UniBond Premier

12th April 2008

Attendance - 296

Team - Campbell, Burgess, Tobin(Pallender 45), Appleby, Lyth, Hackworth, Claisse(Scott 76), Ormerod, T Raw(Nogan 79), Brunskill, Charlton

Report - by Andrew Snaith - Whitby boosted their survival hopes and continued their great record over visitors Marine at the Turnbull Ground on Saturday.

The Mariners have managed just three wins in sixteen clashes with the Blues, despite succeeding in the last two encounters, but heavy rain on Friday and just before kick-off meant difficult conditions for both line-ups.

The Seasiders made two changes to the side that went down 3-2 in the Lake District last weekend as injury victims Kevin Burgess and Anthony Ormerod returned at the expense of Lee Nogan and Danny Newby.

And it was Ormerod who helped bring about the opening goal on 19 minutes, but with the help of an opposition boot.

Karl Charlton and skipper Matty Appleby worked a neat corner, with the latter's inswinging cross flicked on by Steve Tobin, and sliding in alongside Ormerod, Marine's Paul Woolcott poked the ball past his own keeper from six yards out.

Four minutes later, Ormerod broke clear of any visiting defenders but scuffed an angled drive from the edge of the area, straight at goalkeeper Andy Ralph.

Marine's free-scoring marksman Peter Cumiskey then fired two good chances in as many minutes at Ralph's opposite number, David Campbell, who again donned the gloves in the absence of Mark Bell.

And late in the half, former Everton defender Wayne McDermott's free-kick was helped on by Sean Tuck for Martin Christian to fire just past Campbell's far post.

The home side replaced their latest injury victim Tobin, who inflamed a thigh strain during the first half, for Lee Pallender at the interval. However, the change may have contributed to a frenetic period early in the second half when the visitors looked particularly dangerous.

First, ex-Accrington forward Tuck's awkward skidding effort was saved low to his right by Campbell and then, seconds later, from Woolcott's lofted right-wing cross, Christian flashed a far post header across the face of goal but narrowly wide.

Whitby replied with Tom Claisse hooking just over the bar from 20 yards, and were to net the killer second goal with 20 minutes remaining.

On-loan Harrogate Town man Tony Hackworth spotted Blues' leading goalscorer Danny Brunskill inexplicably unmarked on the opposite side of the Mariners box with a lofted pass, and the big man had time to chest the ball down and slide his 27th strike of the season past Ralph from 12 yards.

Both sides made changes late on, with the Seasiders replacing midfielder Claisse, who had taken a knock moments before, with the versatile Chris Scott. Then, with 11 minutes left, the lively Tommy Raw made way for evergreen 38-year-old Nogan, who was continuing his efforts to help, from on the pitch, the club he began the season managing.

Despite starting the day just four points from a play-off place in seventh, Alvin MacDonald's side suprisingly didn't seem particularly up for the game only showing in a 10-15 minute period at the beginning of the second period.

So with few chances to follow late on, and with their Premier Division status again on the line, Town duly hung on to grab all three points ahead of next week's trip to another Merseyside club in third-bottom Prescot Cables.

Cables trail the Blues by three points going into the Unibond Premier Division's penultimate round of fixtures, next weekend.