UniBond Premier

19th February 2005

Attendance - 238

Team - Campbell, Williams, Veart, Farthing, Linighan, Nicholson, McTiernan, Bishop, Wilkinson, Scaife (Robinson), Johnson (L.Gildea). sub not used A.Gildea

Report - by Andrew Snaith - Whitby reignited their title challenge, inflicting only Prescot's second away defeat in the league at the Turnbull Ground and other results went their way on Saturday.

The Blues recorded their third straight win in seven days to go third in the table, with leaders Workington losing, and rivals Farsley, Burscough and Leek all drawing.

Manager Dave Logan welcomed back rested goalkeeper Dave Campbell and defender Brian Linighan, while there was a return for 19-year-old on-loan Hartlepool United striker Jack Wilkinson. Due to a contractual condition, forward Griff Jones was unable to play against his former club.

With a strong wind making sparkling football a rarity, it was the visitors who threatened first. Veteran ex-QPR striker Karl Connolly saw his drive well saved low down by Campbell inside five minutes. However, the Seasiders began to take control and led in the 11th minute. Craig Veart's looping free-kick from the right was nodded with ease into the top-right corner of the visitors' net by the unmarked Linighan from 12 yards.

Logan's men were now moving the ball around supremely, with Dave McTiernan, Wilkinson and Scaife particularly impressive, and it was the same trio who combined for the breathtaking second goal on 21 minutes. Wilkinson and McTiernan exchanged one-touch passes before laying a tempting loose ball through for Nick Scaife to jog up and fire a low tracer-rocket of a shot past keeper Andy Paxton's outstretched left glove and into the bottom-right corner from all of 20 yards.

But Whitby's joy was shortlived as Prescot raced to the other end, forcing a corner within seconds, which was scrambled over the line by Connolly's sliding right-leg for 2-1.

The Blues had two excellent chances to effectively put the game to bed inside the final five minutes of the first half. Firstly, the speedy Wilkinson timed his run superbly, latching onto Scaife's through ball but unluckily found the post from 12 yards. Then, in the final minute of the half, McTiernan turned and fired goalwards beautifully in the box, only for Paxton to block well with his legs.

Ten minutes into the second half, and Liam Gildea, scorer of a bullet volley at Witton the week before, replaced fellow frontman Steve Johnson, who is still to reach full fitness.

And Dave Logan will point to an inspired tactical switch as Gildea's first touch a minute later, sent through Scott Nicholson to poke home Whitby's third from close range.

Whitby's second change on 71 minutes saw Scaife, who despite showing no evidence of injury is still waiting for bruised ribs to heal, leave to warm applause and give way to experienced South African midfielder Graham Robinson.

Despite Prescot desperately trying to get the ball forward, the conditions and Whitby's stubborn defending kept chances to a minimum. And the Blues forced another chance to kill the game, when Wilkinson released Nicholson, but the Blues top-scorer fired just wide.

With 12 minutes still left on the clock, Cables found the Whitby net in bizarre fashion when Sam McNutt's 40-yard long ball was caught by the wind and cannoned back off the Whitby woodwork only for Connolly to shin home on the line.

A frenetic ending saw a long period of added time test the noisy but freezing Whitby fans' nerve endings. On a rare Blues break, Nicholson almost forced his way through but Dave Chadwick's excellent last-gasp slide stopped the Whitby marksman in his tracks. There was even time for an all-too-familiar ruccus involving several players- though no yellow cards were produced all afternoon- testament to an impressive display from both sides in nightmare conditions. Whitby Town march on then- 12 points from Workington with three games in hand.