UniBond Premier

9th April 2005

Attendance - 295

Team - D Campbell, Williams, Veart, Farthing, Nicholson, Richards, McTiernan, A Gildea(Robinson 55), L Gildea, Ormerod, Wilkinson. Subs not used: Escritt, Atkinson.

Report - by Andrew Snaith - Whitby's 15th straight match without defeat, combined with draws for top two sides Workington and Hyde, has placed the league championship in the hands of David Logan's side. Dave McTiernan's lone strike was enough to bring victory on Saturday at the Turnbull Ground against a stubborn Lincoln side that featured ex-Blue Ben Dixon. Towering centre-half Brian Linighan was out injured, but on-loan Hartlepool midfielder Karl Richards returned, with captain Scott Nicholson dropping into defence.

Amid the April showers, it was full-back Graham Williams who had Whitby's first effort on four minutes, a curling drive from all of 20 yards that Lincoln keeper Nick Conroy parried and gathered at the second attempt. At the other end, United's Gary Bull tried his luck from 25 yards, but Blues number one David Campbell kept up with his opposite number completing a comfortable take.

Whitby then took control and it was no suprise when they led on 17 minutes after an almighty scramble. Richards' driven left- wing cross-cum-shot was palmed out to the edge of the box where Nicholson, Ant Ormerod and Liam Gildea all saw efforts cannon off the Lincoln defence. However it was McTiernan who reacted quickest to the loose ball and drilled a clinical finish on the turn inside the bottom-right corner.

Moments later, Richards fired a 20 yard effort over the bar with fellow Hartlepool loanee Jack Wilkinson screaming for the ball against the left touchline. Dixon almost upset his former club on 21 minutes, streaming down the left flank and hammering a powerful drive across goal but past Campbell's left hand post from 25 yards.

Richards was still trying to take advantage of the skiddy surface clipping goalwards from 25 yards but straight at Conroy, who saved comfortably.

Lincoln's physical tactics left Craig Veart on the deck just five minutes into the second half- the Whitby left-back requiring lengthy treatment and not helped by the visitors' reluctance to put the ball out of play. The Blues looked understandably jaded after playing Saturday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday again. Lincoln almost took advantage three minutes later when Gary Walters escaped a flimsy offside trap and forced a fine parry from Campbell.

Seconds later and Campbell again came to Whitby's rescue, just about holding onto another fiery effort reaching above his head. The Blues' cause was hit by another injury blow as Alex Gildea limped off with an apparent dead leg- Graham Robinson, himself returning after a six match lay-off following a knee operation, took his place in the centre of midfield.

And it was Robinson who neatly flicked on Williams' ring-wing cross on 72 minutes, but sadly the ball narrowly eluded Wilkinson arriving at the far post.

From then on, however, it was virtually all Lincoln as the Blues sat back and defended in numbers. The 79th minute saw Brendan McDaid's low drive well saved low to his right by Campbell, doing terrifically well to hold onto the wet ball in the conditions.

The curse of the former player very nearly struck in the 90th minute when Dixon headed inches over when well placed.

The Blues could have saved themselves from a terrifying finale moments later when Wilkinson latched onto Robinson's through ball l and broke clear on the edge of the Lincoln box. However, the teenager slid a low shot agonisingly wide of Conroy's left hand post. And a further four minutes of added time was announced.

With the clock already ticking past ten to five, Whitby and their fans were desperate for all three points, especially with Hyde and Workington both drawing elsewhere. But there was still time for one last scare, the ball was lumped into the Blues' box from the right and flicked off the head of the diving Nicholson, but Campbell summed up his afternoon, flinging himself low to the right and clinging onto the ball amid a flurry of legs and boots.

By the time referee Mr Robinson blew for full time, it was three minutes to five and an almighty chorus of relief rang around the ground. Both sets of players took the deserved applause of the crowd, but Whitby must do it all again on Wednesday night at the Turnbull Ground. They play their vital match in hand with Wakefield-Emley, the side who held Workington 0-0 on Saturday.