Team - Campbell D, Lyth(Hanson 45), McWilliams, Hassan, Ingram, Burgess, Gildea A, Yale, Leeson, Beadle, Scott. Subs not used: Hackworth, Lambert.
Report - by Andrew Snaith - Captain Ashley Lyth was taken to hospital and midfielder Alex Gildea was controversially sent off for the second time this season in a nightmare spell either side of half-time as Town went down 2-0 at form-club Marine on Saturday.
Gildea had only just returned to the Blues' side in place of brother Liam who had work commitments, with David Yale also in for newly re-injured forward Andy Campbell. The Seasiders' striker crisis meant that defender Andy Leeson led the line solo, with attacking midfielder Yale in behind- skipper Tony Hackworth, described as only "75-80% fit" made a token appearance on the subs bench.
Despite their marksman issues, the visitors' came close early on when Leon Scott's low drive was saved by keeper Tim Dittmer. Later, midweek hero Jimmy Beadle was thwarted from getting the killer touch by defender Michael Jackson's interception. At the other end, Whitby's record-breaking-stopper David Campbell saved well from Sean Doherty's far post header, after earlier spilling Joe Fowler's testing looped cross.
Just before half-time came the first blow to Town's hopes when the in-form Lyth left the ground in an ambulance after a crunching challenge left the wing-back with a hole 'the size of a ten pence piece' in his foot. Well-travelled ex-Middlesbrough centre-half Christian Hanson, himself only just back from injury, took stand-in captain Lyth's place at the back.
And so, moments after the break, came Gildea's straight red card. A melee exploded involving a number of players from both sides and when the smoke cleared Marine striker Thomas Moore plus Whitby duo Scott and Andy McWilliams were yellow-carded, while Gildea was dismissed. Moore had clashed with Town's Denny Ingram in the tunnel while playing for Burscough against the Blues earlier in the season.
Speaking on Sunday evening, the Blues' assistant manager Bob Scaife admitted Gildea's sending-off "turned the game", a decision Scaife hotly contested. "The referee made a mistake. He shouldn't have been sent off because he didn't do anything wrong. Maybe other people should have gone, but Alex was the innocent party who felt the brunt of the referee's decision."
Unsuprisingly, the Mariners, unbeaten in eight going into the game, took advantage within seven minutes. A neatly worked free-kick saw Ian Latham slam against the a post from distance, but the ball dropped nicely for Fowler to nod home from close range. Just after the hour mark, it was two and if the hosts had a shade of luck for the first, it was all their own work for the second on 64.
Midfielder Steve Hussey, another former Burscough man, powered an unstoppable 25-yard half volley across a helpless Campbell and into the top-left corner of the net after collecting Beadle's headed clearance.
Moore almost made it three, only for the acrobatic Campbell to pull off a full-length stop, and the Blues were rueing their missing strikers in the final minutes when Yale chested down Beadle's crossfield ball but the onrushing Ingram hooked high over the bar from six yards.
The Merseysiders remain eighth after their fourth consecutive win at their Arriva Stadium keeping alive faint chances of making a play-off berth, while Whitby now look sure to miss out with their recent casualties, stretching a small squad that bit too far.
Discussing Town's injury crisis, Scaife added: "Hacky's not fully fit, Andy Campbell might be a few weeks away, Ged(Dalton) might be closer. But we'll just have to mix and match, and apart from Durham, they've done well, having to dig in and grind out results."
And with an 18-point gap between them and the relegation zone, at least Whitby followers will be spared a third successive last day survival shoot-out and will likely kick-off next season as one of the favourites to push on with an impressive-looking full-strength side.
