UniBond Premier Division

27th August 2005

Attendance -

Team - Campbell, Atkinson, Richards, Farthing, Hudson, Nicholson, Scaife, McTiernan, Wells, Robinson, Brown. Subs not used: Escritt, Burke, Raw.

Report - Whitby slumped to their second defeat of the season on Saturday at Lincoln’s Ashby Avenue after another flaccid performance in the last third. David Logan’s side were again without Tommy Raw and Anthony Ormerod for the second time in four days and once again looked devoid of forward options.

Craig Veart missed out through injury which left the Blues down to a bare fourteen, with the subs bench including the injured Raw and substitute keeper Ben Escritt. David Campbell returned to take the number one jersey in the Whitby net at Escritt’s expense- Dave McTiernan returned to the starting line-up on the left of midfield, as Richards cover for Veart in defence.

Within six minutes, it was McTiernan who had a close range effort frantically blocked in a crowded Lincoln area after Scott Nicholson’s flick-on. As Whitby had more of the play, Richards sent an instinctive 25 yard just wide of Lincoln stopper Craig Wherry’s left-hand post.

However, with their first real attack it was the hosts who led on 27 minutes. ‘The Poacher’ declared the PA system, Matt Roche was left in plenty of space to drill home from the right-edge of Whitby’s penalty area following a neat move.

Despite their lack of strike options, Whitby should’ve levelled on 40 minutes. Graham Robinson beat the flimsy United offside trap but hesitated 20 yards from goal, beating Wherry but eventually pulling back for Andy Brown who drove a weak effort straight at centre-half Brendon McDaid on the Lincoln goal-line with the goalkeeper completely out of the picture.

McTiernan drove a speculative 20-yard effort well wide from against the far touchline and Nicholson battered over from distance before United came close to doubling their lead in first half injury time.


Lapse defending from the North Yorkshire side left Roche free to volley goalwards, only for Campbell to pull off a tremendous reaction parry, and right-back Paul Atkinson slid the rebound wide as Roche prepared a follow-up.

Both sides were lucky not to have their numbers reduced in the opening three minutes of the second period. Brown slid in rashly from behind on Ben Dixon, and Lincoln’s ex Whitby defender reacted by pinning Brown to the deck, right in front of the referee. Whitby’s midfielder received a deserved booking but there was little more than a ticking off for the former Lincoln City full-back that completed a lengthy spell at the Turnbull Ground little more than a season ago.

Only alert defending from Danny Farthing kept Whitby in the match just before the hour mark thanks to an impressive goal-line clearance, but Lincoln sealed matters on 63 minutes with another slick move. Pressure finally told as the home side cut through the Whitby backline akin to a hot knife through butter and that man Roche was again left free to bury Whitby’s chances with a crisp close-range drive across Campbell and inside the bottom-left corner of the net.


To their credit, the Seasiders went straight up the other end and were denied a way back into the game just two minutes after the restart. Scott Nicholson’s high ball was flicked on by Graham Robinson, only for the linesman’s flag to be raised for an apparent offside as Farthing won the up and under to head over Wherry from 16 yards and into the Lincoln net.

The Blues continued to plug away but lacked the belief to carve out any more clear-cut chances. On 67 minutes, Brown headed over the bar and David Wells’ deflected effort was well claimed by Wherry 12 minutes from the end.

Whitby’s last word was a first time Nick Scaife drive from 30 yards that landed just wide while Lincoln’s burly centre-half Mark Hone went into the book for a late lunge on McTiernan. However, Lincoln’s lead was never in danger, and the fact remains that without any forward strengthening, Whitby will struggle to muster victory any time soon, let alone challenge for a top five place.