UniBond Premier Division

21st January 2006

Attendance - 355

Team - Escritt, Atkinson, Richards(Veart 66), Farthing, Wilford, Barber(Raw 81), McTiernan, Nicholson, Ormerod, Brunskill, Batchelor. Sub not used: Campbell.

Report - Ben Escritt’s dramatic 90th minute penalty save from Nicky Young earned the Blues a vital point at title-chasing Marine on Saturday. Manager David Logan again kept faith with the young goalkeeper, ahead of the experienced Dave Campbell, with on-loan teenager Chris Batchelor, and another local lad in defender Paul Atkinson recalled in place of Phil Brumwell and the injured Mark Eccles.

On a heavy surface which made flowing football difficult, it was the home side, unbeaten in their last sixteen league matches, who had the first effort on goal inside seven minutes, but Carl Nesbitt’s speculative effort from 20 yards flew high into the crowd behind Escritt’s goal.

Four minutes later, a neat Whitby move saw Ant Ormerod head on Batchelor’s free-kick, for Scott Nicholson to steal in at the far post and sweetly strike a left-footed volley that Andy Ralph did very well to parry, and gather at the second attempt.

On 17 minutes, Nicholson was to have a much easier chance to break the deadlock when skipper-for-the-day Karl Richards struck a low drive towards goal with the ball breaking for Nicholson six yards out, but the former captain thinking he had less time, swung an unconvincing left boot and mis-kicked tamely straight at Ralph.

The half hour mark saw the Mariners seriously threaten for the first time, as former Witton Albion forward Danny Byrne had the first of three efforts- the youngster striking a close-range volley from Darren Brookfield’s cross which was bravely charged down by Richards, then Dave McTiernan and Danny Farthing deflected away two further strikes as the ball pin-balled around the crowded Whitby box.

Within moments, the Blues had another great chance of their own when Ormerod strode clear and squared for Richards- but the former Hartlepool United man could only half-volley straight at Ralph as Marine’s covering defender closed in.

The Merseyside club almost delighted the noisy contingent inside their modern main stand behind the College Road goal with a goal just before half-time. The pint-sized Brookfield found himself completely clear of the flat-footed Blues defence, as the Mariner looked for support, Atkinson got back, only to be beaten against the byline, but Brookfield found the previously untested Escritt in fine form, tipping his powerful near post drive wide for a corner.

Like the first period, the second 45 minutes opened cagily, but with the hosts now setting the pace. Mariners’ captain Young sent an ambitious 25 yard drive just wide of Escritt’s goal in the opening five minutes, with the hosts then wasting a free-kick from the edge of the box after McTiernan was booked for handball. The Seasiders suffered a blow midway through the second half when Richards had to be helped off the field following a midfield collision, with veteran Craig Veart taking his place in the centre alongside Ormerod, and Nicholson. Marine introduced debutant striker Lee Mulvaney for the final half hour, at the expense of ineffectual left-winger Paul Byrne.

With 20 minutes remaining, Aron Wilford did superbly to get between Young and Byrne inside the Blues box, characterising the dominance of both defences for most of the afternoon.

At the other, Nicholson should have done better finding himself with lots of time on the right-edge of the Marine box but chipped wastefully straight into the gloves of Ralph.

Much of the action in this contest was condensed into the final ten minutes- Marine replaced Danny Byrne with experienced ex-Stalybridge forward Ged Courtney, and Tommy Raw was forced into an earlier than expected return following a two-week lay-off following a hamstring injury- Whitby’s third local link was the only outfield sub left on the bench, as midfielder Mark Barber limped off.

Seconds before, Lee Parle saw his low effort deflected wide for the home side, with Courtney’s 25-yard dig for goal looking horribly optimistic as it sailed off seemingly towards the Atlantic Ocean. In-between, Mariners boss Alvin Macdonald’s last throw of the dice saw left-back Steve Hollis sacrificed for midfielder Ian Dawes.

Courtney’s poke goalwards was then clawed wide by Escritt low to his right, before two great chances for the visitors at the other end.

First, on 85 minutes, McTiernan cut in from the right, outrageously putting the ball through the legs of defender Adam Farley and striking a curling effort that deflected off the head of Raw inside the box, but flew just wide. Three minutes later, Nicholson got to the byline on the same flank and this time hammered in a dangerous low cross that Raw poked goalwards only for Ralph to somehow parry from point blank range and full-back Neil Murphy completed the job, hooking off his own line.

However, with four minutes of injury time announced, Brookfield went down rather easily under Farthing slide challenge near the touchline just inside the right edge of the Whitby area- and to the disbelief of the travelling contingent, whistle-happy referee Mr Hilton pointed to the penalty spot. However, the ghost of Gateshead was laid to rest as Escritt dived the right way to push away Young’s penalty and save well from the near-post follow-up with Wilford and Farthing charging down a third rebound as the Blues just about clung on for a share of the points.