UniBond Premier

14th April 2006

Attendance - 355

Team - Escritt, Brumwell, Veart, Wilkinson, Farthing, Richards, Ormerod, Yalcin(Barber 70), Wilford, Brunskill, McTiernan. Subs not used: Claisse, Atkinson

Report - by Andrew Snaith - Guiseley defender Chris Clarke netted what proved Whitby's own-goal winner after just six minutes as the Blues claimed a fortunate victory after a low-key display at the Turnbull Ground on Good Friday.

The bright Easter sunshine ensured a healthy 355 gate at Upgang Lane, with the new West Grandstand well populated. And they were almost on their feet inside the first minute when Aron Wilford's looping header from the edge of the Guiseley box was tipped over his own crossbar at the last second by Matthew Taylor.

With the home side continuing to press, some superb instant control from Danny Brunskill was followed up with an uncharacteristic sidefoot wide of the mark from 20 yards by the Blues runaway top scorer on four minutes.

However, Seasiders fans didn't have long to wait for the breakthrough which occured in similarly unusual style two minutes later. A brilliant reverse ball from Wilford released Ormerod down the right, and the former Middlesbrough striker cut inside the visitors six yard box before drilling a wicked cross against the chest of Clarke who could only deflect the ball past Taylor and inside the keeper's near post for the opening goal.

If Whitby had dominated proceedings thus far, the visitors barely let them out of their own half of the field for the next half hour. On 10 minutes, their grandly named Portugese forward Antonio Pedro Pires Di Santos arrived at the far post to head David Cooke's right-wing cross against the top of the Whitby crossbar.

Blues keeper Ben Escritt was then tested by Cooke's 22-yard free-kick- the Whitby stopper appearing to see the kick late or suffer a bad bounce off the dry Turnbull surface as he unconvincingly fended the ball away for a corner. Whitby's number one looked far more impressive on 25 minutes, saving well with his legs from Scott Jackson's angled near-post drive.

However, moments later, and things looked ropey again at the back as Escritt found himself in no man's land after coming to claim a deep free-kick he got nowhere near. The referee saw no problem with the challenge and Town players and supporters alike breathed a huge sigh of relief as the luck stayed on the home team's side and the ball bounced up and over the Whitby bar.

More bad fortune hit Guiseley as Di Santos limped off the field with seven minutes remaining of the first half. Meanwhile at the other end, Whitby should've doubled their lead on 40 minutes when Dave McTiernan's low drive appeared to be heading for the back of the net, but Brunskill made the mistake of making sure from point blank range and was adjudged offside.

Into the second half, and Guiseley kept up the pressure with another dangerous free-kick, this time from Jackson, clipped just over the top from 25 yards. Five minutes later, Wilford may have had a decent shout for a penalty when challenged from behind on the edge of the visitors' six yard box, but the well-positioned referee, indicated just a corner.

At the other end, Esritt reacted well to save at his near post from Jackson's deflected effort, and seconds later, just about caught at the second attempt an effort on the rebound from the resulting corner.

Whitby's attacks were thwarted as much by their own forwards' inability to look along the line and remain onside as the efforts of the visiting defence. In a good example of this on 68 minutes, Wilford strayed offside after collecting a ball from Ormerod. The Blues' second top scorer who was getting another go up front as centre-half Danny Farthing returned, repeatedly found himself ahead of the last man when the ball was played.

Turkish midfielder Lev Yalcin's quite game was over on 70 minutes, with long-term on-loan teenager Mark Barber taking his place in a like-for-like swap in midfield for Whitby.

Guiseley were still looking very dangerous though, with the Leeds side frustrated by the crossbar for a second time as Jeremy Illingworth's impressive volley on the turn from the edge of the box took a deflection on it's way to bouncing off the top of the woodwork.

Whitby continued to frustrate themselves before a rare effort saw the flag stay down as Craig Veart chipped neatly into Brunskill's path, but the big striker requiring eight more goals to break Paul Pitman's Unibond scoring record, again fluffed his lines when completely unmarked at the far post and miscontrolled at the vital moment.

The away side continued to pressure the Whitby goal, with an almighty string of set pieces seeing Taylor try 'to do a Jimmy Glass' and leave his net intent on beating his opposite number. However, the hosts just about held firm with Escritt doing well to tip a free-kick deep into injury time over his own head at the far post.