UniBond Premier League

2nd December 2006

Attendance - 295

Team - Campbell, Brumwell, Janes(Robinson), Appleby(Wilkinson), Farthing, Wilford, McTiernan, Drinkall. Raw, Brunskill, Claisse - Subs Nogan

Report - by Andrew Snaith - Nine-man Whitby suffered only their second home defeat in the league this season, after visitors' Prescot Cables grabbed an 89th minute winner at the Turnbull Ground on Saturday.

Cables had previously led at half-time, before Aron Wilford's second half equaliser, only for Town to lose Tom Raw for two bookable offences and Tom Claisse for swearing and a mistimed slide challenge.

Blues manager Lee Nogan made three changes from the team that beat Ossett Town on penalties ten days earlier in the League Cup. Defenders Phil Brumwell and Danny Farthing returned to the side alongwith teenage midfielder Tom Claisse, as Neil Wilkinson dropped to the bench, Karl Richards missed out through injury, and Ant Ormerod was away due to the imminent arrival of his son.

After a low-key start where both sides opted to play the ball up in the air despite a heavy breeze, Whitby were further weakened by the loss of another midfield inside the opening 15 minutes. Skipper Matty Appleby refused the use of a stretcher after a clash of heads left the veteran ex-Barnsley star on the ground, but a very pale and groggy-looking Appleby was forced to be replaced sporting a huge lump on the side of his head following the accidental collision. Brumwell took Appleby's midfield spot and the captain's armband, with Wilkinson slotting into Brumwell's former right-back role.

On 17 minutes, Prescot's top-scorer and assistant manager Karl Connolly tried an optimistic chip that Town keeper Dave Campbell watched sail over the bar from the edge of the Whitby box.

At the other end, Tom Raw's well-struck header flew narrowly wide. The Merseysiders tried another lob on 23 minutes and this time found success with a much more ambitious effort. Left-back Steven O'Hara floated over what was surely a far-post cross from 30 yards out against the left touchline, but the back-pedalling Campbell ended up clawing the high ball one-handed into the roof of his own net.

Just over the half-hour mark and Whitby's Dave McTiernan went down in the Prescot area after a slide challenge, but referee Mr Joyce saw nothing untoward, and a minute later, the same player, battered a 30-yard drive just wide.

Cables then had a medoly of chances to double their lead as play swept to the other end. Newly-signed former Bootle striker Eamonn Price found himself in a great position 12 yards from goal, but Campbell parried well with his legs, Price struck the rebound against the keeper's left-hand post and Farthing was on hand to slide a third effort off his own goal line.

Dean Thurston, who netted a hat-trick against the Seasiders in a 5-1 mauling last season, struck a fine effort on the turn minutes later, which brought an acrobatic mid-air parry from Campbell, who was quickly redeming himself after the earlier gaffe.

Town's 17-goal top-scorer Danny Brunskill hammered a 25-yard drive just over the Prescot crossbar, and then missed a much easier chance, heading wide from close range under pressure from Thurston five minutes before half-time.

Nogan made a second change at the interval with on-loan left-back Alex Janes, who took a heavy knock earlier in the match, replaced by assistant-manager Graham Robinson, making his first on-field appearance for seven matches following a knee injury.

Brumwell found himself in his third difference position of the afternoon- left-back- as Robinson joined James Drinkall in the Town midfield.

Two minutes into the second half, and Whitby should've been level when Raw raced clear but with a covering defender on his tail, fired high over the crossbar from edge of the Prescot area.

But if Raw's chance was good, Cables fluffed one after the hour mark that even Ronnie Rosenthal would've despatched with ease. Great work from substitute Jonathan Bathurst down the left, saw the ball driven across the Blues' goal line, where at least two forwards failed to connect and the visiting fans behind the goal, had heads in hands.

And Whitby were to punish Andy Gray's side eight minutes later. Brunskill's powerful 20 yard free-kick was heading for the roof of the net before Cables keeper Ryan McMahon was forced into his first save of the match. But from the resulting corner, Aron Wilford's far-post downward header caused chaos in the visitors' area, with a succession of efforts across goal culminated in Wilford scrambling home an equaliser from point blank range.

At this point, with 22 minutes remaining, Town looked the likelier winners, but four minutes later, Raw, who was booked in the first half for obstructing a free-kick, retailiated to a shove from Prescot's Thomas Moore, and Whitby were down to ten men.

Moments later, a ferocious 25-yard Brunskill free-kick stung the hands of McMahon at the near post, who gathered the ball at the second attempt. Brunskill then mounted a solo charge down the left, forcing his way through to force a solid stop from McMahon with an angled drive from 10 yards.

Seconds later, and the big striker was denied a trademark goal with a goal-bound effort on the turn inside the Cables area that was deflected wide.

Prescot had a great chance to regain their lead late on when Wilford was dispossessed on the edge of his own area but Campbell definitely made amends for the first goal, with a superb parry to deny Price one-on-one 10 yards out.

However, Campbell was to be beaten for a second time with a minute remaining, when Thurston broke clear and the former Marine striker gave the Whitby keeper no chance when faced with another one on one.

The Blues battled on into injury time with Claisse, playing in an uncharacteristic left-wing berth, sliding in late on defender Stephen Johnson against the near touchline just inside the Prescot half. He and Johnson exchanged shoves, but as Mr Joyce went to brandish a yellow card for the Town midfielder, something Claisse said immediately changed the official's mind, and out of a different pocket came a straight red.

With just nine men, Town who lacked invention with eleven on the field, had no chance of levelling the scores for a second time. Mr Joyce from Middlesbrough, may have been correct on the sendings off, but was far from consistent and his pettiness throughout the afternoon ruined was already a poor game in freezing conditions. The 295-gate, the lowest in the league at the Turnbull for five matches reflected this but Town will need all the fans they can get for two tricky away matches in five days coming up. Monday's derby at Gateshead is followed by the longest trip of the season- a 422-mile-round-hike to unbeaten league leaders AFC Telford United. Good luck lads.