UniBond Premier Division

15th August 2009

Attendance - 543

Team - Woodhead, Close(Beadle 46), A Gildea, Ingram, Burgess, Hansen, Hassan, Hackworth, Blott(L Gildea 76), Tymon(Dalton 76), Charlton. Subs not used: Ovington.

Report - by Andrew Snaith - Despite new signing Ryan Blott finding the net, Harry Dunn's second coming finished as a ten a side, featured three penalties and saw the Blues go down by the odd goal in five.

The Blues featured six debutants against last season's third-placed side, with Blott, Alex Gildea and Dunn returning to the club for the first time in three, four and five seasons respectively.

The new-look visitors started strongly with Blott turning provider inside seven minutes, sliding the perfect through ball for new skipper Tony Hackworth to sidefoot tamely straight at Nantwich keeper Lee Jones.

However, Hackworth made amends three minutes later after being tripped inside the box by full-back Chris Flynn. The former Leeds United and Notts County man stepped up to calmly place a neat penalty past Jones- a shock opener for the unfancied Yorkshiremen.

Right wing-back Brian Close found himself inside referee Mr Bennett's notebook moments later for a strong but seemingly fair slide tackle near the halfway line- this was to have ramifications later.

The hosts, by now, had started to come back into the match and levelled when an inswinging corner caused hesitation in the Blues box and Michael Lennon pounced to force home the loose ball.

The half hour mark saw the referee even the spot-kick count, and ironically, it was Hackworth who conceded, though the Blues captain will feel aggrieved after appearing to take the ball before catching Ashley Carter just inside the area. Up stepped opposing skipper Lennon to make it 2-1.

With just two minutes of the first half remaining, lively left-winger Carter skipped past Denny Ingram and cut into the box, only for the Blues veteran to mistime his slide and concede a nailed-on third penalty of the half. Up stepped Lennon once more, but this time debutant teenage goalkeeper Tom Woodhead clutched the ball low to his left.


And Whitby then broke at pace, Ibrahim Hassan, another newcomer, from Northern League Chester Le Street did superbly well to run onto a long ball and cut back a terrific cross from the byline for Blott to nod emphatically home his first ever Blues goal.

After such a devastating turn of events for the Dabbers, the momentum appeared to be firmly with Whitby. However, both Nantwich wingers, Carter and Rodney Jack on the right, were causing problems and forced bookings for Close and Gildea. Dunn decided to avoid Close risking a second yellow card and introduced midfielder Jimmy Beadle at half-time, with Hassan slotting in on the right.

The irony was palpable though when five minutes into the second half, Beadle headed back to Woodhead but was adjudged to have held the on-rushing Lennon. The resulting free-kick was blocked by the Whitby wall amid shouts for handball and cleared for a throw-in. Long throw specialist Carter, assisted by a strong breeze then picked out Flynn who nodded just over the crossbar from close range.

Moments later, Lennon beat Ingram before cutting in from the left edge of the box and curling narrowly wide of Woodhead's left-hand post. Ingram soon joined Nantwich's Glyn Blackhurst in the book during the second half, and Carter became the fifth man yellow-carded after wrestling Gildea to the ground in what appeared a cynical attempt to provoke the Whitby left-back.

As it was, the Cheshire outfit once more had the lead with 22 minutes remaining when another simple cross into the Whitby box saw the towering Matt Rhead leap unchallenged to head home from 12 yards.

Carter was also unmarked minutes later when poking into the side netting after arriving late at the far post, with opposite number Karl Charlton failing to connect with a great headed chance from point blank range at the other end.

Despite being a man down, Dunn persisted with playing three forwards, and with 14 minutes remaining, swapped two of them, like for like, with Blott and on-loan Hartlepool youngster Matt Tymon making way for Liam Gildea and Ged Dalton.

Gildea was to have an impact within four minutes, clashing with centre-half Richard Sutton who kicked out at the substitute and was given a straight red card. The shape of the game changed with the Blues turning on the pressure and last term's promotion-chasers resorting to excessive time wasting, with another of their number booked for that offence late on.

The atmosphere around the ground when the additional four minutes was announced was somewhat tense, but the ball wouldn't sit for Whitby with Liam Gildea's blocked effort the closest they came to a late equaliser.