UniBond Premier

17th November 2007

Attendance - 282

Team - Campbell, Brumwell(Burton 68), Gordon, Appleby, Tobin, Pallender, Thompson(Ormerod 68), Claisse(A Raw 84), Gildea, Brunskill, Charlton.

Report - by Andrew Snaith - Whitby Town held a 3-0 lead as late as the 62nd minute before a second-half Prescot onslaught earned the visitors a last minute draw in a six-goal thriller at the Turnbull Ground on Saturday.

The Blues made one change from the side which crushed First Division North promotion chasers Garforth 6-0 in midweek, with local lad Andy Raw, making way for skipper Matty Appleby. And the Seasiders looked to be picking up from where they left off in West Yorkshire when they grabbed the lead inside three minutes.

Liam Gildea beat Colin Flood down the right flank and drove in a testing cross which narrowly eluded Danny Brunskill but came through for Karl Charlton at the far post to poke home at the second attempt, after keeper Richie Mottram blocked the first effort.

Just a further three minutes elapsed before Town had a guilt-edged chance to double their advantage. Caretaker manager Phil Brumwell's long throw was flicked on by Brunskill at the near post for Appleby to run in and volley over the crossbar from 12 yards.

Meanwhile, Gavin Lynch sent a 20-yard shot out of nothing narrowly wide for the visitors, and Eamonn Price's bicycle kick at the far post was caught comfortably by Campbell.

Former QPR and Swansea City striker Karl Connolly then headed wide from a left-wing cross on 19 minutes, but it was the Seasiders who made it 2-0 when Brunskill was challenged by a Prescot defender as he tried to bulldoze his way through on the edge of the Prescot box and Gildea steamed in to snatch the loose ball. The ex-Blyth marksman chested down and let fly with a rocket that rippled the roof of the net despite keeper Mottram getting two hands to the ball.

Cables surged to the other end but Vinnie Freeman's shot from just outside the box rolled tamely wide. Ex-Middlesbrough and Crystal Palace full-back Dean Gordon was making his home debut for Town, alongside centre-halves Steve Tobin and Lee Pallender, but nearly gifted Prescot a route back into the game when easily dispossessed down the Whitby left, however, Campbell showed good hands, plucking a dangerous cross out of the air with relative ease.

The Merseysiders then introduced the lively Ryan Wade ten minutes from the break, and the winger had an instant impact, crossing for Connolly to send a diving header just wide of the mark.

As the men in yellow continued attacking the Sea End with gusto, Whitby quickly countered a minute before half time, as Gildea found Charlton down the left who advanced level with the 18 yard box before firing an angled drive that Mottram did well to clutch low at his near post.

Early in the second half, Campbell did well to hold Wade's snapshot from the edge of the area above his head, and it seemed that would set the tone for those in blue when seven minutes after the restart, Town notched a spectacular third goal.

Gildea was pushed in the back 25 yards from goal, and when referee Mr Eltringham signalled a free-kick in Gordon territory, up stepped the veteran left-back, to recieve Appleby's lay off and fire a trademark left-footed strike low past Mottram via the inside of a post for his first Whitby goal.

Prescot quickly regrouped, with boss Andy Gray throwing on forwards Darren Byers and Sean Tierney, as part of a four-man strike force. Within seconds, Tom Moore headed a great chance straight at Campbell, and a minute later, Lynch split the Blues defence but chipped past the far post when one on one with the Whitby keeper.

Play shot to the other end and Charlton collected a long ball in his stride, but off-balance and under pressure, shot first-time just past Mottram's right-hand post.

Cables then hit upon a Whitby weakness, winning a corner on 63 minutes and after Campbell came and missed the loose ball amid an almighty scramble, Flood eventually stabbed home from close range.

The Prescot scorer's name accurately described the balance of play as the away side bombarded the Whitby goal. Lynch missed two good chances in a minute, first, firing high over the bar after controlling well just inside the area, and then, lobbing wide from another useful position.

The Seasiders then attempted to stem the tide with fresh legs, as Andy Burton and Anthony Ormerod replaced Brumwell and Andy Thompson in like for like changes on the right. But with 19 minutes remaining, Cables made it 3-2 when Town were slow to react as Tierney recieved a short corner and crossed for Byers to slide home from close range.

As the tension rose, matters became heated when a series of challenges culminated in Claisse sliding in late and Flood doing likewise with studs showing. After a long delay, Brunskill was the first man to go in the referee's notebook for dissent, while Claisse escaped punishment and Flood, who quickly left the crime scene but was eventually collared, was fortunate to also just see yellow.

The onslaught continued unabated, with two corners in quick succession culminating in Moore rising highest in the Whitby box but heading wide. Much to the disappointment of the home supporters, four minutes of injury time were signalled, and much of those fans were sure their side had lost the lead in the first of those minutes. Prescot again found themselves clear on the edge of the box for the umpteenth time with Wade bearing down on goal, the tricky youngster even placed his low 10 yard shot right in the corner, only for Campbell to pull off a stupendous save in tipping the ball wide.

However, there was an air of resignation as a minute later, for the third time, Prescot found the net from a corner, when a driven cross was turned home point blank by Byers.