North Riding Senior Cup - Semi-final

16th February 2005

Attendance - 222

Team - Escritt, Williams (Obern), Veart, Farthing, Nicholson, Bishop, Ormerod (Scaife), Robinson, Johnson, Gildea L, Gildea A Subs not used: Atkinson & Campbell

Report - by Bri Murfield - Whitby marched on to the final of the North Riding Senior Cup by disposing of their near neighbours Guisborough by two goals to nil in a bruising encounter which left the visitors a man short for the last five minutes after Darren Sankey collected a second yellow card.

Guisborough threatened an upset by starting brightly & putting Whitby on the back foot but as the first half wore on it was the Unibond side that gained a grip of proceedings.

With twenty minutes gone, Danny Farthing brought a fine finger tip save from Vickers in the visitor's goal to win a corner. The reliable centre back seemed determined to open his account for the Blues all evening as he continuously pressed forward at every opportunity. On the half hour Steve Johnson curled a shot just around the post and as the half drew to a close Whitby went close twice more when first Liam Gildea turned cleverly to shoot straight at Vickers & then Scaife's twenty yard piledriver skimmed the top of the crossbar.

The second half was dominated by Whitby & it was no surprise when they finally broke the deadlock in the 57th minute. Craig Veart hooked over a corner kick to find Farthing totally unmarked on the six yard line. He surged forward & powered home his first goal for the club, his header past Vickers before the keeper could react. With 18 minutes remaining the game was put beyond Guisborough's reach when Vickers upended Liam Gildea to concede a penalty as the speedy forward broke through the away defence. How the keeper remained on the field was a mystery, he didn't even receive a yellow card. Up stepped Craig Veart who dispatched the kick with his customary venom to make it 2-0 to the Blues.

With only five minutes remaining Darren Sankey crashed recklessly over the ball into Bishop & was already walking off the field before referee Rowntree had got the second yellow & ultimately a red card out.

Whitby progress to the final of the competition leaving Guisborough to concentrate on propping up the Northern League Fist Division.