9th December 2003
North Riding Senior Cup 1st Round

Attendance -

Team - D Campbell, Obern, Gildea(Betts 78), Nicholson, Reed, Linighan, Ure(Swales 76), Robinson(McTiernan 76), Ormerod, Sheeran, Veart.

Report - by Andrew Snaith - Whitby Town will travel to York City early next year, after striking three goals without reply at Northern League Thornaby in the North Riding Senior Cup on Wednesday night.
Goals from Graham Robinson, Mark Sheeran and Alex Gildea were enough to progress in this Preliminary Round tie.
Skipper Robinson replaced Saturday’s man of the match Mark Swales at a chilly Teesdale Park, Brian Linighan and Lee Ure also returned as defensive duo Ben Dixon and Tony Hall were rested.
An unfamiliar Whitby side playing in an unfamiliar all-white change strip continued with versatile midfielder Scott Nicholson joining Linighan and Reed in central defence.
The home side had the first chance of the match when they won a free-kick, just inches from the Whitby box on three minutes. However, the resulting kick was blasted wide by Richie Storr.
At the other end, some great work from Anthony Ormerod set up Lee Ure, whose goalbound drive was deflected onto his own post by Michael Arnold.
Thornaby came close on 25 minutes when Banks’ goalbound header was clutched low down by the alert Whitby keeper Dave Campbell.
A minute later, Arnold and former Whitby Town legend Dave Goodchild collided going for a ball just outside the Thornaby box with Ormerod picking up the loose ball to drive narrowly wide.
The Seasiders looked to have made the breakthrough on the half-hour mark when Ure’s pinpoint through ball was well controlled by Ormerod, but when faced with keeper Adrian Swan, the former England under 21 international slotted well wide of Swan’s left hand post.
Thornaby then came close four minutes later when Campbell’s clearing punch sent the ball straight up in the air but another former Whitby player, Andy Banks’ close range bicycle kick was well off target.
Whitby’s Sheeran and Thornaby defender Micky Ward then both found themselves in the referee’s book after a bad-tempered clash ten minutes before the break. Ward, who’d earlier felled Craig Veart with a cynical hack, wrestled Sheeran to the ground as each held the others’ shirt in a race for the ball. Sheeran then shoved Ward who responded in similar fashion.
The Unibond League side finally broke the deadlock when more superb skill from Ormerod saw his perfect left wing cross headed home by the unmarked Robinson for the South African’s first goal of the season and Whitby’s first of the night.
A minute before the break, the lead could’ve been doubled when Ormerod danced through the Thornaby defence again to set up Gildea, whose fierce low drive was tipped round his right-hand post by Swan. The resulting corner was then diverted wide by Linighan, arriving at the far post.
The home side had the first chance of the second half three minutes in, when Nicholson did well to halt substitute Mark Casey’s run and attempted shot.
Within five minutes, Nicholson was up the other end, playing a neat one-two with Ure down the right and switching play brilliantly to release Sheeran on the opposite edge of Thornaby’s penalty area. The on-loan Darlington forward put over an inviting cross for Nicholson to head against a home defender, and Ormerod’s follow up drive was parried by Swan.
Whitby made it 2-0 with a great piece of play on 57 minutes when Ormerod’s left wing cross was neatly dummied by Ure for Sheeran to slot into the bottom right corner of Swan’s net from 12 yards. A minute later, Whitby won a free-kick just outside the box when Veart’s ankle was bashed in the midst of a mazy run. The experienced dead-ball expert floated over an inviting ball that Linighan headed over from close range.
Robinson then hammered high over the Thornaby bar from 18 yards with Ormerod firing into the side netting as Whitby dominated.
Ormerod must’ve been wondering how he didn’t make it 3-0 in the 71st minute. Veart cut in from the left and fired in a powerful low drive that Swan turned wide, and from the resulting corner Ormerod had two flick headers blocked on the line by Roulston from point blank range.
By now, Thornaby had introduced all three of their substitutes and were reduced to ten men when Goodchild had to limp off with 17 minutes left.
Moments later it was finally 3-0 when Ure’s 18 yard low drive from Sheeran’s cross fell for the unmarked Gildea to rifle home from close range amid frenzied offside claims from the furious Thornaby defence.
Harry Dunn then made his changes for the last quarter of an hour with highly rated youngsters Swales and Dave McTiernan replacing Robinson and a very disappointed Ure. Two minutes later, Simon Betts made his first appearance since a two month coaching course in the USA as he came on for Gildea.
Right at the end, it seemed Ormerod would be rewarded for his hard work when Roulston’s backpass for Swan was too short and the ex-Middlesbrough forward stole in only to poke wide under pressure. Nicholson had another excellent match, even managing to get forward from centre-back on a number of occasions and fans will be hoping Sheeran’s loan spell is extended beyond Thursday’s limit after netting his fifth Whitby goal in seven games. But 24 year old Ormerod was easily the most outstanding player on the pitch beating players at will on both sides of the field and deservedly scoops the Whitby Gazette man of the match award.