UniBond Premier Division

3rd October 2006

Attendance -

Team - Campbell, Reid, Brumwell, Appleby, Farthing, Claisse(Wilkinson 62), Robinson, Drinkall(Wilford 70), Robinson, Raw, Brunskill(McTiernan 62), Ormerod

Report - Whitby Town's fine recent league run came to an unfortunate end at Mossley tonight when they fell to defeat in the return game from Saturday. Manager Lee Nogan named the same 14 players that grabbed a last minute winner at the Turnbull 3 days earlier.

Mossley were first out the traps in a frantic first 10 minutes. The dangerous Mossley marsksman Peter Wright shot straight at David Campbell in the Whitby goal while long serving midfielder Graham Robinson shot wide from 20 yards for the Blues.

Wright again went close for Mossley when his low shot was esily gathered by Campbell, but Whitby missed a guilt edged chance on 10 minutes when Danny Farthing headed inches wide from a corner when well placed.

Some neat play from Anth Ormerod, linking up with Danny Brunskill saw the latter test home keeper Trueman from 20 yards, however a minute later Campbell made a stunning point blank save to deny Wright who shot from only 7 yards out.

A Mossley angled drive from the right hand side was plucked from the air by Campbell before Wright, with some neat skill chested the ball down and rifled a low left foot drive that Campbell gathered easily.

Mossley's Andy Thackery then hit a curling left footed shot from the right edge of the area that went inches over the top with Campbell beaten.

Whitby were playing some neat fottball despite the chances at the other end and Tom Raw played a good ball into top scorer Brunskill who jinked past a couple before shooting at the keeper from 14 yards out.

Wright again went close on 38 minutes with a header that just missed the post before Tom Reid, who had an excellent first half for the Blues did well to clear his lines under pressure from Wright.

Like Saturday the game changed in the second half and it was Whitby who looked the more likely to score. Skipper Matty Appleby was booked for blocking off Cooke outside the area but the free kick resulted in nothing.

On 52 minutes Raw chased a hopeless ball to the corner and his persistance paid off when he beat his man and crossed into Brunskill who's swivel shot was blocked a looped over the bar for a corner kick.

James Drinkall played a good ball through to Robinson on 56 minutes but his angled drive went narrowly wide.

A mistake 2 minutes later from Robinson then resulted in the home side taking the lead. With the Blues pushing out on the attack, Robinson played a loose ball that siezed upon by the Mossley midfield and in a flash Steve Burke was through down the right hand side where he finished with aplomb as Campbell narrowed the angles.

Nogan then made two changes with Neil Wilkinson and David McTiernan replacing Brunskill and Tom Claisse in the 62nd minute.

3 minutes later Tom Raw broke through a static defence and was bearing down on goal when a last ditch tackle by Bowker in the box resulted in rather hopeful appeals for a penalty from the Whitby contingent.

On 67 minutes McTiernan glanced a header wide after more good play from Ormerod and Reid down the right, then Ormerod himself nearly grabbed an equaliser with a fizzing 20 yard effort that went inches wide with Trueman beaten.

Aron Wilford replaced Drinkall on 70 minutes as Whitby continued to press for the equaliser. Campbell was a virtual spectator with only the odd cross easily gathered by the veteran keeper.

Whitby then suffered a major blow as Danny Farthing was given his marching orders. With Whitby pressing hard, a long ball over the top saw Farthing and Wright battle down the left channel, with the Whitby man clearly pulling the shirt of the striker. As there was no covering man the referee, who took an age, showed Farthing a straight red card much to the delight of the home crowd.

The last act of the game saw a rather controversial second goal for Mossley. After clearing their lines Whitby broke upfield with Aron Wilford in possession, the referee, alerted to an off the ball incident, then stopped play and proceeded to give Mossley a free kick on the edge of the box for a push from Phil Brumwell after discussions from the linesman. Wright stepped up and curled the ball past Campbell to seal a home victory.

Despite defeat Whitby can feel as unlucky about this game as Mossley maybe did about Saturday's result. Manager Lee Nogan can take heart from the fact that the side played neat football along the ground and created chances.