Friendly

1st August 2007

Attendance -

Team - Campbell, Lund, Wilson, Nogan, Adams, Arouga, Charlton, Ormerod, Brunskill, Hackworth, Ramm (Subs) Andrews, Blott, Vickers, Harmsworth

Report - BY ANDY BAXTER - EMBARRASSING!! That's the only word to sum up the match at the Recreation Ground, Mill Lane tonight as Whitby Town were convincingly beaten by Pickering Town.

Ex Whitby player (now with Guiseley) Aaron Wilford attended with his friend Danny Farthing, to see what was, as earlier stated, an embarrassing match for Whitby. Northern Counties East League side Pickering Town sporting all blue looked confident as they entered the pitch against a Whitby Town side, giving the orange 3rd kit an airing, and with a team again made up of mainly youngsters, trialists and players who apparently will be leaving on their scholarships abroad, before the season even kicks off.

We literally had no time to settle ourselves before the home side were charging forward looking for an early goal. And it was only 5 mins in to this match when some disjointed defending from Whitby, an appeal for off side which was not given, allowed a simple square ball across the box for Chris Batchelor to side foot home. Their confidence high, Pickering continued to push forward looking dangerous every time they neared the Whitby area and it wasn't long before their lead was doubled on 13 minutes when another move down the right saw a low cross not cleared and ending at the feet of Mark Swales who crashed the ball past a diving Campbell.

Perhaps player/Manager Lee Nogan had seen enough from on the pitch and felt better served at the dugout, as 5 mins later he substituted himself and brought on James Harmsworth, a trialist from Richmond.

But Whitby were still under pressure and on 25 mins, another simple cross ball to Danny Brunton, saw his side foot effort fly narrowly over the Whitby bar.

The visitors then made a rare attacking move and after a teasing run from Tony Hackworth on the right, he produced an excellent cross which was bundled away by the Pickering defence, only moments later to see Karl Charlton slice his shot across the face of the goal.

Another change was made by Whitby on 36 mins as Vincent Arouga was replaced by the promising Sonny Andrews and it was from then that Whitby did start to look more in the game although they lacked any finishing.

Most of Pickering's play, on the slopey Mill Lane pitch, came down the right through the Peter Crouch like figure of Steve Baxter who looked dangerous every time he got the ball. The home side coming close at the end of the first half when Greening laid the ball back to Batchelor whose effort narrowly went over the bar to deny him his second goal.

The second half started much as the first with Pickering dominating the opening exchanges and continuing to pile the pressure on the Whitby goal, with 2 very quick efforts beating Campbell and the bar. With 50 mins on the clock, Steve Baxter exited for a while and the home side replaced him with Liam Salt.

On 55 mins, Whitby were awarded a free kick on the edge of the area which was crossed by Hackworth to the far post, headed back to Danny Brunskill in the 6 yard box but he was adjudged offside before finishing from close range.

More substitutions followed as Pickering replaced Rose with Wright and Whitby took off Brunskill and replaced him with another trialist, Mike Vickers.

On 63 mins, another lovely flowing move from Pickering was rewarded with a superb goal as the Whitby defence were carved up and Mark Swales netted for 3-0 and made it look so easy.

One supporter said that Whitby looked like a team that Manager, Lee Nogan had cobbled together from a group of blokes standing around in the car park having never met. Ouch! But at most times they did look second best.

However, 20 mins into the second half, they did start to work better together and Karl Charlton, who is very quick, went on a run, passed to Sonny Andrews but his shot was scuffed wide. Two minutes later, Whitby made another change, this time new WTFC signing from Selby, Tom Adams was replaced by ex Scarborough man, Ryan Blott who was welcomed to the field by jeers from a visiting group of Scarborough supporters.

On 72 mins, another substitution, and what a good one it was for Pickering, as Batchelor went off to be replaced by Dan Boneham whose first touch of the ball seconds later was to latch on to a long ball from Wright and smash it at goal, with Whitby keeper Campbell getting a hand to it mid way in his area, but unable to prevent it going over him and into the empty net.

Pickering were cruising now at 4-0 and following 4 substitutions in quick succession, some of which saw players return to the field who had gone off earlier, they completed the thrashing on 79 mins when Steve Baxter found Liam Salt for him to calmly slide the ball into the net.

It's hard to believe but Whitby's best effort didn't arrive until the 84th minute when a corner on the right found the head of unmarked Hackworth but his downward header was blocked on the line by the fairly untroubled keeper, Silburn in the Pickering goal. And Whitby had the last effort on the 90 mins when Karl Charlton thundered his way through the Pickering defence, played a neat one-two with Ormerod but his shot was again well saved by Silburn.

Pickering, who look a good, well disciplined side, play neat passing football and have now won their last 4 pre-season matches, including a visit from a young Sheffield United side, scoring a total of 17 goals. Whilst Whitby Town haven't won a pre-season match to date and have conceded 17 goals in their last 4 outings. And what made it worse for this reporter was that Pickering charged £5 admission to watch tonight's game when unfortunately, based on Whitby's performance, or lack of it, a pound would have been more than enough!