Team - Liversedge, Craddock, Scott, Hassan, Burgess, Lyth, Hackworth, A Campbell (Southern - 70 mins), Leeson, Beadle, Batchelor
Subs not used: Dalton, Oakley, Owens, D Campbell
Report - by Andy Baxter - Whitby's new manager, Tommy Cassidy, took charge for his first game against Retford with former manager, Harry Dunn, sitting in the stand watching.
Whitby had the opening chance in the 9th minute when a cross from Andy Campbell found the head of stand in striker, Andy Leeson, but his effort went just over the visitor's bar. Although Retford had the early exchanges, their final ball was wayward and to be truthful, so was Whitby Town's, with both teams producing a poor spectacle in the first 20 minutes with neither side testing the keepers. Whitby then appeared to lift their play and a 25 yard Ashley Lyth strike flew inches past the outstretched keeper, Josh Mimms. Minutes later, Andy Campbell tried his luck, forcing the Retford shot stopper to save.
Whitby were now looking the dominant force and some long, penetrating passes were causing the Retford defence problems. Jimmy Beadle produced a close range header on 28 minutes, only to see it go straight in to the keepers hands. But the pressure Whitby applied made the hiome crowd convinced that an opening goal would come soon and Retford were struggling to deal with the onslaught and get out of their own half, until the 35th minute when a through ball beat the Whitby defenders and found Josh Vernon unmarked in the box. He controlled the ball and then mishit his shot somewhat allowing Nick Liversedge to make the save with a real opportunity for the visitors to take the lead squandered.
With 5 minutes of the half remaining, a long range drive from Batchelor narrowly flew wide of the Retford goal and another from Ashley Lyth followed. But Whitby took a deserved lead on 44 minutes when Whitby captain, Tony Hackworth, connected near the penalty spot and crashed the ball home through a crowd of players and the beaten Mimms.
Retford brought on veteran Ryan Hindley to start the second half but were soon under pressure once again from Whitby. A neatly orchestrated move ending with a header from Leeson across to Andy Campbell, saw the Whitby striker volley from the edge of the area, only for his shot to fly narrowly over the bar. Moments later, another quality move worthy of a goal saw Beadle heading against the visitors crossbar and the ball scrambled away from defenders who were panicked by the pressure from the Seasiders.
The game then entered a period of stalemate until the 74th minute when a free kick taken by David Southern, who had come on for Andy Campbell, was squared to Ashley Lyth who once again thundered a shot goal wards, only for Mimms to parry the ball down to Leeson whose resulting header frustratingly went over the bar with a empty net beckoning.
Within 2 minutes the home side had another chance to increase their lead when Leon Scott played a deep ball into the box which Hackworth headed across to Beadle only for his volley to again fly over the bar.
Then, totally against the run of play, Retford got themselves on level terms with a free kick, taken by the ex Arsenal player, Paul Shaw, which flew into a crowd of players at the edge of the Whitby area, keeper Liversedge also coming out to gather the cross, and seeing Joe Boggild rise above everyone with a free header which looped over the stranded Whitby keeper and into the net.
But 3 minutes later, Whitby regained their lead with a deep corner from Beadle to the back post and there was the incoming Kevin Burgess to nod in unchallenged from 2 yards out.
With 2 added minutes remaining, Whitby could have made it 3 goals when a ball played into the Retford area found the outstretched leg of Beadle, but it wasn't to be his night as he steered the ball agonizingly close past the left hand post and the game ended with a narrow victory and 3 much needed points to Whitby Town.
After the game, new manager, Tommy Cassidy said "We deserved to win, but in parts we were poor, especially in the second half. There is lots of room for improvement and I feel at the moment having seen the side twice now, that there are 6 or 7 who are my core players but the rest will need to prove they can do it as well. They will all be given the chance to do that but if they don't, then they will have to move on and I will be looking from now to strengthen the side. The priority is to win games and climb up the table away from the relegation area and although I want my side to play attractive football, the results at the moment are more important. However, I want it made clear that Saturday's FA Trophy opposition, Clitheroe, will be a lot harder side to beat than Retford were and to do that we will really need to improve".
