UniBond Premier Division

11th November 2006

Attendance - 187

Team - Campbell, Brumwell, Janes, Appleby, Farthing, Nogan(Nicholson 79), McTiernan(Richards 71), Drinkall(Claisse 70), Raw, Brunskill, Ormerod.

Report - Whitby's first four-goal spree under Lee Nogan, saw the manager once again lead by example at Radcliffe Borough on Saturday.

Town boss Nogan was without defenders Aron Wilford, Neil Wilkinson and Tom Reid, so gave a debut to on-loan Darlington left-back Alex Janes, as well as adding fit-again James Drinkall and himself to the midfield.

And Janes' cross from the left nearly set up the opening goal inside four minutes. In-form Dave McTiernan, who netted at the same time last week, picked up the loose ball on the edge of the box after Danny Farthing and keeper Danny Hurst clashed in the air, McTiernan drove goalwards, only for Hurst to react superbly and tip onto his right-hand post.

At the other end, Ian Fitzpatrick broke clear, rounding Dave Campbell, only for Janes to clear off his own line at the near post. Three minutes later, the former Shrewsbury striker was at it again with a ferocious 20 yard drive out of nothing, just about held by Campbell.

Hurst then continued to match his opposite number when Danny Brunskill's goalbound sidefooted drive was pushed round the right-hand post this time- if anything, an even better stop than that which denied McTiernan.

Fitzpatrick sent another effort straight at Campbell, before finally breaking the deadlock on 24 minutes. The forward, currently on loan from Conference North Droylsden, connected perfectly with a right-wing cross to poke past Campbell from the edge of the box on the volley.

The visitors who began the match some sixteen places above their third-bottom hosts, were completely undeterred and fired straight back within three minutes. 37-year-old player-manager Nogan showed he still has his striker's instinct after 15 years in the professional game, hooking a 20-yard half volley past the late-to-react Hurst and into the roof of the net for 1-1.

Town continued to press and got their reward nine minutes before half-time. Top-scorer Danny Brunskill turned provider, skipping along the byline and laying the ball back for James Drinkall to fire his first ever Whitby goal, from 12 yards low past Hurst, who despite getting his right glove to the ball, couldn't keep it out of the net.

The Seasiders began the second half as they ended the first, with Brunskill flicking on for Drinkall to drive low from the edge of the Radcliffe box and force another fine save from Hurst. Seconds later, Borough could've levelled when Campbell spilled a testing cross, but 23-year-old former Stockport midfielder Hayden Eames hammered narrowly wide from 20 yards.

Promotion-chasing Town then effectively settled the match in a devastating four minute spell just after the hour mark. This time McTiernan returned the favour to Brunskill, curling an inch-perfect crossfield ball over the static Borough defence for Whitby's leading marksman to control instantly and hammer first-time past Hurst from close range. Then with 20 minutes remaining it was McTiernan's turn to shine. Having already mistimed a number of clearances, Hurst drilled one too many, straight to McTiernan, who, with the keeper stranded on the edge of his area, returned the ball immediately from 40 yards into the empty net, with even better precision than his earlier assist.

A string of Whitby changes followed with three of the four goalscorers making way- Tom Claisse replaced Drinkall and moments later, Karl Richards came on for McTiernan. The third straight swap happened with little over ten minutes remaining. Nogan himself handed long-term injury victim Scott Nicholson his first competitive appearance in a Whitby shirt for seven months, following last season's horror challenge and subsequent knee injury.

Radcliffe reduced the arrears eight minutes from time, when subsitute Andy Heald smashed a low angled drive from the edge of the Whitby box, across Campbell and into the bottom-right corner of the net.

But that was to be all she wrote for the struggling Greater Manchester side as Town closed out the game despite a few nervous moments amid the wet conditions. Whitby's Ant Ormerod fired straight at Hurst on 83 minutes and should've ended his 11-game goal drought a minute from time, but hooked high over the crossbar from 18 yards despite having an age to pick his spot.

However, moments later the final whistle blew and through the typical teeming Lancashire rain, Town had ended a four-game winless away run that was threatening to ruin their promotion challenge. As it is, just like their new third kit, the future's bright, the future's orange.