UniBond Premier Division

1st October 2005

Attendance -

Team - Campbell Hudson(Brumwell) Veart Farthing Nicholson Scaife Brown Ormerod Raw Wilford Batchelor(McTiernan) Sub not used Barber

Report - by Andrew Snaith - Andrew Brown’s fourth goal in two games ensured a narrow victory in Greater Manchester, as Whitby climbed off bottom spot on Saturday. The Blues are now 20th, with just goal difference separating them from the four clubs above.

Whitby Town manager Dave Logan had the luxury of an unchanged side, with Phil Brumwell(wife’s pregnancy) and Dave McTiernan(knee injury) both missing from the 6-0 FA Cup replay victory of midweek, returning to the subs bench.

However, it was hosts Radcliffe Borough who should’ve struck first inside ten minutes. Danny Farthing failed to read the Stainton Park bounce and Steve Foster raced onto the long ball, only to scuff wide when one on one with Dave Campbell.

At the other end, Tom Raw twisted and turned against the Borough byline, eventually forcing a strong parry from Phil Priestley with a near-post effort, and Brown’s follow-up from the edge of the box was charged down by a sliding Radcliffe defender.

Young local Chris Batchelor, on loan from Scarborough, was then upended by the left touchline. Craig Veart’s looping free-kick was then headed over by skipper Scott Nicholson.

Then followed a frenetic seven minute spell in which Radcliffe really should’ve led. On 33 minutes, Farthing headed an inswinging corner off his own line and Scott Wilson hammered the follow-up just over. Wilson’s powerful drive from just inside the box was well held by Campbell, with Foster beating Nicholson to an awkward high ball but chipping over from the edge of the area.

Nicholson then appeared fortunate to get away with a second error three minutes later, when Carl Lomax went down under a clumsy challenge from the Whitby captain. However, referee Mr Yates saw no infringement and waved play on much to the anger of the home side and much of the crowd.

Campbell then clutched Foster’s low drive at the second attempt and on 40 minutes, pulled off an excellent save, pushing Lomax’s goalbound shot round his left-hand post.

And just before half-time, Borough pressed twice more. First, another Wilson drive was just about held onto by Campbell, and Lomax’s injury-time near post poke was palmed to safety by Whitby’s number one.

Manager Logan opted to introduce the slightly more attack-minded Brumwell for Hudson at the interval in a straight swap at right-back.

The changed seemed to work as Whitby once again came into the game. Four minutes into the second half, Aron Wilford’s low drive was smothered by Borough keeper Phil Priestley. Moments later, Wilford turned and fired over from the edge of the Borough area. And within two minutes, the former York City striker was at it again, poking just wide of the mark.

The home side then showed more of their first half menace when the lively Matty O’Neil, who together with Wilson, tormented Veart for much of the match, dispossessed Batchelor on the halfway line, flew down the right wing before cutting inside and firing just over the bar. Two minutes later, Campbell dropped a cross in the six yard box under pressure, and with the Whitby keeper out of position, Brumwell headed off his own line from former Manchester City midfielder Ged Brannan.

The turning point came on 57 minutes when Batchelor made way for the returning McTiernan in another like for like swap. Within seconds, Raw made a nuisance of himself down the right flank putting over a low cross, seized upon by McTiernan at the near post with his first touch. The lively former Peterlee man fainted to go outside but instead delivered a low diagonal ball towards the edge of the box for Brown to slide emphatically past Priestley and send the small but noisy travelling support into rapture.

Brannan was soon back in the action and should’ve levelled when Tony Whealing’s free-kick was fired goalwards but Brannan’s outstretched boot failed to make contact with the loose ball, when the slightest touch would’ve surely found the net from point blank range. It wasn’t to be the ex-Accrington man’s day, on his home debut after signing from Conference club Stanley, Brannan headed well wide when well place on 75 minutes. And with two minutes remaining, the man who once cost £750,000, completely mis-kicked from close range, summing up the home team’s day. Whitby, however, held firm, with the kind of battling display needed to take maximum points from places like the Inn2gether Stadium.