UniBond Premier

21st March 2008

Attendance - 316

Team - Campbell, Pallender, Lyth(Garvie 57), Appleby(T Raw 57), Burgess, Tobin, Claisse, Brumwell(Adams 76), Gildea, Brunskill, Charlton.

Report - by Andrew Snaith - Promotion chasing Guiseley edged this wind-ridden Yorkshire derby as the first half of Town's vital easter double ended in defeat on Good Friday.

The Turnbull Ground was blasted by icy gale-force winds, which dried up the heavy overnight rain but ruined any chances of a flowing game of football. Playing with the gales behind them, Whitby threatened first when Matty Appleby's header was deflected over from a 25-yard free-kick in the fifth minute.

The Whitby skipper curled the resulting corner toward the roof of the net aided by the breeeze and forced an acrobatic tip over from visiting keeper Piotr Skiba.

In a first foray forward from the away side, Spanish winger Jonathan Fernandez raced down the right and crossed for James Hanson to half-volley straight at Blues' number one Dave Campbell when well-placed.

The unfamiliar figure of defender Ashley Lyth drove just wide for the Blues from 20 yards, and two minutes later, player-manager Phil Brumwell tried his luck from slightly further out but a weak effort rolled straight to Skiba.

But it was the other end which saw the opening goal when Lee Tuck beat Steve Tobin and rounded the onrushing Campbell before crossing for Fernandez to direct a perfect diving header inside the far post of the unguarded Whitby net.

Within seconds of the restart it was almost 2-0 when Hanson slammed a ferocious effort against the top of the crossbar from 25 yards with Campbell rooted to the spot.

Fernandez then struck another lethal warning shot from distance narrowly over as the West Yorkshire side looked to kill off the game even with the wind against them.

The Seasiders, still stuck in the final relegation place, won a free-kick in a prominent position two minutes before half-time when Danny Ellis' high boot felled Liam Gildea. With 24-goal Brunskill lurking, hopes were high, but the ex-Durham City marksman curled his set piece inches wide.

And there was almost time for Guiseley to double their lead before the break when Campbell blocked well point-blank from Damian Dunne, but spilled the ball, and wing-back Karl Charlton had to be alert to get back and clear the danger.

Steve Kittrick's side began the second half as they ended the first with a neat move down the left flank resulting in a close range header nodded straight at the fortunate Campbell.

Play then jumped to the other end where Gildea muscled his way past Ellis and won a corner, but the away side easily cleared the resulting set piece.

The full extent of the gales were made apparent a minute later when Guiseley won a free-kick right on the touchline 20 yards from goal, and the resulting effort whizzed past the far post.

It seemed the contest was over when inevitably the lively visitors finally struck for a second time just ten minutes after the restart. Not for the first time in the afternoon, the Whitby midfield was caught napping as the ball was threaded through to Tuck on the edge of the box, who forced a parry from Campbell, but there was top scorer Hanson to sidefoot home.

A long awaited double change saw Lyth, arguably the Blues' best player, despite a few clumsy early challenges, and Appleby who was possibly their worst, making way for the pacey forward pairing of Tom Raw and Sam Garvie as Whitby went for broke with three up front.

The change worked almost instantly as Gildea found himself in space and picked out Charlton on the edge of the area, who finished expertly, slotting the ball over the onrushing Skiba.

Despite a much more dangerous-looking Town outfit, Guiseley still had the wind in their favour and any kind of long ball from the hosts looked out of the question.

It was still a matter of clinging on and picking the right moment, as the visitors threatened again on 78 minutes when subsitute Bailey Camfield's angled drive forced a fine point-blank stop from Campbell and Tobin slid in with perfect timing to weaken Hanson's follow-up.

Guiseley again showed their class with a fine one-touch move six minutes from time that moved the ball from Fernandez on the left to Hanson on the right edge of the Whitby box, but the visitors' leading marksman was denied by another crucial Campbell save.

The Blues' third substitute, midfielder Tom Adams, then fired a lively effort from distance straight at Skiba as Town tried to battle back against the odds.

And Whitby's big break duly arrived in the final minute when the lightning quick Garvie was released down the right wing and had the beating of left-back Dave Merris, who desperately held onto the youngster. But despite appearing to be the last defender, veteran Merris, on his debut after recently signing from Conference North Harrogate Town, was fortunate to recieve just a yellow card from referee Matt Dicicco.

Predictably, as Whitby curled a dangerous set piece to the far post, Skiba was awarded a free-kick of his own after dropping the ball even before debutant Whitby defender Kevin Burgess connected with the keeper during an attempted header.