UniBond Premier Division

23rd September 2006

Attendance - 154

Team - Campbell, Wilkinson(Reid 60), Brumwell, Appleby, Farthing, Claisse, Robinson, Nogan(Drinkall 86), Raw, Brunskill(McTiernan 64), Ormerod.

Report - Blues manager Lee Nogan led by example on Saturday, driving home the only goal of the game at Prescot Cables to clinch Town's third straight league win.

Nogan brought himself back into the side after choosing to sit out last week's FA Cup exit to Frickley Athletic, as one of four changes for the Merseyside trip. The hero of the Blues' last league win, ironically over Frickley just days before the cup exit, striker Tom Raw, was fit again and replaced the injured Aron Wilford. With assistant-manager Graham Robinson joining Neil Wilkinson, who made his first start of the season after picking up a pre-season ankle injury, it was very much a new look Whitby side that took the field at Valerie Park.

And it was the new and improved Seasiders who showed first- the league's top goalscorer Danny Brunskill forcing Ryan McMahon to save well low down, inside two minutes.

Town continued their bright start unabated, and grabbed the lead on six minutes. Neat passing down the right saw Nogan inexplicably left in acres of space in the Cables box. Clearly, the home side were unaware of the 38-year-old player-manager's league pedigree, allowing the former Reading striker to pick his spot and rifle into the roof of the net from 10 yards giving McMahon no chance.

The overly-grassed, bobbly playing surface saw both sides, Town in particular, adopt a more direct 'long ball' game, though their energy on the ground and bravery in the air meant the Blues were always on top. And despite the difference in stature, Raw and Ormerod held the ball as well as the towering figure of Brunskill.

Inevitably, the hosts, who were unbeaten at home going into the match, and had previously put paid to neighbours and play-off semi-finalists Marine, were going to show at some stage.

And it was former Marine striker Gary Jensen who spurned three good chances as the Prescotians pressed for an equaliser. Jensen's effort from distance forced a fine save from Campbell, and then former Liverpool academy star Mark Duffy beat Wilkinson down the Prescot left, before releasing Jensen, who could only fire wide.

The veteran then had probably his best chance six minutes before the break, after good work from Carl Rendell, but hammered high over the crossbar when one on one with Campbell.

The rest of the half belonged to Whitby with Raw and Tom Claisse coming close, before McMahon produced a superb reflex save to deny Ormerod.

After the half-time interval, things were much more subdued with clear-cut chances at a period. To their credit, the midfield harrying of Claisse and Nogan gave Prescot little chance, with almost all the play coming down the flanks.

34-year-old former Barnsley man Matty Appleby combined well with Danny Farthing at the heart of the Seasiders defence, and Campbell looked assured between the sticks.

The long-serving Whitby keeper may be celebrating his 36th birthday in less than two weeks, but he was more than a match for tricky left-winger Duffy on 58 minutes. Campbell pushed a firm drive to his right, with another evergreen thirty-something Phil Brumwell on hand to stab the rebound off the goal line.

Fellow right-back Tom Reid, replaced Wilkinson for the last half hour, with Brunskill, who was uncharacterically quiet making way for winger Dave McTiernan four minutes later.

And it was McTiernan who had Town's best chance of the half, cutting in from the right and unleashing a seemingly goalbound strike touched onto the top of the crossbar by McMahon.

Prescot won a number of set pieces towards the end, with the fussy referee doing little to add to a contest that rarely got out of second gear.

But Whitby held firm with the combative Appleby having probably his best game for the club as experience told for the away side. Nogan took the deserved light applause with four minutes left, giving former Pickering Town midfielder James Drinkall a run out. In the closing seconds, the ball spent more in the home side's half with Ormerod shielding the ball in the corner as the final whistle blew.

As some felt after the 2-1 success at Ashton two weeks ago, the Seasiders and their followers will look back on an ugly but vital three points on their travels. Town's back-to-back away success lifts them to 12th- just four points from second place in the congested Unibond Premier Division table.

Curiously, despite missing long-term injury casualties Scott Nicholson and Karl Richards- striker Gavin Parkin and midfielder Nick Scaife turned out for Arngrove Northern League Division One Bishop Auckland in their 2-0 win over Bedlington Terriers- the club's first three point haul for 26 league games.