13th September 2003

Attendance - 257

Team - Clementson, Nicholson, Betts, Reed, Dixon, Swales (O’Bern 85), Campbell(McTiernan 7), Robinson, Ormerod(Ure 70), Burt, Veart.

Report by Andrew SnaithA 65th minute Jim Stannard goal ended Whitby’s recent resurgence at the Turnbull Ground on Saturday. Steve Whitehall had earlier put visitors Marine ahead with a scrambled goal on the half hour mark before Craig Veart headed the equaliser five minutes later.
Harry Dunn once again opted to keep an unchanged side except for the arrival of Gateshead goalkeeper Adam Clementson after Mark Riches was ruled out through injury. On a scorching afternoon on the North Yorkshire coast it was the visitors who threatened first on two minutes but Whitehall clipped his effort just wide from the left edge of the Whitby box.
This appeared to sting the home side into action and they piled on the pressure with some neat football reminiscent of Tuesday’s win at Ashton United. On five minutes, Robinson’s flick-on was collected by Anthony Ormerod, who curled the ball just over the Marine crossbar from 18 yards.
The former Middlesbrough striker then went on a mazy run in the 12th minute, beating three defenders before seeing his low drive blocked for a Whitby corner.
On 19 minutes, nothing seemed on as Craig Veart surveyed the picture some 25 yards out and just inside the left touchline. However, the evergreen midfielder played an incredible ball through for Jamie Burt just inside the penalty area only for Crookes to block the ex-England Youth striker’s goalbound effort with his legs.
The onslaught continued, and from the resulting Veart corner, Robinson headed over as he arrived at the far post. The Seasiders were continually frustrated by a string of offside decisions, some of which were marginal to say the least.
And as so often happens in the beautiful game when teams don’t take their chances, they pay the price- and that’s what happened to the Blues.
On 29 minutes, against the run of play, Clementson mishandled causing a mass scramble in the Whitby six yard box as Dixon and Robinson both failed to clear, Steve Whitehall finally poked the ball over the line to give the visitors a shock lead.
The Mariners found the hosts to be in purposeful mood however, and the Blues were on level terms five minutes later with Veart again involved. It was young winger Mark Swales whose long throw was flicked on by Robinson for Veart to nod the ball powerfully past Crookes from 18 yards.
The second half opened with Ormerod surging down the left for Whitby before unselfishly squaring for Burt, allowing Randles to get back to make the clearence.
At the other end, the visitors thought they had the lead once again as Bainbridge’s low drive found the bottom left corner of the Whitby net, only for referee Mr Halliday to spot an infringement in the box and disallow the midfielder’s impressive strike.
However, the visitors weren’t to be frustrated for long as Stannard controlled Nolan’s pass instantly and hammered the ball emphatically into the top right corner of the Whitby net past the despairing Clementson.
Randle should have increased the visitors’ lead on 74 minutes but sent a free header wide of the mark from Nolan’s inswinging free-kick.
Whitby made a string of substitutions with Ure, McTiernan and O’Bern replacing Ormerod, Swales and Campbell. The Blues appeared to have run out of ideas against a hardworking Marine side before having one more shot at levelling the scores. Full-back Scott Nicholson raced forward with three minutes left to release Burt, but the popular Whitby striker’s low drive was clutched comfortably by Crookes.
That was to be all she wrote for the Seasiders who were dragged back to reality after two successive wins in previous weeks. The difference between the first and second half performance from the home side was dramatic and emphasised that it doesn’t matter who leads the forward line if the service is missing.
The fans anger clearly showed when a significant number of home supporters shouted for Blues skipper Graham Robinson to be sent off after his own frustration saw him booked for dissent in the dying seconds of the match.

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