UniBond Premier Division

17th October 2006

Attendance - 104

Team - Campbell, Reid, Brumwell, Nogan, Wilkinson(Claisse 15), Wilford, Mctiernan, Drinkall, Raw, Brunskill, Robinson subs not used Norton

Report - A battling performance from a depleted Whitby Town helped them end their recent poor away run and take a point from Ossett Town when it looked like the rub of the green was going against them again. Centre half Danny Farthing was suspended and Anth Ormerod (stomach trouble) and Matty Appleby (Injury) were missing from the starting line up, with manager Lee Nogan, assistant Graham Robinson and the fit again Tom Reid replacing them.

Ossett had the first effort on goal and should have done better when Davidson got free down the right hand side, with David Campbell bearing down on him his ball into the centre was scuffed by Andy Hayward and Whitby were able to clear their lines.

Whitby started to play their passing game again and some nice in the middle of the park enabled Danny Brunskill to find space for a long range effort that the keeper managed to hang onto.

Whitby were then dealt a severe blow when a disconsolate Neil Wilkinson was forced to leave the action with a new hamstring injury. Tom Claisse moved to left back and skipper Phil Brumwell moved to the middle of defence alongside Aron Wilford.

Wilford combined with Brunskill from a Dave McTiernan cross when he headed down to the big centre forward. Brunskill's familiar swivel and shot screwed wide into the side netting netting from a tightish angle.

With half an hour on the clock Whitby had their best chance when Brunskill again shot from 20 yards but home keeper Bennett spilled his sprawling save but managed to thwart the onrushing Robinson as the goal beckoned.

More good Whitby work a minute later saw McTiernan shoot inches wide after cutting in from the left hand side following some neat interchanges with Tom Raw then Claisse broke forward from the deep and with the home defence backing off he fired a low shot that Bennett saved low to his right.

For all their good work Town soon had Campbell to thank for keeping them level with a couple of minutes to go to half time. A ball from the left hand side from Ryan found Hayward in acres of space. He blasted his effort from 8 yards out but Campbell flung himself across his goal to make a quite outstanding save.

Ossett were enjoying their best spell of the half and Lee Pugh hit a curling effort just wide of Campbell's left hand post from 20 yards, before Whitby gave away a sloppy goal. From a corner from the right the ball was headed back across goal from Daley where the unchallenged Hayward powered another header into the empty net. It was a bitter blow for the Blues who much like Saturday had looked the far better side.

Ossett should have increased their lead after half time when Tom Reid cleared off the line from Hayward and then Davidson fired wide when well placed, howver with 55 minutes on the clock it was Whitby who found the back of the net. Tom Raw's pace outstripped the struggling Daley and he found himself through on goal, his shot was well saved by Bennett however the unlucky keeper saw the ball fall at the feet of Brunskill who composed himself and fired into the roof of the net from the edge of the box.

Two minutes later Whitby took the lead when Brunskill, with the ball at his feet, bossed his way through three weak challenges and fired an unstoppable shot into the net from the edge of the box, much to the delight of his cock-a-hoop teamates.

Whitby's joy was shortlived though as Ossett equalised minutes later. Ryan on the left hand side had too much time and cut in from the flank before he fired hard and low through a crowded penalty area anf into the far corner.

The half then fizzled out, and depsite Nogan's free kick and a well worked corner routine from the home side, a draw seemed the fairest result.