UniBond Premier Division

29th August 2009

Attendance - 871

Team - Campbell, Close, A Gildea (L Gildea 23), Ingram, Hussan, Hanson, Ormerod (Raw 71), Hackworth, Blott (Brunskill 65), Tymon, Charlton. Subs: Dalton, Lyth.

Report - by Andrew Snaith
A depleted Whitby Town squad made their longest trek of the season and came away with a great point at title favourites Kings Lynn on Saturday.

The Seasiders were playing their first-ever league fixture in the county of Norfolk, a 340-mile round trip. To add to the challenge, Town manager Harry Dunn was without highly-rated defender Kevin Burgess(illness), injured goalkeeper Tom Woodhead and the suspended Jimmy Beadle. Back came Ibrahim Hassan to cover for Burgess in a rare defensive role, with right wing-back Brian Close also ready to return- Danny Brunskill was a welcome name on the subs bench after undergoing laser eye surgery during the summer.

The visitors started purposefully but the first shot of note came from Carl Heggs' home side. On 15 minutes, Ryan Beswick caused problems after cutting in from the left and driving across goal, but the towering Anthony Robinson slid the loose ball well wide. Strike-partner Gareth Sheldon then had a golden chance after rounding Town keeper Dave Campbell, only to be dragged wide and see his goalbound effort bravely charged down by a covering defender and the resulting deep far-post cross adjudged to have been deflected behind.

More injury problems for the Seasiders came moments later when left wing-back Alex Gildea took a knock and had to be replaced by his striker brother Liam, with early-season top scorer Karl Charlton taking Alex's defensive role. However, the desperate reshuffle seemed a trifling matter when Whitby skipper Tony Hackworth struck a fantastic effort from distance into the roof of the net on 23 minutes. The former Leeds United man took a touch before burying a swerving 25-yard drive into the back of the net via the top-right angle of post and crossbar.

Town grew in confidence and soon had the ball in the net for a second time but an offside flag before Gildea could slot past Lynn goalkeeper Danny Gay kept the deficit narrow. Then moments later, a much more marginal call saw Matty Tymon poke wide one on one with Gay, from point blank range with the flag again raised.

The Linnets threatened at the other end when Robinson latched onto an awful, backpass only to see his deft chip touched over by the fingertips of Campbell. Then near to half-time, Sheldon, publically tipped by his manager to reach 30 goals this season, came close with a curling 20-yard drive that flew narrowly wide.

The hosts, relegated from the Blue Square North on ground issues last season, began the second half where they left off in the first, and levelled inside ten minutes of the restart. Again it was Beswick causing problems, this time down the Whitby left where Christian Hanson was beaten all too easily, with the ball making its way to the completely unmarked Sheldon waiting at the far side of the box- he placed his six-yard shot past a helpless Campbell.

Two tame Sheldon drives from distance were safely held by Campbell, before Ryan Blott saw what looked a strong appeal for a penalty turned down, after a Lynn defender wrapped his foot around those of the tumbling former Scarborough Athletic striker.

It was to be the newcomer's last input to the game as he made way Brunskill with 25 minutes remaining. Tom Raw then put in what's been a rare appearance, in place of Anthony Ormerod, himself making a first start of the campaign.

15 minutes from time, Gildea muscled his way to the edge of the Lynn area but fired high and handsomely over the crossbar. As expected, the home club finally got the full backing of their 800+ supporters for the final ten minutes, but for all their territorial and possessional success, Lynn repeatedly nodded over the crossbar, landed crosses on the heads of committed Town defenders or in the hands of Campbell, making his 390th appearance in a Whitby shirt.

In the end then, despite taking an audacious early lead, Town and Dunn will likely be satisfied under sustained late pressure, with a hard-fought point from their hike to East Anglia.