Team - Campbell D, Ingram(Dalton 76), McWilliams, Hassan, Burgess, Hanson, Bramley, Beadle, Hackworth(Freeman 76), Leeson, Scott(Murphy 80). Sub not used: Escritt.
Report - by Andrew Snaith - Whitby Town manager Harry Dunn was far from impressed with referee Simon Clayton after his side racked up the most red cards from one game in their history on a not-so-Good Friday defeat at the Turnbull Ground.
Dunn blasted: "The art of tackling seems to have been lost from football, the first sending off beggared belief," after Jimmy Beadle was dismissed following a fairly innocous slide tackle just after the half hour. Two more Blues players followed before visitors Nantwich finally led from the penalty spot, 19 minutes from time.
The Seasiders, already decimated by injury, were without Alex Gildea through work commitments and defender Ashley Lyth with a severely swollen foot. Strike duo Andy Campbell and Karl Charlton missed out with calf and foot injuries respectively, though long-term casualties, skipper Tony Hackworth and Ged Dalton returned after five matches out. Hackworth was able to start, Dalton took to the bench, with tireless youngster Liam Bramley from Northern League Brandon United making a debut in midfield.
Winger Chris Flynn should have done better for the visitors inside five minutes but his leaden touch enabled evergreen goalkeeper David Campbell to collect. Moments later, prolific ex-Crewe marksman Dave Whittaker failed to show any evidence of his previous exploits, chipping a speculative effort well wide from 20 yards.
At the other end, Hackworth came closer on the turn from the edge of the box, but ultimately found the same result. Michael Lennon then became the latest from the Cheshire club to try their luck from distance, but Campbell was able to catch comfortably.
Then came Beadle's dismissal on 32 minutes after the former Bradford Park Avenue midfielder slid in on Lee McAulty just inside the Nantwich half, by the touchline. Beadle went in with both feet but appeared to play the ball with one of them and showed little malicious intent, however referee Clayton saw things differently, perhaps swayed by McAulty's extended stay on the turf and produced a straight red card. Things went from bad to worse within nine minutes as last defender Ibrahim Hassan held Lennon on his way through on goal, team-mates Kev Burgess and Denny Ingram were a further pace behind, but again, the card was red for Hassan.
So Dunn and his charges went in at the break with just nine players, but emerged for the second half showing little sign of their two-man weakness, backed by an aggrieved Bank Holiday crowd. Whittaker and Glyn Blackhurst came close for the Dabbers but it was Hackworth who had the best chance, forcing a terrific point blank save from Ben Chapman, who looked much less at ease from a number of Whitby corners.
At the other end, Campbell had been in good form but was to force the official's hand again on 70 minutes. As Town defended for their lives, the veteran stopper spilled a routine low ball allowing half-time substitute Omar Mahmoud to shoot for goal and Andy McWilliams to finger-tip the ball over from the goal-line. On this occasion, there could be no argument as the Blues' left-back, on loan from York City, became sending off number three. Down to just eight men and facing a penalty kick, Whitby finally conceded when Jake Sedgemore sent Campbell the wrong way and drilled low into the bottom-right corner of the net.
Dunn threw on Dalton and another debutant, forward Brad Freeman, picked up from Wearside League Houghton Town recently, for Hackworth and Ingram, with both carrying knocks. But the lead was soon doubled in style when defender Ritchie Sutton advanced from the halfway line and slammed an unstoppable 25-yard drive past a helpless Campbell and into the top-right corner of the net.
Caretaker manager Kevin Street then sent on his own striker returning from injury in Marvin Robinson ten minutes from time, though the player-coach may have quickly regretted the decision. Within moments of joining the fray, Robinson was twice needlessly caught offside when through on goal, then proceeded to miss from virtually underneath the crossbar when facing an open net. At the same time as Robinson's introduction, a third Whitby new boy, Adam Murphy from Houghton's rivals Wolviston replaced Leon Scott in the middle of the park.
Finally, Mahmood put the last nail in the Seasiders' coffin in injury time. The Egyptian under-17 international ran on and unleashed a fine strike that fairly flew into the roof of the net from 20 yards, following a second exchange of passes with Blackhurst. However, in truth, only lots of hard graft from the hard-working hosts and some dire finishing from a visiting team who looked almost embarassed to take advantage, prevented a bigger margin of victory.
This win lifted Nantwich, previously a point behind the Blues, into 11th place after what would otherwise have been a run-of-the-mill encounter in a crowded Unibond Premier mid-table- Whitby dropped to 14th.
Dunn added after the game: "I couldn't fault the effort and performance of the players, it was just a shame that the referee became the centre of attention."
