UniBond Premier

10th October 2009

Attendance - 332

Team - David Campbell, Ibrahim Hassan(Liam Gildea 65, Ryan Blott 90), Ashley Lyth, Denny Ingram, Kevin Burgess, Andrew Leeson, Leon Scott, Tony Hackworth(c), Danny Brunskill(Ged Dalton 85), Jimmy Beadle, Karl Charlton. Subs not used: John Seaton, Tom Woodhead.

Report - by Andrew Snaith - Jimmy Beadle's deflected first half strike was enough to sneak past Marine, despite Leon Scott's late sending off on his return to the Turnbull Ground this past Saturday.

Scott, signed on a month's loan the day before, from Harrogate Town, replaced injured forward Anthony Ormerod, with skipper Tony Hackworth, usually found patrolling midfield, pushed up front. Fortunately for the Seasiders, Marine were without the division's leading scorer 12-goal Jamie Rainford.

However, you wouldn't have known it as the Mariners threatened first through Joe McMahon's header which, fortunately for the hosts, went straight at Town goalkeeper Dave Campbell, making his 397th appearance for the Seasiders. Then, three minutes later, visiting captain Steve Hussey chipped a deft 20-yard free-kick onto the goal stantion.

At the other end, Karl Charlton came close before Scott fired on target but the ball was deflected over the bar via luckless team-mate Danny Brunskill. However, just two minutes later, and a ricochet was to favour the Blues. Beadle's speculative low 25-yard drive struck a Marine defender, wrong-footing keeper Tim Dittmer, on its way into the net.

Scott then missed a good chance to double Town's lead. The versatile youngster turning Charlton's driven left-wing cross narrowly over the crossbar after arriving at the near post.

On the half hour, Town's Kevin Burgess slid in on Stephen Brown around the halfway line. Brown appeared to retaliate with a punch, which provoked a scuffle involving most of the players. Referee Mr Clayton and his officials spoke for six minutes or so before finally Burgess, plus Marine defenders McMahon and James Bell, recieved yellow cards.

Perhaps tellingly, Marine withdrew Bell straight away, for Shaun Callacher, with highly-rated midfielder Lee Parle also replaced, as Stephen Johnson entered the fray. McMahon recieved treatment on the sideline for a cut lip after the fracas.

Five minutes later, an awkward chipped backpass put Campbell under pressure from the orange-booted Paul Crewe, with the Blues gloveman just about shinning his volley clear. And just before the break, the 39-year-old stopper was nearly caught out when Johnson's long-range effort had the Blues' number one back-tracking, but flew inches wide.

Early in the second half, Hackworth latched onto Scott's neat through ball, and managed to force his way past two defenders, but the resulting edge of the box shot was charged down and bounced clear.

Crewe made way for fellow striker Liam Rushton, a product of the Merseyside club's youth academy, soon after. The Blues then brought on a forward of their own in the hard-working Liam Gildea, with Ibby Hassan hampered by a knee injury- Hackworth dropped into midfield to cover.

Brown should have perhaps done better on 76 minutes, than heading straight at Campbell after popping up at the far post to collect a looping right-wing cross.

A possible turning point came with 12 minutes remaining. Scott, booked earlier for a cynical trip as the visitors broke, then slid in rashly on Tony Davies. The referee had little choice other than to brandish a second yellow, though Hussey didn't cover himself in glory by screaming at the official to take action.

Without a win for over a month, Whitby manager Harry Dunn did all he could to see out the closing stages without incident, swapping strikers twice in the final five minutes. First, Brunskill, who'd had another quiet outing, made way for teenager Ged Dalton, and the unlikely spectacle of first sub Gildea himself being replaced, followed in the final minute, with another former Scarborough striker, Ryan Blott, introduced.

Marine offered little in reply, a clever free-kick driven under the wall from 20 yards by John Shaw landed tamely at Campbell's feet. And in the seven agonising minutes of injury time, only a blatant foul on the Whitby keeper brought anything near a goal late on- but Campbell and the Blues clung on bravely.