UniBond Premier

6th October 2007

Attendance - 271

Team - Campbell, Burton(Hartas 45), A Raw(Vickers 55), Appleby, Brumwell, Lyth, Adams, Drinkall, Hackworth, Brunskill, Charlton. Sub not used: Nogan.

Report - by Andrew Snaith - Pressure mounted on Whitby Town boss Lee Nogan after goals from Peter Wright and Michael Cole ensured his side's fourth loss in succession at the Turnbull Ground on Saturday.

The Blues were again without injured duo Ant Ormerod(calf) and left-back Alex Janes(ankle), but welcomed back fellow defenders Ashley Lyth and Phil Brumwell, who was making his first start of the season.

Whitby were on top in a sedate opening with skipper Matty Appleby, Karl Charlton and James Drinkall threatening.

But it was the visitors, Kendal, who led on 11 minutes from their first foray into the Blues box. Rob Henry's innocous diagonal ball saw Peter Wright shrug off Ashley Lyth to sidefoot home from close range, amid calls for offside.

Craig Hobson fired well wide on the turn but almost cost his side at the other end a minute later, when the youngster followed up a good tackle on Tony Hackworth by the corner flag, with a loose ball into his own six yard box. As the misplaced pass evaded Henry, Blues' leading scorer Danny Brunskill forced his way in but fired across goal and past the far post.

Wright shot acrobatically straight at Campbell, and moments later Hobson headed wide- both chances set up by Michael Cole.

Whitby fought back and a great reverse ball from Hackworth helped set up a pinpoint Andy Burton cross that Henry had to throw himself in front of Drinkall to prevent a certain equaliser. As it was, the next goal was to be Kendal's. A minute after Lyth had run the length of the pitch after being dispossessed, to deny Wright, the ball found its way to Lee Mulvaney on the left. The tricky winger beat Burton and Appleby by the corner flag- with the ball possibly rolling over the byline- before teeing up the unmarked Cole to drive low past Dave Campbell from the edge of the box. The Whitby keeper ran incensed to the linesman on the far side, but ended up with a yellow card for his troubles.

The veteran was to be one of several bookings from picky referee Mr Horn. Andy Raw sent a diving header inches over around the half hour mark, with Drinkall coming close from distance. A further blow for the hosts saw Burton stretchered off with a twisted knee following a late challenge from Andy Leigh. 20-year-old Dave Hartas took Burton's place at right-back, and Town came close twice at the end of the half when Drinkall headed over Charlton's corner and directed Appleby's free-kick straight at Kendal keeper David Newnes.

Towering 18-year-old defender Jon Forbes replaced Henry at the break and early in the second half, Nogan swapped Raw for attacking midfielder Mike Vickers who was soon in action. On 57 minutes, good work from Brunskill set up Charlton who crossed for Vickers to half-volley wide from the edge of the box.

Another left-wing cross then saw Drinkall's bicycle kick blocked and Vickers do well to send the ball back across goal and Charlton's last ditch slide at the far post narrowly failed to make contact.

But Whitby deservedly grabbed a goal back when Brunskill outjumped Forbes and found Charlton down the left flank. The former Northallerton youngster then drove an angled drive under Newnes which, despite the keeper's touch and a covering defender, rolled over the goal line for 2-1.

However, just as the Seasiders managed to claw their way back into the game, they almost conspired to fall three-one down a minute later when a driven cross from the left eluded Drinkall and Hobson ghosted in unnoticed to force Campbell to save point-blank with an outstretched knee. The resulting corner was headed goalwards by Gareth Arnison only for Lyth to nod off his own line amid a goalmouth scramble. A second corner saw Hobson's downward header clutched by a relieved Campbell at the far post.

Kendal player-boss Lee Ashcroft, who played alongside his opposite number at Grimsby Town in 1998 and with 75, scored just one more professional goal than Nogan, replaced Arnison with under 20 minutes remaining.

Hobson then drove weakly straight at Campbell and wasted a good chance when driving into the covering defenders after finding himself in acres of space on the right edge of the Whitby area. Pacey youngster Zac Clark, promoted from the visitors' under 18 side last term, took Hobson's place moments later.

On 80 minutes, good work from Charlton, Adams and Drinkall provided Brunskill with a great shooting opportunity from close range, but the Town hotshot couldn't connect properly and poked straight at Newnes. A minute later, Charlton's quickly-taken free-kick set up Appleby to power a ferocious effort just over the crossbar from 20 yards.

Newnes did well to smother a driven Hackworth cross at Brunskill's feet and, as Kendal countered, Mr Horn waved away shouts for handball against Lyth when Wright's shot was charged down in the Blues' penalty area. The disappointing Mulvaney shot wastefully wide after good work from his manager before Whitby pushed on again.

Brunskill finally beat Kendal's man of the match captain Tony Hallam to set up Hackworth, but the ex-Leeds forward hooked over the bar from 20 yards. A minute later, Brunskill sent a trademark shot on the turn straight into Newnes hands at the near post, and Charlton, after collecting Lyth's long ball, fired across an empty six yard box.

The Blues' final chance of the afternoon saw good work from Brunskill to pick out Vickers overlapping on the right, with the former Guisborough and Ossett Albion man finding Hackworth in the Kendal area. Another huge scramble saw the away defence stick limpet-like to Hackworth and Brunskill as the ball shot in all directions just yards from the visitors' goal.

When the Lake District side finally cleared, Callum Warburton should've put the icing on the Kendal cake as he raced away in the final minute, but the midfielder shot straight at Campbell from the edge of the Whitby box.