Mickey Skinner Trophy

2006

Attendance - 159

Team - Whitby Town: David Campbell(Ben Escritt 69), Neil Wilkinson(Tom Reid 15), Phil Brumwell(Jamie Ramm 66), Aron Wilford(Sean Davies 71), Danny Farthing, Matty Appleby(Mark Swales 50), David McTiernan(Simon Hughes 61), Graham Robinson(Tom Claisse 58), Danny Brunskill(Tom Raw 50), Anthony Ormerod(Gavin Parkin 50), Karl Richards(Nick Scaife 61).

Report - by Andrew Snaith - Whitby Town have captured their first silverware of the new season after wresting back the Mickey Skinner Trophy from a Gretna XI in an entertaining pre-season clash at the Turnbull Ground on Saturday.

A modest 159 braved the heavy thunder storm and a 45 minute kick-off delay after Gretna's bus driver took the wrong road, ironically after leaving Scotch Corner.

Manager Lee disapated made seven changes from the side that drew a blank at Tow Law the week before. In came defenders Danny Farthing and Aron Wilford, player-coach Graham Robinson, left-winger Karl Richards, forward Ant Ormerod and new signings Neil Wilkinson and Matty Appleby.

On six minutes, Dave McTiernan headed straight at David Matthieson with Ormerod sidefooting weakly straight at the Gretna keeper from 12 yards after collecting a long ball over the top five minutes later.

Last season's runaway top scorer Danny Brunskill then sent a speculative effort from the edge of the box just wide, but there was a real blow for the Seasiders on 15 minutes when they lost one of their two newcomers.

Wilkinson, who broke his foot during a loan spell at the Turnbull from Hartlepool in April limped off with replacement right-back Tom Reid, back in a Whitby shirt on home turf for the first time since leaving in April 2003. Oddly, the substitute made the reporter's job a bit more challenging by wearing the number eight shirt- the same number as debutant Whitby midfielder Matty Appleby.

The Blues remained in the ascendancy however, as another former Hartlepool United man Karl Richards raced clear but saw his goal-bound effort saved by the legs of Mathieson.

The visitors finally showed some life on 28 minutes when former Newcastle United junior Lee Novak's flick header at the far post flashed millimetres wide of Dave Campbell's left hand spot, with the Seasiders keeper powerlessly rooted to the spot.

Seconds later and a fine one-touch passing move culminated in fellow trialist striker Matthew Berkley firing just over the top from the edge of the Whitby box.

However, just as the UEFA Cup entrants threatened to seize the advantage, Town went ahead as play quickly spilled to the other end. Neat footwork by Ormerod saw the former Middlesbrough star cut in from the left and even with Richards going for the same ball, managed to toe-poke past two defenders and Mathieson from the edge of the box, inside the far post for 1-0.

Three minutes later and another dangerous low cross from Richards saw Robinson side foot straight at Mathieson from 12 yards.

But just as Town were thinking of taking their advantage into the half-time break, a free-kick was conceded 25 yards from goal with just a minute remaining of the first half. Up stepped former Falkirk captain David Nicholls to curl a sweet left-footed strike over the wall and give Campbell no chance at all as the ball nestled neatly in the empty net.

The interval saw no changes to the Whitby side, who nearly regained the lead just three minutes into the second half. Another neat move saw Brunskill race down the left and put over an inch perfect cross for McTiernan who off-balance deflected the low ball goal wards only for Danny Grainger to charge down on his own goal line.

That was to be Brunskill's final contribution off the afternoon as within two minutes he joined Appleby and Ormerod in taking a well earned breather- forward trio Mark Swales, Tom Raw and Gavin Parkin took their places.

Incidentally, just as this correspondent's job appeared to be getting a little easier with one of the two number eights leaving the field- Swales and Raw who are of similar build with identical hairstyles both took to the pitch with the number 17 on their backs!

The changes were now coming thick and fast- by the hour mark, three midfielders- Tom Claisse, Nick Scaife and Simon Hughes had replaced Robinson, Richards and McTiernan.

And it was one of them- Claisse, who beat Gretna's flimsy offside trap two minutes later only to fire low past Matthieson's near post when well placed.

Nichols, who earlier tried a free-kick from a more central position and sent the ball off towards the promenade was proving the Borderers main threat- on 64 minutes the 32-year-old former Dunfermline man fired a blistering 18 yard effort inches wide.

Former Pickering defender Jamie Ramm replaced Blues skipper Phil Brumwell, and moments later, another substitute Simon Hughes caught the ball well on the volley but failed to test Mathieson after firing wide of the near post.

Whitby's two goalkeepers swapped places with 20 minutes remaining as Campbell worryingly went down holding his foot after making a clearance and had to be helped off the field. His understudy, Ben Escritt was soon called into action- pushing wide an awkward low skidding drive that bounced right in front of the 22-year-old.

In-between, Sean Davies became Whitby's tenth subsitute replacing Wilford on 71 minutes- and moments later another new face in lively forward Parkin, short on stature but big on heart, chipped just wide from 30 yards much to the disappointment of his strike partners.

At the other end, the silver-haired Nicholls continued to look the Scottish First Division side's best chance of a winner, sending a fierce effort over the crossbar from 20 yards and following up with a turn and shot just wide of the mark with 15 minutes left on the clock.

Towards the close, the impressively high tempo dissipated understandably, with both sides preparing for a penalty shoot out and members of the crowd expecting to put back their teas by another 20 minutes. However, commeth the hour, commeth Nick Scaife. The 31-year-old midfielder looked to be heading out of the club according to some sources but inside the final minute he clinched a little bit of glory for the home side.

It was Swales who collected the ball just inside the Gretna box, cutting in from the left turning one man, he squared for the unmarked Scaife to rifle low across Matthieson from 12 yards for a certain winner.

After speeches from a representative of the former Northern League side and Whitby chairman Graham Manser where past links between the clubs were discussed, Blues' captain Phil Brumwell stepped forward to lift the Mickey Skinner Trophy in front of a lively West Stand support and crown a deserved victory- the stayaways missing an equally lively encounter. Roll on Hartlepool.