well wide for the hosts, before the Seasiders found a foothold into the match. On 32 minutes, Craig Veart’s drilled free-kick was deflected narrowly wide, but a string of corners were well handled by the Frickley defence. Four minutes later, former Middlesbrough striker Anthony Ormerod should’ve at least tested veteran keeper Gary Ingham but shot poked disappointingly wide with his weaker, left foot. Just before the break, Whitby shaped another golden chance when Hartlepool youngster Jack Wilkinson released Scott Nicholson, but the combative former Tow Law man shot well wide completely off balance as the ball bobbled from close range.

Seconds from the interval, Nazha’s half volley just beat the crossbar and Pugh’s speculative effort from distance could only find the vacant grassed bank behind the Whitby goal.

The second half was much more impressive and Whitby came close to levelling the scores ten minutes in, when Scott Nicholson’s looping header was tipped over by Ingham at full stretch.

Three minutes later, and Frickley somehow failed to extend their lead when Simon Collins’ header struck the Whitby bar and dropped on the line, with a massive goalmouth scramble ensuing, finally, after seven or eight punts at goal, a rather generous free-kick was given for a foul on Seasiders keeper Dave Campbell.

With 25 minutes remaining, livewire striker Steve Johnson replaced winger Dave McTiernan and the North Yorkshire side grabbed the breakthrough moments later. A blatant push in the box was ignored, and despite Ingham somehow clawing Nicholson’s pinpoint header to safety, Wilkinson was on hand to hammer against Ingham and inside the near post from a near-impossible angle for the equaliser- the youngster’s first goal in Whitby colours.

Collins headed wide with only six minutes remaining, but it was the promotion-chasing Seasiders who nearly won in at the death when first, Johnson saw his mazy run brilliantly ended by a brave Ingham stop at his feet and Wilkinson fired home from point blank range- only for the offside flag to deny Whitby the spoils.

All in all, an entertaining match, but Dave Logan’s men are likely to see this as two points dropped rather than one gained in their quest to reach the Conference North.