UniBond Premier Division

1st April 2006

Attendance - 115

Team - Campbell, Wilkinson, Thornton(Nicholson 78), Farthing, Wilford, Richards, Brumwell, Claisse(Barber 85), Ormerod, Brunskill, Yalcin. Sub not used: Atkinson.

Report - Whitby’s play-off hopes are surely all over after a disappointing 1-1 draw with crisis club Runcorn at Prescot’s Valerie Park on Saturday.

Following Friday’s Unibond transfer deadline, the Blues fielded three debutants in released Bradford City duo Thomas Claisse and Darren Thornton, alongside on-loan Hartlepool United right-back Martin Wilkinson.

Dave McTiernan began a three match suspension with young trio Ben Escritt, Chris Batchelor and Ricky Greening failing to make the squad. The home side, struggling second from bottom, also had an unfamiliar look about it with financial problems leading to a mass exodus.

After a quiet opening, it was the visitors who threatened first with Wilkinson’s long throw a useful feature. Top scorer Danny Brunskill, chasing down Paul Pitman’s 23 Unibond goals in a season record, was unsurprisingly the architect of Whitby’s opening goal on 19 minutes. It was the first real opportunity for either side as Brunskill battered home his 15th league goal, and 17th in all competitions out of absolutely nothing- a 25 yard piledriver that caught goalkeeper Robbie Holcroft by surprise and nestled in the bottom right corner of the Runcorn net before the keeper could react.

Buoyed by this, the Blues came close to doubling their lead seconds later when Thornton’s neatly struck free-kick from similar distance looped just over the crossbar.

And Town very nearly converted another chance, just two minutes later when Thornton tricked his way down the left and drilled a dangerous low cross that struck a home defender and forced Holcroft into a tremendous reflex save with the ball heading for the bottom left corner.

In Runcorn’s only chance of the half, Tom Lamb fired straight at Dave Campbell ten minutes before the break.

However, the second half was a different story with the Linnets stepping things up a gear and beginning to control the game in midfield. Three minutes after the restart, a right-sided corner was headed on for Lamb to execute an acrobatic bicycle kick, but again, Campbell was able to save comfortably.

The home side continued to press but very nearly found themselves two goals down on 56 minutes when Karl Richards blasted a 25 yard piledriver against the underside of the Runcorn bar with the ball bouncing on the line and eventually, hooked clear.

Undeterred, Runcorn, who have not paid their players for two months because of spiralling debts and conceded 14 goals in their last three games, were rewarded for their efforts, pulling level on 74 minutes. Campbell struck a poor clearance straight at Lamb, and the Whitby keeper found himself marooned off his line, as the former Vauxhall Motors forward chipped instinctively home from 20 yards for the equaliser.

More indecision at the back from the Seasiders almost resulted in the hosts finding a shock winner with nine minutes remaining, but this time, midfielder Colin Quirk fired over the top from similar distance.

Despite replacing the Bradford duo with midfielders Scott Nicholson and Mark Barber, Whitby fared little better in the remainder of the match. And with three minutes left, the largely anonymous Ant Ormerod characterised the Blues current form, striking an unconvincing effort well over the home crossbar.