UniBond Premier Division

11th September 2004

Attendance - 286

Team - Escritt, Williams, Lynch, Linighan, Farthing, A.Gildea, McTiernan, P.Campbell, Ormerod, Robinson, Nicholson - Subs L.Gildea Veart, Bishop

Report - by Andrew Snaith - Whitby’s bright new era ground to a halt on Saturday as Leek hammered four without reply past Dave Logan’s side. The Blues’ caretaker manager made just one change from the side that beat Gateshead 3-2 on Wednesday with Brian Linighan replacing Mark Obern at centre-back. Logan and his side were not helped by an accident on the M1 resulting in the team coach arriving at the ground just 20 minutes before kick-off.
The two sides began the afternoon level on points, and the opening exchanges were reasonably even before the hosts threatened on 13 minutes. Carl Frost’s 18 yard effort was fended away by Ben Escritt as he fell to the ground, and Linighan acrobatically cleared. The home side were retaining the lion’s share of possession and grabbed the lead as Whitby conceded in trademark fashion. Alex Brown’s dangerous inswinging corner was headed powerfully across goal and off the inside of the far post and bar by Dean Butterworth. This was Butterworth’s first ever goal for Leek, but he was not to be the last home player to break his duck as the afternoon deteriorated for the visitors.
Paul Ogden’s men could’ve doubled the lead just moments later when Richard Eyre drove Yates’ high swirling cross against the top of the Whitby crossbar from close range.
It was 38 minutes before Whitby managed a shot on goal, when Dave McTiernan’s free-kick was headed out as far as Paul Campbell who poked nervously wide from the edge of the box.
Butterworth could have had his hat-trick in a frenetic two minute spell just before the break. On 42 minutes, Escritt did well to save with his legs from Butterworth’s low 12-yard angled drive and seconds later, Escritt pulled off a fantastic reflex save to deny Butterworth again, as the former Northwich striker beat Whitby’s flimsy offside trap with ease. The Yorkshiremen then sensationally had a golden chance to equalise when the Leek backline stood frozen as Campbell strode clear but indecision from the former Darlington man enabled last man Mick Heathcote to get back and make a saving tackle on the edge of his own box.
However, despite remaining just one goal down, Whitby found themselves a man down seconds before half-time when influential midfielder Alex Gildea was poleaxed from behind right in front of whistle-happy referee Mr Cummings. The Runcorn official took no further action, and neither did Gildea, who, after lengthy treatment, was carried off the field on the shoulders of Leek’s physio and a team-mate.
Four minutes after the interval came the Seasiders’ golden chance to turn the match around. Campbell’s quickly taken free-kick reached Ant Ormerod, whose precise chip cannoned back off the Leek crossbar into the ecstatic hands of keeper Mark Cartwright. Almost inevitably Whitby were to pay a high price for that missed opportunity within two minutes as Wooliscroft’s dangerous low cross was driven home by the unmarked Carl Frost from point-blank range. A half-time PA message asked if anyone in the ground could speak Polish, though the following 40 minutes left many wondering if Whitby’s defence could communicate in English such was the dissaray to come.
Frost was instrumental in Leek’s third, getting the ball down and sprinting into the Whitby box, only to fly even quicker to the ground as Linighan slid in to claim the ball. After a long delay where words and shoves were exchanged, Ben Johnson stepped up to leave Escritt flat-footed and slot comfortably inside the young keeper’s left hand post- his first goal for the ex-Conference club.
By now, Neil Bishop had replaced Dave McTiernan on the right, and tried to add a bit of fight to the Whitby cause, but despite linking up with Williams and Robinson, that final incisive touch never looked like coming. Logan made his final change on 73 minutes when Scott Nicholson made way for Liam Gildea but to little avail. Despite a rare foray into the Leek box, Whitby kept possession but got no closer to the business area, finally the long build-up resulted in Chris Lynch heading Veart’s deep corner high and wide.
But it wasn’t long before the Staffordshire side reasserted their dominance on 78 minutes. Substitute Dean Crowe flew down the popular left-wing and beat two men before clipping home in nonchalant fashion through a flurry of bodies and low past the unsighted Escritt to become Leek’s third maiden goalscorer of the match.
The young Stokesley keeper then came to Whitby’s rescue twice in the last ten minutes as he saved Johnson’s low drive and did well to cling onto Eyre’s opportunist angled shot from against the right touchline, albeit at the second attempt.
All in all, a performance as crushingly disappointing as last Wednesday’s was encouraging. Whitby were shapeless and repeatedly exposed down both flanks at will, communication in defence was lacking and only Danny Farthing at centre-half and keeper Escritt emerged with any real credit. As has been the case for a very long time, Whitby offered little if any attacking threat, hopefully the signing of well-travelled former Chelsea forward Steve Livingstone will help add some bite to the Blues’ lacklustre though poorly supplied strikeforce.