UniBond Premier Division

5th April 2008

Attendance - 246

Team - Campbell, Tobin, Lyth(Pallender 70), Appleby, Scott, Nogan(Ormerod 68), Claisse, Hackworth, T Raw(Gildea 85), Brunskill, Charlton.

Report - A tired second half display from the Blues cost them the points in Cumbria on Saturday, as rivals Kendal Town took a giant leap towards safety.

Whitby welcomed back defender Ashley Lyth in place of Danny Newby, but the Seasiders' injury jinx continued when goalkeeper Mark Bell, outstanding at Hednesford on Monday, tweaked a calf muscle in the warm-up. Luckily, regular custodian David Campbell travelled with the squad and was able to don the gloves at short notice as the hastily re-written teamsheet attested.

As bright sunshine lit up the Lake District, it was Whitby who looked the brighter of the two sides with the in-form Karl Charlton forcing a fine point-blank save from David Newnes early on.

Meanwhile at the other end, another forward in the goals of late, Kendal's Carl Osman, fired into the side netting for the hosts.

The Seasiders, roared on by 50-plus travelling supporters, did grab the lead, however, on 34 minutes as a neat ball over the top was flicked on by from former manager Lee Nogan to release Charlton, who remained calm to lob over Newnes from close range for his sixth goal in five games.

Charlton was also involved in a flashpoint with full-back Andy Leigh, whose clash with Andy Burton in the two teams' October meeting at the Turnbull Ground, resulted in the Whitby man being stretchered off with a knee injury. On this occasion, Leigh hit out with his knee when Charlton shoved him in the chest after the pair contested a challenge near the left touchline, deep inside the Kendal half.

However, neither referee Ian Gittens or the nearest assistant official saw fit to produce a card of any colour for either man.

It was Kendal's player-manager Lee Ashcroft, a former team-mate of Nogan's at Grimsby Town, became the first into the referee's notebook for a needlessly strong follow-through on Campbell as the Blues stopper claimed a loose ball just inside the Whitby area.

But the 35-year-old former England Under 21 also came a whisker away from sending the sides in level at the interval. The silver-haired striker struck an angled drive in the final minute of the first half that beat Campbell but slammed off the foot of the far post and was cleared.

Though while the Seasiders and their fans may have thought this showed lady luck was on their side, the turning point was to come at half-time when Ashcroft introduced fellow marksman Paul Fildes from the bench.

From then on, it was all Kendal with Campbell lucky as a close range shot became lodged under his body and he was able to smother the danger on his own goal line.

But just seven minutes after the restart, the men from Mint Cake country had their equaliser as the ball again cannoned around the Whitby box, though there was a suspicion of offside when Gareth Arnison's right-wing cross come shot was slid home by Fildes from point blank range.

If the Blues were unlucky with the leveller, they could have no complaints after out and out lazy marking allowed the home side to grab the lead on the hour.

After the Cumbrians won a free-kick by the left touchline, Michael Cole swung a pinpoint ball over to Fildes who was left completely alone at the far post to head emphatically into the opposite corner giving Campbell no chance.

The visitors introduced the returning ex-Middlesbrough playmaker Anthony Ormerod in place of veteran Nogan and Lee Pallender for fellow defender Lyth, but still looked jaded and at risk of conceding further goals.

And with the men in black and white enjoying a clear ascendancy, there was no suprise when Fildes made it 3-1 within 20 minutes. The substitute pulled off a fine solo effort as he beat a number of Whitby players before tucking past Campbell to complete a remarkable 27-minute hat-trick with his eighth goal in as many games.

With only 11 minutes remaining, this was always going to be an uphill task for the Blues, but in keeping with recent performances, there was little sign of the away side giving up.

Charlton was again in the wars, this time with Ian Kilford on the halfway line when the Kendal centre-half held the pacey winger to the floor after the pair contested a 50/50 slide challenge. The two players then appeared to exchange punches in a ground exchange more akin to an Ultimate Fighting Championship cage than a football pitch. But again, no action was taken by the men in black.

Ormerod and Tony Hackworth looked dangerous in the air for Whitby but that vital finishing touch continually eluded Graham Clark and Phil Brumwell's men.

And when an opening finally appeared, it was to be too little, too late. Top scorer Danny Brunskill, was looking to add to his 26-goal haul at every opportunity, employing a shoot on sight policy for much of the second half. Sensing the danger, Kilford's mistimed front-on challenge inside the final minute, missed the ball and sent Whitby's number ten to the floor.

But while skipper Matty Appleby notched his sixth goal of the season from the penalty spot, the referee's whistle sounded seconds later and it seemed Whitby's difficult recent schedule had finally caught up with them.

As it was, defeats for Lincoln United, Prescot Cables and Stamford, and draws in the three other relegation six-pointers involving teams around the Blues, mean Whitby are fortunate to remain 16th in the 21-team Unibond Premier, but third-bottom North Ferriby United have now closed the relegation gap to just one point