Whitby Town FC - The Seasiders

12th place for Blues - Which is nice

Bamber Bridge 2-2 Whitby Town

6th May - Unibond League - Whitby Town finished off an eventful season with a 2-2 draw away to Lancashire side Bamber Bridge. Both sides had little to play for but managed to put on an entertaining game for the 244 crowd that turned up. Whitby took an early lead when Dave Logan swung a corner directly into the net and nearly increased it further a minute later when Graeme Williams long range effort was saved saved well by the BB keeper Horridge.
Bamber Bbridge refused to lie down and equalised in the 31st minute wehn Whittaker swivel and fired home past Staurt Dawson.
In an even second half it took until the 87th minute for the Blues to re-take the lead. Horrdige hauled Williams down in the box and Logie stepped up tp balst home his spot kick and become the leading scorer in league action for the Blues this season.
The Blues may have thought that they ahd won the game but, as has happened so often this season, they conceded yet another late goal. Whittaker slammed the ball home after being put through by strike partner Trundle.
The point gained ends a remarkable season for Whitby Town who were certainties for rekegation in November. 12th position is testament to the spirit we have at our club and our heartfelt congratulations go to all concerned, especially Harry Dunn. Those who doubted the man are gladly eating hat with their roast beef this afternoon.Thanks.
Whitby Town's crazy season is plotted on a graph and can be viewed at the stas page by clicking here. It looks pretty damned good from where i'm sitting.
Plus - CONGRATULATIONS TO SPENNYMOOR UNITED ON STAYING UP!!!!

Blues go down in Cup final drama

Whitby Town 4-3 Trafford (agg 5-5) Trafford won 4-2 on Pens

4th May - Presidents Cup Final 2nd Leg - On a night of high drama, this game had everything..... Goals, bookings, sendings off, penalties, extra time, more penalties & even some football in between !
Any ideas of Trafford sitting on their 2-1 first leg advantage were soon dismissed when skipper Vaughan's corner was met with a rasping drive against the Whitby crossbar from Darren Emmett. Whitby replied a minute later when Kevin Smith found space to try his luck with a lob over keeper Stones but saw the ball bounce just the wrong side of the post. The electric opening continued a few minutes later when Dawson had his hands warmed by a tremendous long range strike from Neil Rigby. However the game really sparked into life in the 32nd minute when a Trafford breakaway caught the blues defence flat-footed exposing Dawson who ran out to block the threat. In the collision that followed, he was knocked unconscious which allowed Emmett to take advantage to score the first goal. Some minutes later Dawson was stretchered off the field to be replaced by Mitch Cook in goal. Although Cook performed admirably well earlier at Blyth when Dawson was sent off for handball outside the area, this was to be a more serious test. Soon after the incident Whitby could well have pulled the goal back when some great work by the ever-improving Lee Ure allowed Jim Dobbin a free strike at goal but in his haste managed to slice wide of the target. The turning point of the evening came just before half time when Trafford keeper Gary Stones was adjudged to have handled the ball outside his area. With the crowd baying for his dismissal, Referee Keith Miller from Blyth went to his pocket for a card. As he did this, all hell broke loose on the edge of the area as players from both sides fought each other. Referee & assistant referees pulled the players apart & once things calmed down both Logan & Mellor were sent from the field of play. Returning to the keeper, Mr Miller brandished a mere yellow card much to the derision of the home fans. Sadly this offence seems to be treated differently according to the referee in charge as Dawson was dismissed for a similar offence a couple of weeks ago. Had both teams lost their keepers, the outcome may well have been different. Two minutes into the second half, Whitby got back on course when Lee Ure's free kick dropped kindly for Ben Dixon who drilled the ball past Stones to make it 2-3 on aggregate.
Whitby kept up the pressure but almost came unstuck when a mis-hit back pass by Williams was intercepted by Emmett who set Murray free to tap home. With the goal at his mercy he rushed the shot & missed the target. On 65 minutes Whitby were level overall when David Goodchild headed Dixon's free kick over Stones flailing arms to make it 3-3 (agg). With only 10 minutes left Trafford regained the lead when somehow substitute Burns managed to drill a shot inside Cook's near post. The last few minutes was all-out attack by the Blues. Hudson's header was goalbound until Southwood headed off the line, Danny key's shot flew inches past the foot of the post & then in the last minute of normal time Lee Ure rounded Stones only to be upended in the area to win a last gasp penalty. Booked for a second offence, Lee Southwood got his marching orders & left the field. Up stepped Goodchild (now wearing the skipper's armband) to dispatch coolly from the spot to level the aggregate scores & take the game into extra time. Five minutes into the first half of extra time Paul Burke had a golden opportunity to put Whitby ahead when he had a point blank header straight at the keeper. A minute before the break it was Trafford's turn to let the Blues off when McCartney headed wide of the goal from a similar position to Burke.
Whitby finally made the extra man advantage count in the 112th minute. Chris Hudson got to the by-line & pulled the ball back into the path of Lee Ure who's shot took the slightest of deflections to pass Stones in goal. With the Cup virtually in Whitby's hands & everyone expecting the final whistle to blow, Trafford launched a final assault on the Whitby goal. With ball agonisingly bobbling about in the area Whitby should have cleared the ball into the adjoining cricket ground but instead substitute burns toe-ended the ball past Cook into the net to send the game to a nerve-wracking penalty shoot-out! As a Whitby player plucked the ball from the net, referee Miller blew his whistle to end the game.
With all due respect to Mitch Cook, Whitby were never going to be favourites to lift the cup from that point but try they did....
They got off to the worst possible start when Goodchild opted for power rather than precision. His kick blazed the ball over the bar & to make matters worse Rigby scored to give the lead to Trafford. Chris Hudson blasted home his kick but so too did Vaughan. Kevin Graham kept his cool to make it 2-2 but Simms netted also. Jim Dobbin had his kick saved by Stones which meant McCartney had to score for Trafford to win...... he did.
From the kick-off at 7.45pm until the eventual end of the game at 10.30pm, Trafford used the same tactics as they did in the first leg, namely to kick whatever moved within striking distance as is shown in the 'crime count' of 5 cautions & 2 players dismissed. The game needed a strong referee & to all intents & purposes Mr Miller did an excellent job through out (except for only cautioning Stones?). It was a disappointing finish to Whitby's cup campaign but the crowd of 561 certainly got their money's worth!!

Tigers Tamed At The Seaside!

Whitby Town 2-1 Worksop Town

1st May - UniBond League - Whitby gained just revenge for their earlier mauling at the hands of the Tigers with a 2-1 win in the bright sunshine at the Turnbull today.
Manager Harry Dunn continued with his policy of resting key players by leaving out Logan, Skedd & Rennison and having Goodchild, Williams & Ure on the bench. Also in the side was another new face from Brandon United, Mark Patterson who had a confident debut & showed the home fans some excellent touches when on the ball. Kevin Graham returned in the heart of the defence for his second game & was voted Man of the Match for a rock solid performance against a lively Worksop attack.
Whitby began on the attack & went close in the 5th minute when Colin Carr-Lawton forced keeper Kennedy into a fine one-handed save at the foot of his near post. Skipper Mitch Cook should have done a lot better when Carr-Lawton carved open the Tigers' defence in the 17th minute & passed to him in acres of space but he blazed the ball high over the bar. As a slow-paced
first half drew to a close it was the visitors who almost took the lead when full back Ryan Ludlam's cross was met with a flashing header from centre forward Gary Townsend. Luckily for Dawson in the Blues' goal his effort flew past the far post.
Whitby stepped up the pace in the second half & went a goal up in the 50th minute. Mitch Cook's right wing corner kick was flicked on at the near post & was met with a well placed volley from Jim Dobbin giving the keeper no chance. The Blues kept up the pressure & a well-worked move between Dobbin & Danny Key made an opportunity for Paul Burke to have a go at goal. With only the keeper between him & a 2-0 lead, the striker's weak shot let him down badly and the chance went begging.
In the 67th minute another classy Whitby move brought the second goal. Mark Patterson's intelligent through ball found Lee Ure homing in on goal but just as the nippy striker was about to shoot, Tigers' defender Neil Pickering made a very timely tackle to concede a corner to Whitby. With Mitch Cook about to take the kick, Harry Dunn played a master-stroke when he brought David Goodchild into action. The defender made his way straight to the Worksop goal line to take over the centre forward position with one eye obviously on the club's Leading Goalscorer Trophy. Barely a handful of seconds had passed & he'd increased his tally when he nodded the ball into the goal from Cook's corner with his first touch.
Stung into action, Worksop mounted a late rally & on 77 minutes Craig Atkinson pulled a goal back when he was left unmarked in front of goal to head home Ludlam's cross. They kept up the pressure until the end of the game but the Blues stood firm in defence although they had a major scare with 5 minutes remaining when Kenny Clark's curling drive skidded inches past Dawson's post.
An official attendance of 447 was a little misleading as the club decided that all kids who accompanied adults to the game today were admitted free of charge. The actual attendance must have been nearer the 600 mark with an excellent show of travelling support from Worksop.

Bloods Gain Revenge For Midweek Mauling

Droylsden 3-2 Whitby Town

28th April - UniBond League - Droylsden reaped revenge for their mid-week druubing with a close 3-2 victory over the Blues at the Butcher's Arms ground. The home side took a 1-0 lead before Dave Logan levelled the scores in the 40th minute with a well hit free kick. Droylsden regained the lead soon after & increased it to 3-1 in the 86th minute before David Goodchild grabbed Whitby's second with 2 minutes remaining. It wasn't going to be Whitby's day as Logan had a penalty saved & even though the home team had a player sent off in the second half, they couldn't take advantage.
Despite the defeat, Whitby are in 13th place with a chance to climb higher if they win their remaining games.

Mud, Mud ........ GLORIOUS MUD !!!

Whitby Town 5-2 Droylsden

26th April - UniBond League - Whitby battled their way through the mud to get back to winning ways by sweeping Droylsden aside at the Turnbull Ground this evening. After only 13 minutes they were 3-0 up & running riot before letting the visitors ease their way back into the game before the break. A blistering second half performance saw them wrap up all 3 points & move up to 13th place in the Premier League.
With league safety assured, Manager Harry Dunn grasped the opportunity to try out a couple of new faces & into the side came two players from Rowntree York. Both players gave an impressive display with centre half Kevin Graham heading a debut goal & striker Kevin Smith causing problems for the visitors all through the game.
Man of the match was undoubtedly Lee Ure. He gave a superb performance in conditions which suited his diminutive size, scored the opening goal, won a penalty & ran his socks off for the entire game. When he left the field at the end of the match his weight must have trebled with all the mud sticking to him.
New boy Kevin Smith forced a good save from keeper Paul Phillips in the very first minute after Ure had spotted him in space on the left wing. His shot was parried by the keeper & gave early warning of the assault to come. The first goal came on 4 minutes when Ure jinked his way through the mud to draw Phillips from his goal. He side-stepped the keeper & shot home through the legs of a defender & watched as the ball trickled over the line. Soon afterwards Dave Logan's free kick brought a diving save from Phillips who conceded a corner. Logan's kick sailed over Phillips to find Goodchild strolling in on goal to power a header home to make it 2-0. Three minutes later the third was added in carbon copy fashion. Yet again Logan's corner cleared the keeper & this time debutant Graham headed home.
Easing off the pressure gave Droylsden a foothold on the game & they went close on 26 minutes when John Stannery brought a good save from Dawson. On the half hour the same player tested the keeper again with a tremendous dipping volley but Dawson tipped it over the bar for a corner. The kick was swung in towards goal by Ashton & although Dawson got a hand to it, the ball dropped into the far corner of the net. Minutes before the interval Droylsden were awarded a penalty when a ruck of players were trying to clear the ball. Referee Andrew Denniff spotted an infringement & the penalty was dispatched by captain Carl Holmes to make the score 3-2 to the Blues.
Whitby began the second half with the same venom as the first & Graham was unlucky when his 20 yard shot skidded past the far post. They should have increased the lead on 58 minutes when Lee Ure threaded the ball to Mitch Cook in front of goal but his shot was blazed over the crossbar. Seven minutes later Ure took things into his own hands & paddled his way past a couple of defenders before Phillips clipped his heels to concede a penalty. Dave Logan stepped up & scored with a trademark goal - blasted as hard as he could into the goal.
Droylsden tried to fight back & went close on 77 minutes when substitute Lee Prior tested Dawson with a stinging drive from 25 yards. However the 5th goal soon followed from yet another set-piece kick. Once again the trouble stemmed from a Logan corner when the ball squirmed goalwards out of a meleé of players for Colin Carr-Lawton to apply the finishing touch & tap in just before the ball crossed the line.
The performance by the Blues was excellent given the conditions & hopes of another three points this Saturday in the return fixture must be high.

Spartans Bring Blues Down To Earth

Blyth Spartans 2-0 Whitby Town

24th April - UniBond League - A few weeks ago it looked as though this game may decide which of the two teams were relegated. However, since then both clubs have pulled themselves away from the relegation zone and the result is now more a matter of pride than necessity. The first clear chance of the game fell to Blyth when the Whitby defence were unable to clear a left wing cross from Moat. The loose ball ran to Michael Farrey on the edge of the box but his shot was blocked. Blyth seemed to be continuing their recent form of being unable to create chances despite having possession in midfield. There was an off the ball incident on 17 minutes as the players were lining up for a Whitby free kick and the Whitby centre-forward Graham Robinson fell to the ground. It was not clear who was involved and the referee took no action. However, the striker received lengthy treatment before being stretchered off the pitch. Two minutes later Blyth had the ball in the back of the net from a Farrey free-kick on the right, but the referee had already blown for an infringement. Shortly afterwards the game was stopped to allow the air ambulance to land and the referee took the players off the pitch. Robinson was taken hospital apparently with breathing difficulties following a rib injury. Play restarted after a stoppage of about 15 minutes.
Chances were few and far between with neither keeper being tested. Ian Dixon could only put his shot wide of the right post after a cross from Pitt. For Whitby Tony Skedd ran through on his own but his shot was well blocked by Andy Martin. As half time approached a pass from Whitby’s Burke put Carr-Lawton through but he shot well wide of the goal. The half was well into injury time when Willie Moat received a ball through the defence and ran towards goal. Whitby keeper Dawson came out of his box to challenge Moat and handled the ball just outside the area. He was sent off for the infringement and substitute Cook replaced him in goal. Hogg wasted the resulting free kick by hitting it off the wall. The replacement keeper did well to keep Whitby in the game with a save on 51 minutes from Chandler as Blyth tried to take advantage of their extra man. It was Chandler again who squandered an excellent chance when he received the ball just inside the penalty area with plenty of space. He turned well but put his chance wide of the far post. Whitby had a brief spell of pressure when first of all Logan floated in a free kick from the right which Burke collected easily. Then a shot from Carr-Lawton was deflected into the hands of the keeper. Cook continued to do well in the Whitby goal and he turned a shot from Hutchinson round for a corner after 62 minutes. There were further problems for Whitby on 69 minutes when Goodchild was sent off following two bookings for wild challenges in a short space of time. The continued to battle in defence and Blyth struggled to create chances. Blyth finally broke the deadlock on 80 minutes when Chandler saw his shot charged down in the area. However, the ball ran for him and he made no mistake with his second chance blasting it into the roof of the net. Michael Farrey almost got on the score sheet three minutes later when he hit a 30 yard shot from the right. However Cook pulled off a fine save to push the ball around the post.
Blyth made the scoreline look a bit more respectable on 85 minutes when Farrey played a square ball into the middle of the box and Hutchinson stretched a foot to it and deflected it just inside the post. A welcome three points for Blyth to lift them to 14th place in the table.
(Many thanks go to Blyth's Anne Donnelly for the above report. Please repay the courtesy by visiting her excellent web page at http://www.spartans.freeserve.co.uk/ )

Guiseley Sunk As Blues Sail On........

Whitby Town 1-0 Guiseley

22nd April - Another victory for the Blues saw them climb up the table to 14th & help put another nail in the coffin of Guiseley on a waterlogged Turnbull Ground. In atrocious conditions, played at the insistence of both managers, the two teams put on a good entertaining show in front of almost 500 hardy souls. The efforts of committee & home supporters were well rewarded by the win after they'd been clearing water from the pitch all morning & in the end it was as much a victory for them as it was for the Blues.
The Whitby side saw several changes from the usual line-up of late with Burke, Dixon & Dobbin on the subs bench & no place at all for David Logan or David Goodchild. With a hectic final two weeks left of the season it could be a prudent move by Harry Dunn to give his senior players as much rest as possible as well as see what the other players can do, given their chance.
It took a while for both teams to adjust to the conditions but adjust they did and they kept up a non-stop performance throughout. It was the visitors who went closest first in the 16th & 21st minutes when first Lee Poole and then Simon Trevitt had long range shots fly over the Whitby bar in their search for vital points to avoid relegation to the First Division. Whitby's first attempt followed 10 minutes later when Tony Skedd, one of several changes to the home line-up, chipped the ball through to Carr-Lawton who's back header fell into the arms of keeper Jim Shutt. Shortly afterwards, Stuart Dawson was called upon to make a fine save when Simon Parke spun round to shoot at the Whitby goal. The quick throw out set up a Whitby attack which ended with a volley from Taylor fizzing inches past Shutt's post.
After an even first 45 minutes, the Blues took control & went ahead in the 49th minute when the Guiseley defence failed to clear a corner & the ball fell to Graham Robinson some 15 yards out. His first time shot flew past Shutt into the corner of the net after a slight deflection to make it 1-0. Whitby kept up the pressure & increased their lead in the 66th minute when Lee Ure latched onto a telling through ball to find himself one-on-one with Shutt. Unphased he coolly slotted the ball between the keeper's legs to double the lead.
Guiseley fought back bravely & almost got back into the game 10 minutes later when Daly's header was tipped away from a certain goal by Dawson at full stretch. With 10 minutes remaining they pulled a goal back after some sloppy defending let in substitute David Cooke who slammed the ball into the goal to give them a fighting chance.
With time running out, Guiseley were dealt a major blow when they conceded a late penalty as Paul Burke was felled in the area. The forward took the kick himself but Shutt was up to the task as he saved a poorly taken spot kick. It was appropriate in the conditions that two Whitby "subs" combined to finally "sink" Guiseley in the closing minutes when Jim Dobbin's free kick was met with a powerful header from Ben Dixon. The ball flew into the net to make the final score 3-1 to the Blues.

Blues safe after West Yorkshire win

Guiseley 0-1 Whitby Town

15th April - Whitby Town virtually sealed ther place in the Unibond Premier division next season with a 1-0 victory over struggling Guiseley today. Only an unprobable series of results could mean relegation now, and every Blues fan should be proud of the way that the club has turned things round after a traumatic first four months of the season.
Whitby had the better of the opening exchanges with Graham Robinson coming close but his shot blazed over the bar, before Guiseley's Coleano put Top scorer Simon Parke through, but the ball cannoned off him and wide of the post. Just before half time the Seasiders scored the crucial goal. An inch perfect cross from Graeme Williams found Colin Carr-Lawton who fired his shot wide of the despairing keeper.
During the second half, neither keeper was troubled much with the two defences keeping the forwards quite. Whitby hung on the lead to send Guiseley contemplating division one football next season.
Whitby Town - Dawson, Williams, Logan, Goodchild, Dixon, Taylor, Dobbin, Key, Robinson, Carr-Lawton, Burke - Subs Ure, Cook, Hudson.

Penalty miss denies Blues

Trafford 2-1 Whitby Town

11th April - The Blues travelled to Manchester tonight for the first leg of their Presidents Cup final clash with Division One outfit Trafford. A 2-1 defeat was the result with Whitby also missing a penalty, but the result still gives the Blues the chance to win some silverware this season at the Turnbull ground in the second leg on May 4th. Trafford took the lead with the Blues giving a poor first half display. They fought back during the second half and David Goodchild scored his 6th goal in seven games to draw the Blues level. Paul Burke took a penalty for Whitby but this was well saved by Trafford keeper Stone. Trafford then grabbed a late winner to set the tie up niceley for the Turnbull in three weeks time.

Harry's staying

Whitby Town have announced that manager Harry Dunn is to sign a new two year contract with the club. The club are delighted that Harry will sign and hope that he will be able to continue with the success that he has brought to the club during his previous four years in charge. Harry has won the Northern League cup, FA Vase, Northern League championship, Unibond Division One championship and the Blues are currently finalists in the Unibond Presidents Cup.

Safety line in sight

Whitby Town 1-1 Barrow

8th April - Whitby took another step towards Premier League survival at home to Barrow in an ill-tempered 1-1 draw. After their 0-3 home drubbing of a couple of weeks ago, Barrow were in no mood to take things lightly & made their presence felt almost from the kick-off with rough-house tactics & fouls in abundance. The first 25 minutes were more reminiscent of a battleground than a soccer pitch with several yellow cards brandished by referee Miller though a less lenient official may have shown red ones instead.
Early pressure from the Blues paid a handsome dividend when they deservedly took the lead on 15 minutes. A free kick out on the left wing after another foul was delivered to the far post by Logan. Dave Goodchild headed the ball back across the face of the goal to the opposite post where ex-Whitby 'keeper Simon Bishop made an excellent block to dent Danny Key's effort but the ball wasn't cleared & allowed Graham Robinson to nod the ball over the line to give Whitby the lead.
The Blues kept up the pressure & continued to press forward at every opportunity, almost going further ahead in the 29th minute. Yet again a free kick from an identical position that got the goal was awarded & Dave Logan whipped in another venomous shot on goal. Robinson ran across Bishop's view of the ball but the keeper reacted well to make a good save. Bishop was called back into action again a minute later when Danny Key's 30 yard drive was tipped round the post for a corner.
With the first half drawing to a close, the visitors gradually got back into the game & were unfortunate not to equalise on 41 minutes when Dawson was adjudged to have been fouled before the ball was stroked into the open goal.
The second half saw Barrow continue to press for a leveller & slowly started take the upper hand. Nathan Peel had an optimistic 30 yard drive at goal in the 47th minute to give Whitby a warning before the equaliser arrived 7 minutes later. Again it was Peel who was the target & as he collected the ball in space he surged forward before side-footing past Dawson to make it 1-1.
The Whitby keeper saved them a point on 58 minutes when he made a superb diving save to deny Andrew Hill giving Barrow the lead. With 10 minutes remaining, Dawson was finally beaten but David Goodchild was in perfect position on the goal line to block an effort from Lowe. Whitby rallied in the dying seconds with Colin Carr-Lawton trying a shot from the edge of the Barrow area but it fizzed over the upright.
Whitby Town - Dawson, Williams, Logan, Goodchild, Dixon, Taylor, Dobbin, Key, Carr-Lawton, Burke, Robinson - Subs Hudson for Williams, Ure for Burke both 74 minutes. Rennison not used.

Final 1st leg off!

3rd April - Whitby Town's first leg final tie with Trafford has been postponed. The Turnbull Ground is reported to resemble a swimming pool, after heavy rain drenched the Town over the past 48 hours. The groundstaff are hoping that the weather will let up in time for saturday's UL match with Barrow.

Visitors get bLEEK reception !

Whitby Town 3-1 Leek Town

1st April - It may have been the 1st of April but the Blues made sure they weren't the fools in an impressive display against Leek Town at the Turnbull ground. A solid all-round display saw the Town continue the great form that made them March Team Of The Month & give themselves a 10 point cushion above the dreaded drop-zone.
Played in a mixture of sun & rain, the Blues made the running from the start & were first to go close when Paul Burke tried lobbing keeper Mark Statham from the edge of the box in the 4th minute. The ball dipped over the bar to save the visiting keeper's blushes. Whitby didn't have it all their own way & 8 minutes later Stuart Dawson had to be alert to make a fine diving save from Craig Lovatt to keep the scores even. Spurred into action, Whitby began to stamp their authority on the game & on 21 minutes a great 3-man move between Dixon, Robinson & Burke ended with the latter looping his header over the bar. Minutes later Whitby went even closer Colin Carr-Lawton, making his home league debut, struck a snapshot against the Leek post only to see the ball bounce straight into the keeper's arms. That's where the safe handling ended however. With half an hour played, Graeme Williams 20 yard shot was parried by the keeper & the loose ball was hammered back into the goal by Carr-Lawton to give Whitby the lead.
Despite more pressure it wasn't until the 54th minute that Whitby increased their lead. They were awarded a free kick on the corner of the penalty area & Dave Logan hammered in a wickedly curling shot that Statham could only block. Yet again it was a Whitby player who reacted first when Dave Goodchild thundered in to strike the ball into the net for his 5th consecutive goal.
Leek showed great spirit & refused to capitulate by going close in the 65th minute when Callan struck a shot that hit the top of Dawson's crossbar. A minute later Whitby went into a 3-0 lead when Hudson's route-one free kick found Burke charging at the Leek goal with Hawtin in close attention. The defender tussled burke to the ground & referee Kellett had no option but to award a penalty. Burke took the kick himself & planted the ball into the bottom corner of the goal sending the keeper the wrong way.
With 15 minutes remaining, Leek pulled a goal back when some indecisive defending let Richard Batho sneak in to nod home a consolation goal for the visitors.

Seasiders bury Barrow!

Barrow 0-3 Whitby Town

25th March - The Blues continued their great form of late with an excellent 3-0 win at Barrow. After taking a 2-0 interval lead with goals by David Goodchild & Danny Key, they increased their lead to gain an impressive win when Graham Robinson added the third.
A report from todays game follows, written by Barrow AFC fan Robert Chapman. On a bright sunny day, Barrow kicked off towards the Cross Bar and were looking good for the first ten minutes with Peverell having a couple of chances, including a header which went just wide, and Illman having a shot straight at the keeper. Logan had a long range shot which went straight to Bishop who could not hold on to the ball and it went out for a corner, from which the unmarked Goodchild headed in to put Whitby 1-0 up after just eight minutes. Carr Lawton was through and chipped Bishop but the ball was cleared off the line, then Doherty beat the defender and should have pulled the ball back, but went for goal instead and ran the ball in to touch. Then Peverell headed just wide again after good work from Doherty and Illman, but after 16 minutes, when during a goalmouth scramble, the ball wasn't cleared and it fell to Key who an had an empty net to put the ball into, and made it 2-0 to Whitby. Robinson was booked for kicking the ball away in the 42 minutes and with Barrow fading fast and not looking like scoring, Whitby were certainly looking the better team. Although Kenny Lowe had the barrow team out early for the second half and brought McKechnie on for Whittle, and Bullimore for Brydon, Barrow were still lacking that final something. Whitby got a dubious penalty after Waller had brought down Burke, Logan's shot was well saved by Bishop, who got the Barrow man of the match (he was more surprised than we were). From the resulting corner Robinson scored and 3-0 killed the game. A couple of bookings for Waller, Hill and Illman and at the end Whitby were playing more like the home team, they worked hard for the result and should not be in the position they are in but Barrow could end up in their position with a few more games like this. Another big crowd 1135 left disappointed

Whitby show the way to survival

Lancaster City 1-2 Whitby Town

18th March - The route to Unibond Premier survival was mapped out today, when the Blues travelled away to promotion seeking Lancaster City, and left with an impressive 2-1 victory. Whitby were playing the Dolly Blues for the fourth time this season, after two previous FA cup encounters and a home victory in the league. Goals from Lee Ludlow and David Goodchild won the game for a Whitby team laughably described by the Lancaster web page as " the most violent side to play in the NPL for years", a fact hardly born out by the latest fair play league.
Anyway, Lancaster City began the match brightly and should have taken the lead early on when Chris Ward shot wide with only Stuart Dawson to beat. City did take the lead though in the 29th minute when Ward slotted home from the penalty spot. Lancastrian joy was short lived though and Ludlow headed home in the 37th minute to draw Whitby level.
Whitby then proceeded to have the best of the second half and both Hhudson and Ludlow came close on occassions. Finally a David Logan free kick was met by the head of David Goodchild who gave the Blues the lead on the 71st minute. Whitby then never had any major scares and ran out deserved winners.
WHITBY TOWN - Dawson, Williams, Goodchild, Dixon, Taylor, Key (Hudson), Dobbin, Robinson, Ludlow (Ure), Burke.

Whitby cruise past league leaders

Whitby Town 2-0 Leigh RMI

11th March - A second victory in a week for the Blues gave them a much needed boost in their fight against the drop & also dented the hopes of Leigh gaining promotion to the Conference. Both needed the points but it was Whitby who battled better & by the end of the game were worthy winners.
The first 20 minutes of the game had both teams sizing each other up & both defences abled to cope with anything the other could offer. Whitby went close on 20 minutes when Leigh keeper Dave Felgate palmed a corner kick onto the post but was adjudged to have been fouled in the process.
Leigh had a short period of pressure soon afterwards & a 30 yard snap-shot from Brian Butler dipped over Dawson's crossbar. The Whitby keeper did well minutes later when a wickedly curling corner kick was well held as it looked as though it could drop behind him.
On 36 minutes, Logan gave a taste of things to come when his angled free kick caught Felgate napping & the ball flashed past the far post without anyone to prod it home. From the goal kick Whitby were almost made to pay for a lapse in concentration when Graeme Williams was caught in possession by Ross. The striker advacned on goal only to see his shot superbly tipped around the post by Dawson.
With half-time looming Whitby gained another free kick out to the edge of the Leigh area. Once more Logan drifted the ball goalwards where Goodchild lunged to connect in the area. That was just enough to deceive Felgate & both players stood & watched the ball creep into the far corner of the goal to give the Blues the lead.
On the stroke of half time they went further ahead when Goodchild did magnificently to head the ball home from a corner despite having to stretch backwards to make contact.
The expected second half onslaught by Leigh never really got going thanks to he excellent defensive qualities of Whitby with new signing Mark Taylor having a solid debut alongside Goodchild. In midfield, Danny Key was outstanding, covering every blade of grass & hardly putting a pass astray. Leigh had a couple of good chances but Dawson stood firm & kept a clean sheet.
Brian Butler went close on 55 minutes for the visitors when his specualtive long range drive flew over the bar and then 10 minutes later a good link-up between Ross & Cuminsky ended with the latter shooting wide when in a good position.
Whitby almost went further ahead in the dying stages when yet another Logan free kick curled just past the far upright. On loan striker Paul Burke had an excellent home debut after scoring at Leigh last week & his strength up front caused no end of problems for the league leaders.

Whitby Town - Dawson, Williams, LOGAN, GOODCHILD**, Dixon, Taylor, Dobbin, Key, Ludlow *, Burke ***, Robinson, Subs - Ure *, Cook **, Hudson ***.

Blues 'LEIGH'd The Way To The Final

Leigh RMI 1-3 Whitby Town

Presidents Cup Semi-Final

4th March - An excellent performance at league leaders Leigh RMI saw the Blues win through to a Presidents Cup Final against Trafford after they'd beaten Blyth Spartans 1-0.
Paul Burke, signed on loan this week from Sheffield United, gave Whitby the perfect start when he scored in the 2nd minute & further goals from Ben Dixon & David Goodchild completed the victory.

Whitby on a HYDE-ing to nothing
26th February. Hyde United 4 - 1 Whitby Town
UniBond League

The Blues crashed to their second defeat in a week at the hands of high-flying Hyde United despite taking a 9th minute lead. Lee Ludlow raised the Town's hopes of an upset when he got away from Taylor on 9 minutes and made sure his shot landed inside the posts. The lead lasted a mere seven minutes when Jody Banim's tame effort took a deflection to leave Dawson helpless. Whitby had a great chance to re-take the lead when Ludlow cut in from the left and fired a shot just over the top with Bennett at full stretch but it was Hyde who made it 2-1 on 42 minutes, Robertson's ball curled in from the left drew Dawson from his line but he couldn't collect and Peter Band rolled the ball into the empty goal.
Hyde went further ahead on 58 minutes as Banim's header set Marginson away, he cut into the box and slotted the ball to Paul Robertson to make it 3-1. On 68 minutes Marginson was fouled inside the area and Paul Taylor dispatched the spot kick clinically to increase the scoreline once again. Whitby rallied late in the game but by then it was a lost cause & the points had slipped away.

Town Mugged By 'Marske'd Bandits

22nd February. Whitby Town 2-3 Marske United
North Riding Senior Cup Rd 4

The Blues went crashing out of the North Riding Senior Cup to a battling display from Northern League side Marske United. The Blues ended up with no more than they deserved as they failed to take control of the game despite going ahead as early as the second minute.
The Marske side included former Whitby players Neil Hodgson, 'Archie' Moore, John Woods & James Middleton and all will have left the Turnbull Ground smiling after they turned over their old club.
A Dave Logan free kick gave the Blues the perfect start as he curled the ball around the defensive wall to beat Moore at his near post in the 2nd minute. The expected domination never followed & Marske were allowed to get back into the game in the 28th minute when an innocuous cross was fumbled by Dawson & Benn Thompson was on hand to stab the ball home for the equaliser. The visitors went close to taking the lead in the 37th minute when Kasonali's free kick dipped menacingly over the Whitby bar.
Marske gave early notice of their intention 2 minutes into the second half when Sankey's deflection dropped into Dawson's hands after rebounding off the post. The game threatened to turn ugly soon afterwards & both sides had players cautioned ; Goodchild, Dobbin & Cook for Whitby and a trademark tackle from Hodgson on Hudson for Marske.
Marske took the lead in stunning fashion when Kasonali struck a venomous drive past Dawson from over 20 yards in the 65th minute and then went 3-1 up 7 minutes later after Hodgson threaded the ball through for Sankey to chip home.
Lee Ludlow pulled a goal back for the Blues in the 77th minute but Marske held on for a well deserved win at the expense of their UniBond hosts.

Blues kept at Bay...... by Bay

19th February. Whitby Town 1-1 Colwyn Bay
Two more priceless points went begging on a windswept & bitterly cold Turnbull Ground with the Blues squandering several good chances to get back to winning ways. With the exception of Winsford, all teams below them in the league have games in hand to overhaul the Blues & send them into a relegation place, so this afternoon's result was vital.
Whitby started brightly enough & applied pressure to Colwyn Bay, testing keeper Roberts as early as the second minute when Lee Ludlow's 20 yard drive was well saved. Eight minutes later the Blues took the lead when Logan's corner kick dropped under the crossbar to be met by a weak punch from the keeper. It fell invitingly to Goodchild who's looping header dropped over Roberts & nestled in the back of the net. The lead only lasted 9 minutes however before winger Craig Lawton scored a fabulous goal from fully 30 yards or more. He picked up the ball on the left wing, beat Hudson & curled his shot into the far top corner of the net with Dawson hopelessly beaten.
Fired up by this shock, the Blues tried their best to strike back & almost regained the lead in the 23rd minute when Vickers' low cross was deflected goalwards by skipper Colin Caton. To the agony of the home fans, it looped over the keeper & over the bar as well. Five minutes later Roberts was called to make another fine save, this time from Tony Skedd's drive from the corner of the area. Danny Key had a chance to put the Blues back in front but with only the keeper to beat, he shot wide of the goal.
The second half saw the game deteriorate dramatically with referee terry Hart brandishing his yellow card with abandon as the game took a rougher form. Stuart Dawson did well to save Whitby's blushes in the first minute of the second period when Lawton beat the offside trap to go one-on-one with the keeper but his shot was saved by Dawson diving to his left. Dawson came to their rescue again with just over an hour gone when McGoona & Evans worked well to create an opening. Evans's stinging shot well saved again by Dawson.
with 10 minutes remaining it was Roberts' turn to shine as he somehow managed to deflect a Ludlow shot away with his foot to keep the scores level.
Scrappy play, blustery conditions & some amazing decisions by Mr Hart all combined to deny the Blues a much needed victory.

Blues Beaten By Busy Bishops

16th February - Despite going behind to an early goal, Whitby played the rest of the first half reasonably untroubled. However the second half saw them collapse in disastrous fashion, conceding 3 more goals & being lucky not to be humiliated further by a rampant Bishop Auckland side at Kingsway. With the exception of Ben Dixon, the Blues were at full strength & must now gain all three points at home to Colwyn Bay on Saturday. With teams below them picking up points, the situation is indeed looking grim once more after a string of fine results for the Seasiders.

Ten man Whitby robbed by Frickley

Frickley Athletic 2-1 Whitby Town

12th February - To say that Whitby Town were robbed in today's match at Frickley is an understatement. The wind was blowing strong in the first half and Whitby tried to take advantage of the fact that they were kicking with the wind. The Blues started brightly enough without troubling the Frickley goal to often. The wind played a factor when Jim Dobbin's corner curled onto the bar and Hudson shot over from the rebound. Whitby had the ball in the back of the net shortly afterwards when the Frickley keeper completely missed another curling corner and Dave Goodchild headed home. This was too much for the ref who had already shown a liking to the home side, so he decided a mystery foul had occurred and disallowed the goal. The ref continued in the vain, booking Whitby players for minor indiscretions whilst leaving all home challenges unpunished. Steve West lost patience with the Frickley back line just before half time. He swung a wild boot that clipped the Frickley player, and the ref produced a second yellow and sent West for an early bath. The Seasiders started the second half brilliantly when David Goodchild waltzed his way through the home defence, laid the ball on a plate for Lee Ludlow to finish with aplomb. The Blues stuck to their guns and continued to outplay Frickley who looked to make a meal out of every challenge. Whitby nearly wrapped it up twice when Graham Robinson missed two sitters.
The inevitable happened with 7 minutes left. A ball was floated in from the left and flicked on with three Frickley players standing in an offside position. Number nine Hayward slotted past Stuart Dawson to draw the scores level. Two minutes later Frickley to the lead when indecision in the Whitby defence allowed Frickley to poke the ball home. Whitby had a couple of late efforts from Lee Ure and Dobbin saved but the game was up. Verdict - Shocking referee, shocking opponents. We will have the last laugh on Frickley this season, believe you me.
Whitby Town - Dawson, Hudson, Logan, Goodchild, Dixon, Key, Dobbin, West, Robinson, Ludlow (Ure 88), Skedd. subs not used - Vickers, Cook.

Whitby Town 1-0 Lancaster City

5th February - Whitby's excellent run of form continued once more against a formidable Lancaster side who began the day in third position. Despite having Williams (injured) & Hudson (suspended) missing from last week's victory, they were deputised by Ryan Vickers & Steve West, both players having a great game. Vickers made his home debut & showed some classy moves in the first half & West was solid at the back & scored the all-important winning goal.
High winds threatened to spoil the game but both sides strung together a lot of positive football during the game. Both sides shared possession during the first half but the Blues restricted their guests to very few chances in the second period & the 3 points were rarely in doubt. After a slow start, Dave Logan tested Thornley in the Lancaster goal with a curling 20 yard free kick but the keeper saved well in the 19th minute. Minutes later Stuart Dawson did well to tip over a speculative cross-cum-shot from Shane Jessop that was dipping into the far corner of the net.
Lancaster centre half & skipper Phil Horner went close on the half hour when his deft header from Trainor's free kick drifted past the far post.
With half time approaching Whitby gained a corner on the right that was taken by Logan. His kick curled teasingly beneath the visitor's crossbar where Thornley palmed the ball clear. It fell invitingly to the right foot of Steve West lurking 10 yards out who volleyed the ball back through a crowd of players to give the Blues the lead. Lancaster fought back immediately & won a corner of their own. Mayers headed the ball into the path of Horner who struck first time to see the ball heading for the corner of the goal. Dawson pulled off a fine save when he dived full stretch to tip it around the post to maintain Whitby's lead.
The second half saw Whitby take the initiative & exert more pressure on the visitors. Ten minutes into the second period, Dobbin's free kick found Ben Dixon's head but the tall defender glanced the ball inches past the upright. The last 15 minutes it was all Whitby as they pressed to find the killer goal. Some superb combination work by
Skedd & Ure worked an opening for Danny Key just inside the area but his drive should have been more accurate as it flew over the bar from close range with only the keeper to beat.Two minutes later Thornley had his blushes spared as he scrambled back to goal chasing Skedd's 30 yard lob. Sadly for the Whitby winger, it dropped the wrong side of the bar. With 10 minutes remaining on the clock, Lancaster blew their only real chance of an equaliser when Mayers fed substitute Dave Eatock the ball a mere 6 yards out but he somehow managed to lob the ball well over the goal when it seemed a certain goal. Tempers frayed throughout the game & just before the game ended Referee R Hewitt was called to the Lancaster dug out by his Assistant and after some discussion he escorted their Manager from the field of play.
Whitby Town - Dawson, West, Logan, Goodchild, Dixon, Key, Dobbin, Vickers (Ure), Robinson, Ludlow, Skedd. subs not used - Perry, Cook.

Ludlow and Logie see off Celtic

Stalybridge Celtic 0-3 Whitby Town

29th January - Whitby Town travelled to Manchester today for their Unibond League encounter with Stalybridge Celtic. The Blues had not won away in the league all season, so the omens were not good for the clash against mid-table Celtic. Whitby lost Defender Graeme Williams early on with a throat injury but overcame that loss when they took the lead. A typical Dave Logan free kick was hammered home and the Blues went in at half time in charge. After the break, Whitby went further ahead when a good move saw Skedd find Jim Dobbin, who in turn found Lee Ludlow. Ludlow's curling shot from just inside the area beat the Celtic keeper easily. Whitby then went on to make the game safe when after an hour Robinson's cross evaded the home defence and Ludlow fired home from 20 yards for his second and Whitby's third.
A thoroughly deserved victory for Blues lifts them up to 19th spot in the table, and more importantly six points clear of the relegation places. A final word of congratulation to fellow strugglers Winsford United, who finally won a league game at the 26th attempt this season.
Whitby Town - Dawson, Hudson, Logan, Goodchild, Dixon (Vickers), Key, Dobbin, Williams (Cook), Robinson, Ludlow, Skedd. sub not used - Ure

Ryan Vickers signs for Blues

25th January - Ryan Vickers signed today from Leeds Utd. England U-21 squad member toured with them in Holland & came highly recommended by Kenny Sansom. Mr Sansom asked former Scarborough boss Mick Wadsworth if he could recommend a club for Vickers after he was released by the Premier League leaders & he immediately told him about Whitby Town. Ryan is a 21 year old midfield player & will train with the Blues this evening.

Radcliffe Borough 0-2 Whitby Town

22nd January - The Blues travelled to the Manchester area today for their Unibond League cup Quarter Final clash with Radcliffe Borough. The match finished 2-0 to the Blues. Dave Logan scored from the spot in the 16th minute and Lee Ludlow grabbed the second just before time. A report for this game is available at the Radcliffe Borough web site. If anybody has a Whitby perspective, please mail me a report!!!

Whitby Town 1-3 Telford United

15th January - Whitby's recent 9 game unbeaten run came to an abrupt end at the hands of Conference team Telford United on a heavy pitch at the Turnbull Ground. With the visitors coming to Whitby as slight favourites to take the tie they made hard work of beating a side struggling at the foot of the UniBond Premier League. New signing from Wrexham, Jake Edwards scoring twice to begin repaying his £20,000 transfer fee. Telford had the better of the early chances with Gees Murphy going close twice in the first 11 minutes by blasting Ford's cross into the side netting from close range & then forcing Dawson into a good save after some excellent work by Fitzpatrick. They took the lead in the 28th minute when Whitby failed to clear Hatfield's deep corner kick. The ball fell loose to Edwards unmarked 10 yards out who stabbed home the opening goal.
Whitby rallied well & went close to levelling the scores on the half hour when Dave Logan's long range free kick curled agonisingly over the crossbar. What turned out to be the vital goal of the game came 3 minutes before half time when Fitzpatrick waltzed his way past several static Whitby defenders to pull the ball back into the path of Edwards who gladly accepted the gift & slotted the ball into the net for his second goal.
The home side came out fighting at the start of the second half, throwing players forward in search of an early goal & were almost rewarded when another excellent free kick from Logan dipped inches over the bar with 'keeper Bray well beaten. Five minutes later some good skill by Jim Dobbin led to Ludlow sneaking past defenders to latch onto the through ball but his shot was deflected off the keeper's boot for a corner.
Pushing so many players into attack was bound to leave gaps in defence & the Blues almost paid the price when Murphy outstripped his marker to get a free run at goal. He tried curling the ball around Dawson & saw it trickle just the wrong side of the post.
Whitby's best chance came in the 73rd minute when Graham Robinson's diagonal run across the Telford penalty area created a chance for Lee Ludlow to hammer at goal but the keeper was equal to it & made an excellent full-length diving save.
Telford went further ahead 2 minutes later when another counter attack saw Simon Travis break away into the Whitby area to dribble his way around Dawson & tap the ball home to make it 3-0.
Undeterred, the home side bounced back immediately & within a minute had pulled a goal back. Logan's free kick into the area was met by a shot from Robinson. The attempt on goal was headed off the line but fell kindly for Lee Ludlow who volleyed home from close in.
With 10 minutes of the game remaining Telford were reduced to 10 men when Hatfield fouled Robinson & appeared to kick him whilst on the ground. Referee Nigel Bannister wasted no time in showing the red card & for the rest of the game Whitby tried to take advantage of their superior numbers. However, the Conference team held firm & eventually ran out comfortable victors on the day.
Whitby Town - Dawson, Hudson, Logan, Goodchild, Dixon, Key, Dobbin, Williams, Robinson, Ludlow, Skedd, SUBS - Ure, Perry, West, Cook.

Blow for Blues as Donnelly & Messer return to Bury

10th January - Whitby Town fans received a blow today when it was revealed that on loan Bury players Mark Donnelly and Gary Messer have been ordered back to the Lancashire club after their second month on loan finished. It had been widely reported that both Donnelly and Messer were staying for another month. The only bright news for Whitby is the impending return of Steve West, who will hopefully fill the midfield void left by the Bury man.
In a message to Blues fans Mark Donnelly made it clear that he"...is very proud at having helped to revive Whitby's season", and thanks Blues fans "..who have been so welcoming and supportive to him, know that he is saddened at having to let them down and wishes both the team and the supporters well in the coming season, and hopes sincerely that Whitby Town retains its current Premier League status." The news comes as a real blow to Town's chances of achieving an upset in Saturday's Trophy tie with Conference big spenders Telford United.

Whitby Town 2-1 Gainsborough Trinity

8th January - Whitby continued their resurrection with a hard fought 2-1 victory over their Lincolnshire visitors. The game began with Gainsborough having the lion's share of chances and went close as early as the second minute when Drayton shot over the Whitby crossbar from close range. The same player again caused problems after 22 minutes when he broke clear of the home defence to hammer a shot at goal where Dawson made an excellent diving save. Gainsborough took the lead through a combination of poor defending & good opportunist work by John Reed. Without checking where his keeper was, Dave Goodchild tried a long range back header to Dawson but it fell woefully short & Reed nipped in to grab the opening goal.
Whitby fought back well but seemed to lack the killer touch to break down a well organised Trinity defence. However with 2 minutes of the half remaining, 'Jock' Williams saw Gary Messer break down the centre of the field & threaded the ball with a precise pass into the striker's path. As the keeper came out to block the striker, Messer stroked the ball into the far corner of the goal for the equaliser.
This seemed to be the catalyst the Blues required & took control of the second half. On 68 minutes, defender Dave Logan hit a thunderous dipping drive just over Curry's bar & 5 minutes later it was Logan's cross that was headed inches past the post by Lee Ludlow, who had an unusually quite afternoon.
The game was held up for several minutes when referee Mr Douglas had to leave the field with an injury, to be replaced by one of the assistant referees. Fortunately, local referee Colin Rutland was amongst the crowd & took the place of the official.
With 10 minutes remaining, the winning goal came after the ball fell kindly for Goodchild on the edge of the area. He made amends for his earlier mistake when he volleyed home a superb strike giving Curry no chance of making the save. The final minutes saw the visitors press forward in search of an equaliser but the Blues defence held firm & gained another vital 3 points.
On the subs' bench today, though not played, was Steve West back after a long lay-off through injury.

Blues the Tops in December

Whitby Town have won the Unibond League top team award for December. The club win a 14" colour TV ! Whitby's return to form was rewarded by the judging panel after the Blues won two and drew two in December, remaining unbeaten.
More good news for Whitby fans as on loan Bury duo Gary Messer and Mark Donnelly will stopping for their third month. The fans have again dipped into their pockets to ensure that the recent god form continues. It is no coincidence that since the pair arrived in early November, they have, along with Lee Ludlow made a big big difference.

Gateshead 0-0 Whitby Town

courtesy of the Whitby Gazzette
3rd January - Town's first game of the new millennium saw them travel to Gateshead, when the gale-force winds forecast failed to materialize and the International Stadium ground was in fine condition.
With Tony Skedd missing with a hamstring injury, Town gave a debut to James Proctor, recently released by Rochdale.
Early exchanges were even, then Gateshead had two early chances, Dawson and Hudson coping well in defence.
On 12 minutes, a typically well-struck Logan free-kick was well held by Swan. At the other end Preen’s fierce drive was well saved by Dawson. Play was becoming condensed in mid-field, any breaks being cleared up by Goodchild and Dixon for Whitby and Hall and Kitchen for Gateshead.
Town’s main threat came from set-pieces. On 21 minutes, Dixon screwed a header wide and a minute later Goodchild’s goalbound effort was well taken by Swan.
Hudson came to Town’s rescue on 36 minutes clearing a dangerous cross from Watson. Town’s twin strikeforce of Ludlow and Messer struggled doggedly to break down the Gateshead defence. Graeme Williams, whose form has been a revelation since moving into midfield, aggravated a hamstring injury in the first half and was replaced by Cook from the beginning of the second period.
Gateshead showed more urgency in attack Ross going close on 48 minutes. Two minutes later a teasing cross from former Town player Alderson just evaded Thompson.
On 57 minutes, a timely interception by Cook saw the assistant manager make a long run goalwards but his shot was well-taken by Swan.
Craig Perry replaced Proctor on 64 minutes. Two minutes later, former Middlesbrough player Proudlock got clear of the Town defence and only an excellent tackle by Goodchild prevented the opening goal. Proudlock was then booked on 79 minutes when booked for upending Dobbin.
Donnelly freed Messer on 80 minutes but his shot gave Swan no problems.
After 84 minutes, Alderson fluffed a golden opportunity for Gateshead.

Blues festive cheer

Whitby Town 2-1 Hucknall Town

27th December - The Blues finished 1999 with another victory in front of a bumper holiday crowd of 611, far higher than of late. Whitby had the better of the chances during an entertaining first 45 minutes & went close on 15 minutes when Lee Ludlow sent a rasping drive inches over the Hucknall crossbar. Two minutes later the visitor's keeper Dave McCarthy made the first of several excellent saves to deny Ludlow what looked a certain goal when he saved a point blank header from the in-form striker. They could only hold out a further 4 minutes however as a good 3-man move ended with the opening goal. Ludlow out on the right flank passed inside to Williams who found Gary Messer in space on the edge of the area. As the keeper came out of his goal, Messer calmly slotted the ball past him into the goal.
On the stroke of half time, Hucknall had their best chance of the half when Stuart Dawson matched McCarthy's earlier block when he saved from Jamie Roberts.
With almost an hour of the game played, McCarthy was again called upon to save his side when he made a full length stop to push Ludlow's shot around the post. Four minutes later however, there was nothing he could do to prevent the Blues taking a 2 goal lead. Dobbin's corner was headed back by Messer into the path of Ludlow who's header was buried in the Hucknall goal.
An injury to Tony Skedd seemed to be a turning point for the visitors as Whitby seemed to lose their shape somewhat, enabling Hucknall to claw their way back into the game. On 66 minutes, they got a goal back when slack marking left Orton free to chip the ball over the defence for Andy Woodcock to latch onto & shoot into the Whitby goal. They kept up the pressure for the remainder of the game & only some sound goalkeeping from Dawson kept them at bay.
With Blyth losing at home to Gateshead these were 3 extremely valuable points.

Winsford United 1-1 Whitby Town

18th December - Whitby Town's unbeaten run continued this weekend with a disappointing away draw at bottom of the table Winsford. The Cheshire side have failed to win all season and with only two points it was fair to say that the Blues started the match as favourites. An unbelievably low crowd of 92 turned up and saw the home side make all the early running. Prince Moncrief had an early attempt cleared off the line. Whitby took the elad in the 28th minute when Graeme Williams shot wasn't held by the keeper and Gary Messer pounced to head home. In the second half Moncrief had another good chance but he blazed over before levelling the scores in the 57th minute when he ronded Stuart Dawson. Whitby held firm at the end when Winsford had the best chances and penalty appeals turned down.
The point lifts Whitby out of the bottom two and above Blyth Spartans on goal difference. Whitby's next home game is against Hucknall Town on Christmas Monday.

Loan duo staying until January

There was good news for Blues fans today, when it was revealed that Gary Mmesser and Mark Donnelly are continuing their loan spell with Whitby. It was expected that pair would have to return to Bury, especially with a change of management. The Blues board have decided that after the impact that the pair have made in the last month, it would be prudent to keep them on to help with our relegation fight. Since they arrived Whitby Twn have remained unbeaten. On Saturday the Blues travel to Winsford who are still bottom of the table and fifteen points behind us. If Whitby can secure a victory it would lift Whitby out of the bottom three for the first time this season. A full report of Saturday's game will appear here late on Sunday.

Whitby Town 4-0 Runcorn

11th December - Two goals from in-form striker Lee Ludlow maintained Whitby's impressive run of 3 wins from the last 4 competitive games. His excellent performance along with good displays from Dawson & Hudson at the back made sure of the victory on a heavy pitch today.
Missing from the squad were Graham Robinson (injured) and Gary Pearson (suspended) which meant a reshuffle for Harry Dunn's men that saw Williams fill in for Pearson & Hudson slotting in at right back. The visitors were sitting in mid-table, 13 points ahead of the Blues & having played 4 games less so must have fancied their chances of at least a point from the game.
In an even first half, Whitby had the only two chances to take the lead but failed to cash in on them. A good move down the left wing started with Dobbin passing to Messer who drfited a cross directly into the path of Ludlow who saw his shot well saved by Runcorn keeper Richard Acton. An early warning for the keeper who was to have quite a harrowing afternoon & was indeed extremely fortunate to remain on the pitch when he flattened Ludlow midway through the first half.
The colour of referee Dale's card was yellow rather than the deserved red. Lee Ludlow's name must be geting around the UniBond Premier because throughout the game he was targetted for at times savage treatment from the visitors. On 40 minutes, Ludlow again went close when he shot the ball just over the bar from Skedd's cross.
The deadlock was broken after 52 minutes when Ludlow latched onto a terrific long ball to drag the ball down & turn a defender before hooking the ball past Acton from 10 yards. Eight minutes later the striker did it again. He ran onto a pass, drew Acton from his goal & side-stepped him but looked as though the ball was going to go over the byline for a goal kick before he hooked it back towards the goal from an acute angle. With the ball goalbound it was helped into the net by an incoming defender. With tackles flying with alarming frequency & ferocity it was just a matter of time before a player would leave the field. That came in the 73rd minute when Ludlow was again cruelly scythed down, this time by McNally who was quickly shown the red card. Whether Ludlow was injured or Harry Dunn didn't want to risk further damage to the player is not known but Ludlow was substituted 3 minutes later & left the field to rapturous applause.
Whitby made their advantage tell & in the 82nd minute went further ahead when Lee Ure croosed to Messer whose shot was blocked by Acton but left the simplest of chances for Mark Donnelly to follow up to head the ball home into an empty net. A minute later the rout was complete when Dave Logan cheekilly lobbed the keeper from 20 yards with inch perfect precision to make it 4-0 to the Seasiders.
With 3 minutes left to play Runcorn were awarded a penalty but were unable to get any consolation when the spot kick was driven against the upright.

Whitby Town 1-3 Sheffield United

On a bitterly cold windswept evening, the scoreline flattered the visitors with 2 goals in a minute & a third in the very last minute of the game. Whitby gave an extrememly creditable showing against a Sheffield United side containing 6 or 7 first team regulars. Whitby matched their guests throughout the game & had the better chances in an even first half where both teams played some fine flowing football.
Whitby almost took the lead in the 17th minute when a left wing cross was headed to the far post by a Blades defender where Lee Ludlow sneaked behind the defence to hammer a close range shot against the foot of the post. Ten minutes later Lee Ure went agonisingly close when his narrow angled drive flew past the upright with Walker beaten. At times it was difficult to determine which side were the professionals as both teams matched each other on the field.
Whitby began the second half in determined fashion & when Lee Ure worked his way past lunging tackles to get into the Blades area his pass into the path of Gary Pearson should have been dispatched into the net but instead it blazed over the bar.
Sheffield then hit the Blues with a deadly 1-2 scoring twice in a minute in the 52nd & 53rd minutes. The first came from the man hailed in the national press as "the Chinese Alan Shearer", Hao Hai Dong. He scored with the deftest of touches before setting up the second with some neat play. To their credit, the Blues rallied once more & only an excellent save at full stretch from Walker denied Ludlow a goal in the 74th minute. He wasn't to be denied twice however as 4 minutes later he latched onto a through ball to calmly slot the ball home past the advancing keeper to make it a more respectable 2-1.
Some sloppy defending right at the death cost Whitby a third goal when Petr Katchouro was on hand to round Dawson to score their third goal.
On the whole it was an excellent display by both teams & it was without doubt a good work out for Sheffield who have a tricky home FA Cup tie on Sunday when they face Rushden & Diamonds. The only poor note was the disappointing attendance at the game, no doubt hindered by Yorkshire Coast Radio's failure to advertise the game throughout the day.

Marine 3-3 Whitby Town

4th December - Whitby Town's improvement in form continued today when they travelled to high flying Marine for today's Unibond league match. In wintery conditions it was Whitby who dominated proceedings and they were awarded a 36th minute penalty when Lee Ludlow was brought down in the area. David Logan dispatched the spot kick with his usual venom. Despite their possession Whitby gave away a penalty on the stroke of half time which Gamble slotted home, to make the half time score 1-1.
The second half started badly for Whitby as Marine pounced to take the lead through Rigoglioso and then 5 minutes later it was 3-1 when a Bainbridge header beat Ddawson. Whitby didn't roll over though and Ben Dixon pulled a goal back two minutes later when he followed up Logan's freekick.
The game became end to end and in the final minute a Whipped in Logan freekick was headed on by Robinson and Ludlow was on hand to gleefully slot home Whitby's deserved equaliser. Maybe the corner has been turned by Whitby. Two impressive away performances and two home victory are testament to that. Lee Ludlow could just prove to be the Blues saviour.

Whitby Town manager Harry Dunn has managed to arrange a friendly match with Nationwide First division side Sheffield United. The Blades are now managed by Neil Warnock who is good friends with Mr Dunn. The match will take place at the Turnbull Ground this Tuesday (7th Dec). Spread the word.

Telford United next for Whitby

29th November - Whitby Town have drawn Conference side Telford Uunited in the third round of the FA Trophy. Telford overcame conference league leaders Kidderminster Harriers 4-2 at the weekend and will therefore start the match at the Turnbull as red hot favourites. Telford have reached the final on five occasions, lifting the silverware three times, and boast the best record in the competition. Having appeared in the first Wembley showpiece, in 1970. They are, however struggling for away form this season despite Saturdays result. The tie will take place at the Turnbull Ground on January 15th 2000. You can visit a Telford United web site by clicking here.

Blues continue to improve

Whitby Town 4-1 Stamford

After a shaky first half performance, Whitby turned on the style in the second period to cruise through to the 3rd Rd of the FA Umbro Trophy by 4 goals to 1. Hopes were high before the game that the Blues could keep the momentum of their last game going but were given a shock on the half hour when their visitors from Division One of the Dr Martins League took the lead. Minutes before, Whitby had almost gone ahead themselves when Robinson's header was deflected goalwards by a defender but somehow the ball hit the foot of the post & rebounded back into the arms of grateful keeper Lee Crane. This was the first of several excellent saves from the Stamford keeper who managed to keep the overall score down to 4.
The opening goal came as Stamford winger Carl Tallents broke away down the left flank & drew Dawson from his net. He rounded the keeper & squared the ball to the waiting Matthew Green who side footed the ball into the net despite a desperate lunge by Williams.
Whitby found it hard to get into their stride because of some dubious tackling from the visitors & could even have gone firther behind in the 41st minute when Williams lost the ball just inside his own half to Tallents. His surge forward looked to be on a certain goal after skipping past Dawson but Williams earned himself a reprise when his last ditched tackle denied the forward his moment of glory.
Two minutes later Whitby won a corner kick on the right, taken by Logan who's curling cross was powerfully headed home by Ben Dixon to score his first goal of the season for the Blues & make the score 1-1. On the stroke of half time Stamford had yet another glorious chance to regain the lead when Nathan Bailey found himself clear in front of goal but instead of finding the back of the net he blazed high over the bar.
The second half was virtually one-way traffic as the Blues ripped the heart out of their opponents with three excellent goals. Ben Dixon scored his second of the game on 48 minutes when he again headed home past Crane from a Tony Skedd cross. Dixon almost had his hat-trick on 78 minutes when he backheaded Lee Ure's cross towards goal only for Graham Robinson to pounce & tuck away Whitby's third goal.
With the clock ticking down, Stamford keeper Crane made two outstanding saves by denying efforts firstly from Robinson & then spectacularly tipping over a rasping 20 yard drive from Ben Dixon..... that third goal just wouldn't come for him. The icing on the cake came four minutes from time when Lee Ure popped up to score a super goal when he deftly lobbed the ball over Crane as he ran out to block.
The next game for the Blues is a trip to Merseyside to face high-flying Marine but after winning 2 games in a row for the first time since mid-September, hopes must be a lot brighter than of late .

Whitby Town 3-0 Frickley Athletic

20th November - A much needed win was achieved at the Turnbull Ground with a 3-0 victory over fellow strugglers Frickley, making amends for their 0-2 defeat in the league cup earlier in the month.
With 4 new faces in the team Whitby's performance was unrecognisable from games of late with them dominating long periods of the game, forcing the visitors to defend for all their worth.
Mark Donnelly & Gary Messer on loan from Bury gave polished performances along with another newcomer Jim Dobin but bright spot of the game was the performance of debutee Lee Ludlow, signed from Northern League side Bedlington Terriers. Blues fans will remember Lee's last performance against us when he scored a hat-trick for Newcastle Blue Star. He continued in similar style today by opening the scoring in the 32nd minute when he ran onto a pass from midfield & beat the keeper to the ball. He side-footed the ball past the advancing keeper, tucking it neatly into the opposite corner of the net.
Whitby started the game in command & went close before the goal when first Gary Messer shot inches past the post & then a back-header from Ben Dixon fell straight into Frickley keeper O'Connor's hands. Messer again went agonisingly close just before the half time interval when his shot flashed just wide of the mark.
Whitby began the second half with their foot firmly on the throttle & should have increased their lead but for two excellent saves from O'Connor. Firstly Messer again made a storming run into the Frickley area but held the ball too long & had his shot saved by the keeper. Then a minute later Whitby's man-of-the-match Gary Pearson broke free but was again denied by the outstretched legs of O'Connor. Pearson had an excellent game winning crucial tackles & spraying the ball around with ease & accuracy.
The lead was always looking fragile while at 1-0 & never more so than in the 50th minute when Rob Hanby's looping shot rebounded off the Whitby crossbar & away to safety. Twelve minutes later they had the chance to equalise once more when Gary Hatto's acutely angled shot skimmed past the far post when all it needed was the faintest touch from their incoming forwards.
Whitby's nerves were steadied in the 67th minute when an inspired substitution by Harry Dunn came to fruition. Graham Robinson, only on the pitch 2 minutes, latched onto a through ball with only the keeper to beat but his first shot was blocked. Fortunately the rebound fell kindly to the striker who hammered the ball home to make it 2-0.
With only 7 minutes remaining Whitby made it 3-0 when tricky Lee Ure outwitted the Frickley defence & passed to Messer on the edge of the area. With his back to goal he laid the ball into the path of Jim Dobin who's 20 yard drive sneaked into the far corner of the goal.
This excellent performance has arrived just in time for their next game, a home tie in the FA Trophy against Stamford FC next week.

Gainsborough Trinity 1-1 Whitby Town

12th November - Whitby Town travelled to Lincolnshire tonight for a Unibond League game against Gainsborough Trinity, re-arranged due to some other game taking place tomorrow. Whitby had three new faces in the side, signed by Hharry Dunn this week. Centre Half Jim Dobbin, Midfielder Martin Donnelly and Striker Gary Messa were all making their debuts. Messa in particular made a significant impact up front. It was Whitby who started brightly and a fine cobination between Gary Pearson and Messa resulted in the new boy screwing his effort wide with only the keeper to beat. He made up for it 5 minutes later when he broke free from the Trinity defence to fire home. Whitby looked in control, but a defensive lapse saw Gainsborough equalise. The striker finding room between the Whitby defence to head home. The second half saw Gainsborough have the majority of the possession but they never really looked like they were ever going to score. Tthe two best chances of the half fell to Whitby players. Anthony Skedd shot across the face of the goal and then in the dying minutes Lee Uure had a great chance to secure the points when he capitalised on an error from the central defender, but with the keeper commited he could only poke the ball past the post. Overall Whitby will have left the match much happier than the home side, but it is likely to be a long old struggle ahead if the Blues are to avoid relegation.

Whitby Town 0-2 Frickley Athletic

9th November - Whitby Town were knocked out the Unibond league cup last night when they suffered a 2-0 home defeat at the hands of Frickley Athletic. In another dismal performance Whitby never ever looked likely to make headway against our visitors. Frickley took the lead after 31 minutes when a 25 yarder beat Dawson. The intriduction of Featherstone mid way through the second half perked Whitby up but all the hard work of Robinson and Skedd was never capitalised on. All to often Whitby played some neat football, but when the 18 yard area appeared we seemed clueless. Frickley finished the Blues off in the fianl minute to dump Whitby again. Th cup is irrelevant to the team as the most important thing is to stay up in the league. The trouble is that most of the players appear to have given up already. Harry Dunn has promised sweeping changes in the next few weeks, but it remains to be seen whether he can perform miracles and keep whitby's head above water. Friday nights visit to Gainsborough takes on a whole new meaning now. Trinity are flying high in the League and another away defeat will really set the cat amonst the pigeons.

Whitby Town 0-3 Marine

6th November - Whitby lost yet again in the league to mid table Marine. It now looks likely that this team will be the first senior team from Whitby to ever get relegated in the 120 years that football has played in the town. After Wednesday's excellent 3-2 win at Gateshead, hopes were high that the Blues could continue their form at home to 12th placed Marine.
Thanks to an appauling display they were well beaten by three goals to nil in gale force conditions.
Playing against the wind in the first half they seemed to have done a good job of keeping the score to 0-1, only to concede a goal to Marine right-back Gary Scott. The defender received the ball from Baines on the 14th minute & surged forward towards the Whitby penalty area. From about 25 yards out, he unleashed a tremendous drive that flew into the far corner giving Dawson no chance at all to make the save.
Resolute defending made sure that Whitby could look forward to pulling the goal back & possibly taking the lead in the second half with the wind at their backs. For this to work however, they'd have to take some shots at goal..... Sadly this never materialised in the second half & they conceded two more goals to Marine breakaways. The 49th minute saw Dave Thompson break through the Whitby ranks taking 2 defenders with him before squaring the ball in front of goal to Chris Price who gladly hammered the ball past Dawson.
Whitby made no impression at all on the visitors defence & fell further behind 10 minutes from time when Gamble's right wing corner kick was glanced home by Bainbridge to seal the away victory.
The game was watched by 311 hardy souls in wintery conditions but it will be interesting to see how many venture out on Tuesday evening to see Frickley Athletic in the League Cup game.

Gateshead 2-3 Whitby Town

2nd November - On present form, Whitby's trip to play Gateshead seemed almost a lost cause even before a ball was kicked, especially as the home side had only narrowly lost 1-0 away to Cambridge United in the FA Cup last Saturday. Whitby were without both Hudson & Skedd and Lee Ure was on the subs' bench although James Featherstone made his return along with a debut for ex-Hartlepool player Paul Rattan.
For the first 20 minutes the play failed to match the splendour of the Gateshead International Stadium which only contained a scattering of fans from both teams. The home side could have taken a 22nd minute lead had Stuart Dawson foiled Keith Fletcher's strike with a full stretch diving save. Shortly afterwards former Whitby player Richie Alderson almost sneaked the ball into the Whitby goal as he saw his low free kick scuttle past a huddle of players to roll past the far post.
Fletcher broke the deadlock after 40 minutes with a goal that caught the Blues defence static. As he tore forward, the linesman raised his flag to signal 2 Gateshead players clearly offside. Because of this the Whitby defence froze, however referee Miller waved play-on as the burly forward had ran with the ball from an on-side position. He rectified his earlier miss by slotting home the ball into the bottom corner of the goal.
The lead lasted a mere 4 minutes however as Whitby pressed forward into the Gateshead penalty area. Stuart Irvine received the ball with his back to goal but some clever play saw him turn his marker & drive home the equaliser into the far corner past the despairing Swan.
The second half saw a more determined Whitby team take advantage of the blustery conditions & take a 2-1 lead on 55 minutes. Midfielder Gary Pearson hit a tremendous shot from all of 30 yards to catch Swan napping in goal as the ball flew past him. Ten minutes later Whitby increased their lead when a right wing free kick was glanced into the goal by David Goodchild as he rose high in the 6 yard box.
The result looked assured for the Blues as the home side were restricted to very few clear chances but had a scare in the 75th minute when Dawson again made a fine point-blank save from Steve Bowey's fierce volley.
The dying minutes of the game were livened up considerably when Gateshead were awarded a bizarre penalty with only 2 minutes remaining. David Logan rose to head the ball clear of the Whitby area when he was flattened by an in-rushing Gateshead forward but instead of it being a Whitby free-kick, Mr Miller pointed to the penalty spot to the total disbelief of players from both sides. Steve Bowey gratefully accepted the chance of redemption & dispatched the ball past Dawson to set up a nervous ending to the game.
The blues hung on for a well deserved victory to give a much needed boost to their confidence.
Cup wins are all very well but it's league points that are so desperately needed....... hopefully 3 more will come our way on Saturday at home to 12th placed Marine.

Whitby out of touch in Wales

Colwyn Bay 2-0 Whitby Town
30th October - After gaining their first league win of the season last week, Whitby failed to get going at a wet and windy Colwyn Bay in todays Unibond League encounter. To be honest Whitby put in a dismal performance and they deserved to go behind when Bbay scored after 18 minutes. The striker scoring at the second attempt when Ddawson failed to hold on to the ball. Whitby did improve in the second half and were denied a clear penalty in the 66th minute when Lee Uure was tripped in the area. Somehow the referee's eyes were a couple of yards out of synch with everyone else and gave a free kick. Colwyn Bay sealed the game in the 79th minute when Evans rounded Dawson to make it 2-0. Whitby Town 1-0 Stalybridge Celtic
23rd October - At the 16th time of asking, Whitby finally secured their first league win of the season in the wind & rain at home to Stalybridge Celtic. Despite the huge gulf in terms of league places, Whitby outshone their opponents for a majority of the game although had Stalybridge striker McNeil taken his chances, it could have been a different story.
With both Ure & Skedd starting the game, Whitby had plenty of pace in attack & the inclusion of assistant coach Mitch Cook was to bolster the midfield.
Stalybridge had the first chance to open the scoring when in the 12th minute McNeil broke free to run at goal. Only brave goalkeeping at the forward's feet by Dawson denied him the goal.
Whitby's urgency was apparent throughout the game & their workrate was much improved from their previous displays. Their work was almost rewarded in the 20th minute when an excellent run by Ben Dixon ended when his pass into Robinson's path was curled agonisingly close to the upright. Ten minutes later, good work by left winger Marginson set up McNeil for his second clear chance when he broke free on the right. His shot across the goal beat Dawson but also rolled past the far post. The game threatened to get out of control as the half drew to a close with both sides making dubious tackles, earning the attention of referee Mr Banister. Thankfully the second half was more controlled & football won the day.
Whitby almost broke the deadlock in the 58th minute when Lee Ure's left wing cross was met by Robinson's powerful diving header. With the ball heading for the far corner of the net, Stalybridge keeper Gary Ingham made a fingertip save at full stretch to deny the forward the goal. In the latter stages of the game it was all Whitby, making a mockery of their lowly league position. Logan went close with a shot in the 75th minute before debutant Stuart Irvine curled a 20 yard drive just over the crossbar 9 minutes later.
With another draw looking evermore ominous the Blues took the lead. A left wing cross by Mitch Cook was met with a brilliant diving header from substitute Craig Perry, guiding the ball into the opposite corner past the despairing Ingham.
With 5 nerve jangling minutes remaining, Whitby held out comfortably until finally the whistle blew to mark the end of the game & Whitby's first league win of the 1999 - 2000 campaign.
Let's hope next Saturday's trip to mid-table Colwyn Bay keeps the momentum going.
WTFC web page Man of the match - CRAIG PERRY !! Whitby Town 1-1 Spennymoor United
19th October - Only a last gasp header from Graham Robinson ensured the Blues scraped a point from a game where to be honest, neither team deserved anything. On a cold windswept evening, both sides earned the distinction of creating virtually nothing in the way of goalscoring opportunities.
It took until the 31st minute before anything worthy of mentioning occurred when David Holloway's thunderous free kick skimmed off the top of the Whitby crossbar with Dawson well beaten. The Blues only attempt on goal in a hugely forgettable first half was when David Goodchild turned makeshift striker to break free from defence. However his rising shot over Campbell's crossbar reminded everyone that he is in fact a centre half, not a centre forward. It just goes to show the frustration of the Blues when they have to rely on defenders creating the better scoring opportunities.
The second half looked to be heading the same way as the first 45 minutes when the Moors took the lead. Former Whitby defender Ian Williams found himself in plenty of room near the left touchline & drove the ball hard & low into the area. It appeared to take quite a deflection on it's way past Dawson who could only watch as it flew into the far corner of his net.
It looked very much a case of "here we go again" at this point & even the introduction of Craig Perry & Lee Ure failed to inspire the Blues on in search of the equaliser. Time & again they tried in vain to produce anything creative to worry the moors defence but their efforts always ended the same way with either Campbell gathering easily or some defender booting the ball to safety.
It wasn't until the last couple of minutes that Whitby finally showed something akin to some fighting spirit when first Goodchild's header was cleared off the line followed by Logan heading the ball inches past the post.
Dave Goodchild found himself with only Campbell to beat as he surged into the Spennymoor penalty area but as the keeper advanced, Goochy slotted the ball past the far post when an equaliser seemed a certainty.
Whitby's blushes were finally spared deep into time added on when Pearson was fouled out on the right touchline. He picked himself up to take the kick & crossed the ball into the path of Graham Robinson who's diving header flew into the bottom corner of the goal to salvage a badly needed point.
WTFC man of the match - ?

Worksop Town 4-1 Whitby Town

16th October - It may be a footballing cliche but this really was a game of two halves. Whitby Town played some of their best stuff of the season in the first 45 minutes at Sandy Lane Worksop today. After a first half that saw the Blues totally control the game, 2 goals in the space of a minute at the start of the second half dealt Whitby a blow they couldn't recover from.
Whitby took a 5th minute lead when the Tigers keeper Kennedy failed to clear the ball from his own area. His kick cannoned off the back of Graham Robinson & into the empty goal as the forward challenged him. It was a just reward for Robinson who ran himself into the ground for the Blues. His workrate was excellent all afternoon.
The opening 30 minutes saw Whitby rule the game with first Williams shooting over the bar followed in quick succession by a Dixon header & then an excellent save by the keeper when it looked as though Williams had increased their lead. Worksop's only attempt at goal came on the stroke of half time when Stafford blazed over from inside the Whitby penaly area. They began the secand half in similar fashion when logan's cross was headed by Goodchild at goal but was denied by Kennedy. In the 49th minute the tigers were awarded a penalty after Mason's specualtive cross was judged to have been handled in the area by a Whitby defender.... who it was is anyone's guess...
Kenny Clarke, playing his 400th game for the club, confidently stroked the ball into the corner of the goal for the equaliser. A minute later Worksop were back on the attack & dawson's poor clearance fell to the feet of Clarke who again had the simple task of sidefooting the ball into an empty net.
Clearly shaken by this upturn, Whitby offered little resistance & it came as no surprise when they conceded more goals later in the game. Ludlam scored the goal of the game in the 67th minute when he took the ball from Logan & with the defenders backing away from him, unleashed a terrific drive from 20 yards into the net giving Dawson no chance. With 10 minutes remaining Smith completed the rout when he ran onto a through ball to slot home the Tigers' 4th of the game.
After an excellent first half performance it was unnerving to see how easilly the crumbled once the home side took the lead...
WTFC web page man of the match - GRAHAM ROBINSON

Bishop Auckland 0-1 Whitby Town

13th October - The end of an era occurred tonight as it was revealed that Paul Pitman has left Whitby Town. He has decided that after 10 years at the club it is time for a change and has joined former Blues manager Bob Scaife jnr at ambitious Northern League outfit Dunston Fed. Also on the Dunston staff are Kenny Goodrick , John Grady & Nick Scaife.
Meanwhile, Whitby snatched their third win of the season with a 1-0 victory over local rivals Bishop Auckland tonight,in the Unibond League cup. With both teams resting regulars it was Gary Pearson who struck the desisive blow for Whitby in the 70th minute when he turned quickly on a through ball. Whitby are now through to the second stage of the competition after this victory and the earlier one against Spennymoor United.

Blues get home draw in Trophy

The draw for the FA Trophy 2nd round has been made and Whitby Town ahve got a home draw. Our opponents will be Dr Martens Eastern division side Stamford. The games take place on November 27th. Last season saw Whitby play some great football and reach the last 32 before going down away at Emley. The full draw is as follows :-
Barrow v Southport, Stocksbridge PS v Redditch United , Rocester or Farsley Celtic v Tamworth , Leigh RMI v Worksop Town , Leek Town or Accrington Stanley v Spalding United , Morecambe v Hucknall Town , Wisbech Town v Bishop Auckland , Kidderminster Harriers v Telford United , Hyde United v Whitley Bay , Stafford Rangers v Emley , Ilkeston Town v Scarborough , Blakenhall v Eastwood Town , Runcorn v Northwich Victoria , Spennymoor United v Gretna , Bedworth United v Hednesford Town , Matlock Town v Harrogate Town , Hinckley United v Marine , Halesowen Town v Sutton Coldfield Town , Frickley Athletic or Ashton United v Droylesden , Ossett Town v Doncaster Rovers , Stalybridge Celtic v Gainsborough Trinity , Bilston Town v Workington , Winsford United v V S Rugby , Lancaster City v Corby Town , Radcliffe Borough v Moor Green , Guiseley v Nuneaton Borough , Bamber Bridge v Burton Albion or Trafford , Whitby Town v Stamford , Blyth Spartans v Witton Albion , Altrincham v Gateshead , Rothwell Town or Boreham Wood v Evesham United , Hereford United v Barton Rovers , Heybridge Swifts v Witney Town , Enfield v Newport IOW , Hayes v Worcester City , Rushden & Diamonds v Havant & Waterlooville or Aylesbury United , Purfleet v Raunds Town or Maidenhead United , Harlow Town v Dover Athletic , Bromley v Chelmsford City , Cirencester Town v Forest Green Rovers , Folkestone Invicta v Kingstonian , Leatherhead v Bedford Town , Bath City v Erith & Belvedere , Hendon v Grays Athletic , Weymouth v Yeovil Town , Merthyr Tydfil v Stevenage Borough , Yate Town v Billericay Town , Dulwich Hamlet v Burnham , Romford or Bashley v Newport County AFC , Ashford Town v Woking , Hitchin Town or Harrow Borough v Oxford City , Tiverton Town or Dorchester Town v Farnborough Town , Hampton & Richmond v Carshalton Athletic , Basingstoke Town or Bognor Regis Town v Walton & Hersham , Crawley Town v Wealdstone , Uxbridge v Canvey Island , Welling United v Gloucester City , Gravesend & Northfleet v Worthing , Whyteleafe v St Leonards , Leyton Pennant v Staines Town , Croydon or Margate v Dartford , Kettering Town v Thame United , Aldershot Town v Braintree Town , Salisbury City v Sutton United

Whitby Town 1-1 Bamber Bridge

9th October - Whitby's search for the first win of the season continued today after a scrappy 1-1 draw at home to Bamber Bridge.
With a third of the league season already gone, the need for points & wins in particular becomes ever more important. Whitby had the chances to seal the win but yet again their lack of a killer instinct in front of goal let Bamber escape with a point.
The Blues defied their league position once again today against a team in the top half of the division but even with the return of Graham Robinson leading the attack they hardly gave visiting keeper Dootson much trouble between the posts.
The Whitby line up gave an opportunity for fast attacking play with both Lee Ure & Anthony Skedd chosen. Lee Ure's contribution to the game was superb, not only for his stunning equaliser but for his general play. He ran Bamber ragged throughout the game & was by far Whitby's best player. The first opportunity fell to Bamber's Ian Vickers in the 14th minute when he burst free of his marker to run at goal but fortunately for the Blues his shot was off target. Ten minutes later however they took the lead when once again the visiting forwards found space in the Whitby penalty area. Aspinall's deft header into the path of Carroll was met with a powerful half volley that flew past the despairing Dawson.
The lead lasted a mere 4 minutes though as the Blues applied pressure to the Bamber goal. The equaliser came as a result of a left wing corner that was poorly cleared to the edge of the box where Lee Ure was waiting for any loose ball. His first time strike flew high into the top left corner of Dootson's goal without the keeper moving.
As seems to be the trend in games lately, there was far too much niggling play & perhaps Scarborough referee Mr Hewitt should have clamped down on proceedings swifter to avoid possible injuries to players. Steve West became one of the casualties after one such challenge early in the second half & had to be replaced by Gary Pearson. Whitby continued to threaten the visitor's goal throughout the second half & went close on several occasions. Ure's looping header was plucked from under the bar by the keeper before Robinson's header was cleared off the line in the 55th minute.
The Blues should have wrapped up the points in the 75th minute when Ure dummied the ball into the path of Paul Stout. He advanced towards goal but with only the keeper to beat he shot wide of the goal from all of 8 yards. Four minutes from time the game could have been won by either side. Firstly Dave Logan caught the keeper napping with his piledriver from the left wing. It flew through a crowd of players before hitting the inside of the post & rebounding back across the face of the goal before being cleared. This then set up a counter attack from which Bamber were unlucky not to steal the points when they struck the Whitby crossbar with a venomous strike.
Luck deserted the Blues yet again & possibly last season, Logan's shot would have gone in off the post...... that's the difference between last season & this one.......
WTFC man of the match - LEE URE

Whitby Town 2-2 Lancaster City aet(Lancaster win 4-2 on pens)

5th October - Whitby's dismal season continued in similar vein last night in the FA Cup 3rd rd replay at the Turnbull Ground. From start to finish it was a night of controversy with replacement referee Ian Blanchard taking the majority of the flack.
It's all too easy to blame the referee these days but last night was a case in point as decisions were given that at times defied belief. One red card, yellow cards in abundance & the Lancaster keeper rushed to hospital, goals, extra time & a penalty shoot out all added to the drama. The game began in tentative fashion with both teams treading carefully but in the 20 th minute Whitby's James Featherstone had the first chance to score when he was denied at close range by a good save from Thornley. Six minutes later Paul Stout blazed a 30 yd drive over the crossbar before the visitors broke the deadlock in the 30th minute. As in the last home game against Emley, the goal was a pure fluke. Udall's shot was going wide of Dawson's goal before it struck Ward on the rump to cannon into the goal. The lead was short-lived as five minutes later it was 1-1 when a poorly cleared cross fell to David Goodchild on the edge of the area who dispatched a stinging drive into the bottom corner of the net.
Spurred on by the goal, Whitby continued to attack and 3 minutes later the first real flashpoint of the game occurred when West challenged the Lancaster keeper when going for the ball. The keeper came of the worse for wear & was taken to the local hospital for attention after several minutes treatment on the field. This made West the target for retribution attacks for the remainder of his time on the pitch with many particularly nasty fouls & sly kicks.
Whitby began the second half in confident mood & attacked from the outset. Their reward came in the 62nd minute when Graeme Williams drove the ball home from outside the Lancaster box to give them a deserved 2-1 lead. From this point the game boiled over in a big way & really the referee should have used his authority to stem the trouble. Two minutes after Whitby's second goal the visitors were awarded a penalty which the home players hotly disputed. However the kick by Kennedy was driven well over the crossbar to keep the scores the same.
Shortly afterwards a Lancaster attack ended with Whitby's Steve West being dismissed allegedly for stamping on an opponent. What the officials failed to spot was the punch thrown at the Whitby keeper beforehand.... With a man advantage, Lancaster got to grips with the situation & it came as no surprise when the equalised after 81 minutes, having hit the post twice previously. Kennedy made amends for his penalty miss by being in the right place to scramble the ball home to make it 2-2. Only 2 clear chances fell in extra time, firstly Mayers volleyed straight at Dawson when it seemed easier to score & then Logan's shot skimmed over the bar afterwards.
Nerve-wracking penalties followed & it came as some surprise to see 3 Whitby defenders taking the first kicks.......
Logan & Goodchild scored from their kicks with Sparrow & Mayers replying. The 5th kick saw Dixon's kick saved by reserve keeper Sharrock & Graham gave them the lead. Paul Stout hammered his kick against the crossbar which left Haddon to clinch victory as he buried the 4th & deciding penalty to give them a 4-2 margin.
Had the result gone in Whitby's favour it wouldn't have been such a bitterly cold night to stand watching football.......
WTFC web page man of the match - DAVID GOODCHILD

Bob Scaife

The WTFC web page is sad to announce the passing away today of former Whitby Town Chairman Mr Robert "Bob" Scaife Snr.
He died at his home this morning (Sunday), a week before his 66th birthday.
Bob was a very high profile Chairman during his years at the club & was recognised everywhere he went in the Northern League and other grounds around the country. He was indeed a 'character' that everyone came to associate with Whitby Town FC and did a great deal for the club not only during his terms in office but also whenever he could.

We'd like to pass on my deepest condolances to his wife Cynthia and the rest of his family at this sad time. Bob will be greatly missed around this old town.....

Robert Scaife 10/10/33 .... 03/10/99

Lancaster City 2-2 Whitby Town

2nd October - Whitby Town travelled to Lancashire today for their FA Cup third qualifying round tie with Lancaster City. City are flying high inthe league and clearly expected an easy passage into the final qualifying round, but as we all know, league form is irrelevant in the Cup. A nervous start found Whitby trying hard to get into a rhythym in the blustery conditions and with a heavy pitch. Lancaster were using the wind to their advantage but every attack was easily dealt with by the Whitby defence. Slowly the Blues got into their stride and started to exert some pressure with the hard working Featherstone and Skedd up front. It was Whitby who shocked the home fans in the 17th minute when David Goodchild rose highest in the box to head home a Dave Logan corner. With their tails up Whitby pressed home their advantage with Lancaster restricted to speculative forays into the Whitby half. The home side were unlucky not to go in at half time on level terms when Skedd brilliantly headed a powerful shot off the line to preserve the lead. Whitby lokked comfortable in a second half that became more and more bad tempered. It seemed only a matter of time before somebody would be sent off with the usual inconsistent refereeing. Lancaster equalised midway through the half when Ward headed home after a silly free kick had been given away and poor defending gave him the room. Whitby looked to hit back and started to take the game to Lancaster again. Another Logan corner was puched clear by the City keeper but it fell perfectly for Skedd who smashed an unstoppable shot home from 18 yards out. Lancaster were soon awarded a dubious looking penalty only to find that the linesman had been flagging for offside for 30 seconds! Whitby looked like they had won the game but the home side, who had been so anonimous in the second half, equalised for a second time with five minutes left.Another silly free kick was given away and panic rained in the Blues box before the Llancaster no.6 rifled home. Whitby can take soom comfort from the fact that they WERE the better side. A win was on the cards today because they fought hard. More of the same please lads!
WTFC web page man of the match - ANTHONY SKEDD

Whitby's luck leaves town

Whitby Town 0-1 Emley

28th September - A fluke goal 5 minutes before the interval robbed the Blues of more vital points this evening at the Turnbull Ground as high-flying Emley constantly rode their luck to grab an undeserved victory. Because of a bad accident blocking the road from Pickering to Whitby, the Blues had to relegate Featherstone & Dixon to the subs bench in the hope that they would make it in time for the game. Even though Paul Pitman was at the ground there was still no place for him in the squad. Chris Hudson made it to the game minutes before the kick off to partner Goodchild & Cook in defence. Graham Robinson has now returned from his spell at Blyth but was unable to play due to being suspended. The enforced changes meant the forward line looked even more diminutive than usual with Ure, Perry & Skedd up against the towering defence from Emley. Anthony Skedd made his home debut after being released by Blyth & gave a very impressive performance.
As early as the 5th minute Whitby put Emley 'keeper Rhodes under pressure when Logan's cross was headed onto the top of the crossbar by Dunwell. The Blues maintained the early pressure but as so often happens this season they failed to capitalise on it. Emley should have taken a 25th minute lead when Tonks was put in the clear only to blaze the ball over the bar from close range. In the 40th minute more Emley pressure brought their goal after an excellent point blank save by Dawson. The corner he conceded was driven towards the near post where Logan's attempted clearance flew off his boot into the roof of the net to the dismay of the home fans. Whitby hit back & were unlucky not to level the scores a minute before the interval when Dunwell spun around to see his snap-shot fly inches past Rhodes' post.
The second half saw Whitby hurl everyone & everything at the Emley goal, laying siege for long periods & restricting the visitors to a few breakaway chances. One such chance fell once more to Tonks in the 52nd minute when he sprung Whitby's offside trap to dash forward & take the ball round Dawson. Before he could slot the ball home he was denied by a last ditch clearance by Pearson when it seemed easier to score. Tonks had yet another attempt on goal 5 minutes later when his 25 yard drive was tipped over the bar by Dawson. From here on in, it was all Whitby..... Emley were on the rack & defended stoutly with more than their fair share of good fortune. With an hour gone Logan's right wing corner was headed back to Dunwell who's goalbound header struck Jones in the face denying him the equaliser. Eight minutes later, with the goalmouth open, Gary Pearson wasted Whitby's best chance of the game when his diving header glanced wide of the post with Rhodes stranded. Dunwell went close once more in the dying minutes of the game when his long range drive was saved at full stretch by Rhodes.
Whitby were more than good value for at least a point but as so often happens to teams at the foot of the league, Lady Luck just didn't want to know.
WTFC web page man of the match -

Leek Town 2-1 Whitby Town

26th September - Another lacklustre performance saw Whitby Town made it eleven games without a win today when they visited Leek Town for their Unibond league game. Whitby had plenty of first half possession but never really played the killer balls that count. It was the home side who took the lead when a breakaway saw Callen's shot deflected into the net. The second half took a similar pattern with Whitby looking good, but a long clearance over the top saw Leek take a 2 goal lead when Keeley lobbed Blues keeper Dawson. Whitby again turned on the pressure and were eventually rewarded with a consolation goal when Gary Pearson shot into the top corner from outside the area.
WTFC web page man of the match - BEN DIXON Hucknall Town 3-2 Whitby Town
21st September - Whitby Town's miserable Unibond league form continued tonight with another defeat. The Blues travelled to Notts for the game with premier division new boys Hucknall Town who like the Blues secured successive promotions from the lower leagues. Whitby were without 5 first team regulars for this game but the game was pretty even for the forst 25 minutes. Hucknall were content to hoof the ball forward at every opportunity and this tactic began to pay dividends against the Blues makeshift defence. Hucknall then scored twice in two minutes the first a shot from 12 yards and the second a simple tap in after some defensive hesitancy. The Blues got a lifeline a minute before halftime when James Featherstone blasted home from 18 yards out. The second half followed a similar pattern to the first with Hucknall humping the ball high and forward for their strikers to attack. They took a 3-1 lead with 15 minutes left when Martin scored his second. Whitby pulled back a second goal in the dying minutes when Craig Perry slotted home from Graeme Williams cross, butit was too late to avoid a defeat.Whitby have now gone 10 league games without a victory, their worst run in donkeys years.
WTFC web page man of the match - JAMES FEATHERSTONE Accrington Stanley 0-2 Whitby Town
Bjm reports -
18th September - Whitby marched to their second win in a week with an impressive workmanlike display against their Div one opponents Accrington Stanley at the Crown ground to set up an away fixture at Lancaster City in the next round.
Windy conditions hampered any flowing football and when it was played the home team tactics were roughhouse to say the least. It looked at one stage as though both teams could have men sent off as the first half deteriorated into something akin to a barroom brawl with players kicking anything within range irrespective of there being a ball nearby.
It was a tentative start by both teams, neither side wishing to make any early mistakes. Whitby's first effort at goal came in the 19th minute when excellent interplay between Williams & Perry resulted in a shot by the former going inches over Speare's goal. Two minutes later James Featherstone, who had an excellent game, broke through the Stanley defence to force the keeper into a diving save.
The breakthrough came in the 27th minute when a mix up between Doolan & Speare the home keeper, resulted in a right wing corner taken by Logan. His kick was met by a perfectly timed header from Featherstone giving Speare no chance at all in goal. With half an hour gone, the game was held up for several minutes when Terry Harris was caught between 2 Stanley players who collided with him. It was a particularly nasty challenge by the players though referee Paul Grange from Oldham took no action at all. Harris was later taken by ambulance to hospital with suspected broken ribs.
This sparked off a near riot in midfield with players flying in from all angles & Accrington's Karl Bell extremely fortunate not to be sent off for his part in the punch up.
The rest of the half followed a similar pattern with fouls galore & off the ball incidents going unseen by the referee. As the teams left the pitch for the half time break players from both teams continued the niggling to such an extent that the referee had to intervene & the management staff were also involved.
'Team Talk' magazine's top photographer Neil Thaler was covering the game & from what I gather was ejected from the ground after taking photos of a Stanley Official pushing Harry Dunn around at the interval. When he said he was going to report the incident to their Chairman he was told he was already speaking to him & was promptly ejected. More news of this incident later, perhaps we can ask Neil to comment on the matter.
The second half saw Whitby with the wind advantage but failed to pepper Speare's goal to any degree. Stanley stepped up their workrate to try to get the equaliser & in the 73rd minute Hollis' free kick outside the Whitby area was deflected for a corner. From the kick the ball fell to Brent Baxter who's 30 yard shot rocketed over the bar. Five minutes later Whitby sealed the victory when Baxter lost control of the ball just outside his own area to allow Lee Ure to steal in & spot David Goodchild free to his right. With the coolness of a seasoned striker he advanced 10 yards before calmly slotting the ball past Speare.
Accrington kept pressing for a goal & went close 2 minutes from time when a free kick from Hollis curled agonisingly past the post.
It was a much improved performance by the Blues with everyone working hard for each other & not giving the visitors any room to get their game going. They now face another trip away from home in the 3rd qualifying round to Lancaster City in 2 weeks time.
WTFC Web page man of the match - JAMES FEATHERSTONE Whitby Town 3-1 Spennymoor United
Bjm reports -
15th September - Another reshuffled Whitby side finally gained their first win of the season at home to neighbours Spennymoor in the UniBond League Challenge Cup.
Into the side tonight came Alan Price from the reserve team with Graeme Williams being moved into midfield. Ben Dixon returned from injury & in attack James Featherstone (Ossett Town) and Micky Dunwell (on loan from Hartlepool Utd) looked sharp & impressive.
With manager Harry Dunn absent this evening on a scouting mission, Mitch Cook was left in charge of team affairs. Despite the Blues starting the brighter of the two sides with Craig Perry bringing a fine save from Henry Heighton in the Moors goal, the visitors took a 24th minute lead when, with the defence static, Dawson was lobbed from 20 yards.
The lead lasted a mere 5 minutes when Whitby equalised with the first of two deflected goals. The Blues breakaway upfield ended in a goal when James Featherstone's deflected shot looped up over keeper Heighton into the net in the 29th minute.
This seemed to be the boost they needed & took control of the game for the rest of the half taking the lead just after the half hour. Logan's left wing corner kick was headed goalwards by Goodchild & his blocked effort fell kindly for Steve West to hammer home the rebound from close range.
A minute before the break it was 3-1 to the Blues when Mickey Dunwell's shot took a wicked deflection & left Heighton rooted to the spot, helpless to stop the ball from dropping over his head into the empty goal. The 3-1 scoreline was a fair reflection of the first half performance but they failed to capitalise upon it in the second half & let the visitors off the hook.
Spennymoor posed little threat after their opening goal & all Whitby could muster in the second period was a rasping shot off target by Perry in the 69th minute & with only 2 minutes remaining Lee Ure shot straight at the keeper from 10 yards after some excellent work by Darren Ward.
A far more promising display from Whitby though still needing to find the killer touch to take opposition like this apart when they are in control. It was pleasing to see the ball passed around more this evening & it certainly paid dividends.
For Saturday's FA Cup tie at Accrington, Whitby should be without on loan forward Micky Dunwell as he would be cup-tied should Hartlepool need him in the competition at a later date.
With the first win secured, they must now build upon it & gain some badly needed league points before the situation deteriorates further.
WTFC Web page man of the match - DARREN WARD Leigh RMI 2-1 Whitby Town
Report courtesy of Sunday Sun
11th September - Whitby Town have now gone NINE games without a win this season after todays Unibond League defeat away at Leigh.
Whitby went a goal down in the first minute. They were first on the attack but a swift counter saw the home side take the lead through Tony Black. After having the majority of the play, Whitby equalised on the half hour. A shot by Andrew Banks was blocked on the line and Steve West forced the ball home from the following scramble. Leigh had Eddie Turkington sent off five minutes later for aiming a punch at West but the visitors were unable to make the extra man count.
In the second half Whitby had keeper Stuart Dawson to thank for keeping the scores level until the 65th minute when a ball over the top caught out the Whitby defence and Ian Monk nipped in to score the home winner.

New players on loan

News in today that two more faces have been signed on loan to bolster the struggling team.....
Both are here from Hartlepool after Manager Chris Turner agreed to let them come here to keep them match fit. Here on 3 months loan is former Blyth Spartans & Darlington's Argentinian midfield player Gustavo Dilella. Fans may remember his FA cup goal against Blackpool a couple of seasons ago that was shown on BBC 1's Match Of The Day. He played half of last season at Hartlepool but has struggled to get in the side so far this season. The other player on loan is Hartlepool's Micky Dunwell. His pen pic has him down as a prolific scorer for the youth & reserve side who is also a 2nd year pro at the club. Hopefully he'll do the business at the Turnbull.
Graham Robinson *should* be back in time for the hame game against Droylsden later this month. So far he's having a good spell at Blyth.
One other well known ex-pro is said to want to come & play for us as well. Harry's in talks with him tonight & hopefully there will be good news very shortly. Whitby Town 0-2 Gateshead
BJM Reports
7th September - With victories this season becoming rarer than 'rocking horse droppings' , the Blues were looking to build on Saturday's improved performance. However it wasn't to be as they gave possibly the poorest display since Harry Dunn's arrival. The team line-up was again different from the previous game with another two new faces included in the side, namely Christian Graham & Richard Ward. Despite asking two Committee members for information, neither could tell me anything about them...... Chris Hudson missed the game through injury, there was no sign of Ben Dixon