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8th August 2009

Attendance - 150

Team - Woodhead(Campbell 75), Close, Hassan(Bishop 45), Ingram, Burgess, Hanson, Beadle(Logan 45), Hackworth(Ovington 65), Charlton, Huggins(Jones 45), Dalton.

Report - Makeshift striker Karl Charlton's goal eleven minutes from time saw Whitby home at Unibond First Division North Garforth on Saturday.

Blues' manager Harry Dunn was without injured quartet Anthony Ormerod(groin), Tom Raw(hamstring), Alex Gildea and Danny Brunskill(eye) for the Seasiders' final friendly ahead of next week's opening league trip to Nantwich.

Otherwise it was a strong Whitby side that took the field in West Yorkshire, with no less than eight changes made, but the visitors so nearly found themselves behind on 14 minutes. Neil Towler found himself in a good position just inside the box on the right edge, but should've done better than firing against the covering Kevin Burgess.

At the other end, new Whitby captain Tony Hackworth ran purposefully down the right flank and cut back the perfect far-post cross, only for the unmarked Charlton to glance a tame header further wide.

For Garforth, Liam Ormsby's deft chip was caught comfortably above his head by Woodhead on the half hour. Young ex-Middlesbrough full-back Brian Close then sent over another pinpoint right-wing Whitby cross, which ended with Ged Dalton's weak close range shot being blocked by a nearby defender. The ex-Blyth forward almost redeemed himself a minute later, catching Steve Huggins' cross on the volley and sending an acrobatic effort inches wide.

Before the match, Dunn, who manages his first competitive game for Whitby in nearly five years this weekend, said he would decide on signing Tom Woodhead based on the young goalkeeper's performance. And the ex-Hull and Darlington stopper may have secured the number one jersey with a good low save after former Blue Darren Thornton broke clear but failed to generate enough power from the resulting angled drive.

In direct contrast, the impressive Close then made another forray into the hosts' half before unleashing a ferocious 25-yard strike that cleared the crossbar by mere inches. Garforth went on to end the first half on top, Wayne Harratt curled a free-kick from a dangerous position disappointingly wide, then in injury time, Thornton beat Burgess to a loose ball but sidefooted across both Woodhead and the far post.

Dunn made three changes at half-time with the ever-combative Jimmy Beadle, versatile newcomer Ibrahim Hassan and Huggins making way for defender Craig Bishop, ex-Carlin How forward Rob Jones and Billy Logan, son of Dunn's successor first-time around, the watching David Logan.

After experimenting with wing-backs in the first half, the Blues appeared to line up with an attack-minded 4-3-3 in the second, though it was the hosts who threatened first. Thornton once again found space but this time struck the inside of the far post with Woodhead beaten.

Good work from Hackworth then released the tricky Jones who cut in from the left and after seeing one effort blocked, brought a low save from Tom Morgan.

Morgan's opposite number Woodhead was replaced by the experienced Dave Campbell, some 20 years his senior with just 15 minutes remaining. Another Whitby substitute Bob Ovington was in the game soon after, the classy midfielder making a terrific run to the edge of the Garforth box but went on to shin a disappointing effort well wide.

So it looked as though, without a number of key strikers, the Seasiders would end their pre-season campaign with a blank scoresheet. However, it wasn't to be as a well-weighted long ball was latched onto by Charlton near the right touchline, and the ex-Sunderland junior chipped neatly over the onrushing Morgan from just outside the area, and into the empty net.