UniBond Premier Division

18th November 2008

Attendance - 151

Team - Liversedge, Brumwell (Garvie 53), Scott, Lyth, Forster, Beadle (Tinkler 63), Huggins, Hackworth, Raw (Bishop 63), Rae, Charlton Subs not used Campbell, Tobin

Report - A dismal performance from Whitby Town saw them slip to their first league defeat since August as Ossett Town gained revenge for the drubbing at the hands of the Seasiders earlier in the season.

Whitby started without regular right back Kevin Burgess with manager Phil Brumwell taking his place and striker Danny Brunskill missed out due to work commitments.

Whitby started the game brightly with Jimmy Beadle trying his luck from range without success after some neat play down the Ossett left. Whitby then conceded a soft opening goal with only 5 minutes on the board. A break down the left saw the Ossett winger easily cut inside Leon Scott's weak challenge and the cross found O'Brien in acres of space and he duly side footed home with the visiting defender looking at each other.

Whitby skipper Richard Forster had a pop from distance before Ossett had a great chance to double their lead however the shot ballooned over the bar.

Whitby were handed a penalty after some neat work from Karl Charlton down the left resulted in a cross that fell onto the foot of Steve Huggins, who was tripped before he could shoot. The kick was duly dispatched by Tony Hackworth.

Ossett then took control of the game and wasted a series of chances as the Whitby defence started to look very brittle. The home side regained the lead on 31 minutes when a free kick from the right was headed home by Riordan who was again left in acres of space by an absent Whitby defence.

Ossett should have made it three just before half time when OBrien missed a sitter when through on goal, managing to hit the bar from 8 yards out.

The second half started with Whitby looking determined to get back into the game, but two goals in a minute saw the game wrestled away from them. More defensive woes saw Forster and Lyth pass the ball to each other in the box when it should have been cleared up field and Savoury said thank you very much to make it 3-1.

A minute later it was 4-1 when the unlucky Nick Liversedge made a good save from the on rushing Lee, however the ball ballooned up and was bundled in by Lee on the follow up.

Whitby got a sniff of a chance when Richard Forster dragged on back with a header from a corner and for a time it looked like a comeback was on. The Ossett keeper was finally called into action on a couple of occassions, however all hopes were dashed when Whitby lost two men in the space of a couple minutes. Firstly Leon Scott was harshly dismissed for what the referee deemed a dangerous tackle, then Ash Lyth was forced to limp off with a hamstring strain leaving Whitby with 9 men as all the substitutes had been used.

Ossett then scored twice more through Obrien and Greaves. The first of them a good effoft cutting in from the left with a shot curled in from 20 yards, the second a punt over the top allowed Greaves to out pace the depleted Whitby defence and finish easily.

In all a dreadful performance from Whitby saw them gift their opponents 4 of their 6 goals. There was no fluidity in midfield, too many pointless punts up field on a dead pitch, no width and woeful defending.