UniBond Premier Division

25th August 2007

Attendance - 305

Team - Campbell, Hardman(Burton 74), Thornton(Lyth 45), Appleby, Hartas, Janes, Adams, A Raw(Andrews 69), Hackworth, Ormerod, Charlton.

Report - by Andrew Snaith - After a defeat by the same scoreline midweek when completely outplayed, Lee Nogan's Whitby side were unlucky to go down 2-1 to bogey side Matlock Town, following a much-improved display in Derbyshire on Saturday.

The Gladiators' winning goal was hotly disputed with even well-positioned home supporters in the crowd unconvinced the whole ball had crossed the goal line, with an unhappy Nogan speaking to the officials at full time as they left the field.

Matlock, who defeated the Seasiders three times last season, started strongly and on four minutes good work from ex-Rotherham striker Simon Barraclough set up Steve Warne, whose near post drive was smothered by Whitby goalkeeper Dave Campbell.

At the other end, skipper Matty Appleby headed goalwards for Tony Hackworth to flick on and Karl Charlton nodded the ball against Matlock captain James Lukic on the hosts' goal line amid cries for handball from the visitors.

On 22 minutes, Andy Raw drove well wide for the men from North Yorkshire, before the home side enjoyed some good pressure in the final seven minutes of the half. First, Gary Webster curled a shot narrowly over the crossbar from 20 yards, then, a minute later, former Notts County full-back Paul Riley poked high and mightily onto the adjoining cricket field from a similiar distance. Three minutes later, the chance of the half saw a drilled Barraclough cross from the right narrowly missed by the Unibond Premier's top scorer last season, 34-goal youngster Ian Holmes, from virtually on top of the Whitby goal line. The visitors cleared the ball for a corner, which Lukic headed over the top.

Nogan made one change at half-time with local lad Ashley Lyth replacing Darren Thornton and the team switching in an attacking move to four in defence, as opposed to the first half five. Within three minutes of the restart, Alex Janes' fizzing 18-yard shot cleared the frame of the goal by mere inches. Moments later, great work from Charlton down the left saw the former Northallerton winger cross for Raw to fire over the bar.

Fellow midfielder Tom Adams tried his luck from distance but the Whitby radar was once again off and the ball was back on the cricketers' outfield. The more physically-able former Chesterfield and Mansfield forward Steve Taylor then crucially replaced the tricky Barraclough for the hosts and, within seven minutes, the deadlock was broken.

Webster, a product of Matlock's youth system, crossed from the right, and found Taylor unmarked towards the near post to simply direct the ball with his head from 12 yards past Campbell and into the roof of the net.

Whitby rallied almost straight from the kick-off as Janes' searching ball from the edge of the area found Anthony Ormerod at the far post. Unfortunately for the away side, the ex-Middlesbrough star couldn't mark his 200th Town appearance with a goal, instead nodding straight at Matlock keeper Andy Richmond.

The home side made another change with Laurence Hall replacing Webster, and managers Gareth Williams and Phil Brown will be claiming it was another tactical masterstroke as the Gladiators' doubled their lead within seconds.

However, it wasn't the new man who got on the scoresheet and it wasn't without controversy. Riley, unleashed one of his trademark efforts from distance- some have haunted Whitby in the past- and the low powerful drive skidded from the grasp of the diving Campbell and headed for the goal line. As the experienced keeper recovered to clutch the loose ball, linesman Darren Burton from Sheffield signalled it had crossed the line and a goal was quickly awarded.

Exciting young playmaker Sonny Andrews replaced Raw in midfield straight from the restart, and within five minutes, Whitby had a Burton of their own on the field, as new signing Andrew Burton, a versatile right-back from Billingham Town took his favoured position from on-loan teenager Lewis Hardman.

To their credit, the away side, in unfamiliar orange refused to let their heads drop and bagged what proved to be a consolation in injury time, when a right-wing cross was touched on by Hackworth for Charlton to steal in at the far post and force home from point blank range.