UniBond Premier

28th January 2006

Attendance - 286

Team - Escritt, Atkinson, Veart, Farthing, Wilford, Barber(Brumwell 81), McTiernan(Lyth 51), Nicholson, Ormerod, Brunskill, Batchelor. Sub not used: Campbell.

Report - by Andrew Snaith - A 43 minute Danny Brunskill hat-trick helped Whitby to a crushing 4-0 victory on Saturday at the Turnbull against former Conference club Runcorn FC Halton. However, despite the former Durham City striker blasting his second treble of the season, the Blues remain in tenth spot in the league as the sides immediately above them all picked up results- though now just one point separates 7th from 10th.

Manager David Logan was once-again without striker Tom Raw, who despite a brief substitute appearance at Marine last week, is still hampered by a hamstring injury- winger Mark Eccles was again ruled out after suffering a knock two weeks ago in the win over Lincoln, and midfielder Karl Richards served a one-match suspension after a sending-off in the same match. Craig Veart made his first start since his penalty heartbreak at Gateshead on 2 January, replacing Richards in midfield. Another experienced performer Phil Brumwell returned to the bench after missing out at Marine and he was joined by debutant 18-year-old Whitby lad Adam Lyth signed on-loan from Scarborough Under 19s.

Despite being fourth-bottom going into the game, it was the visitors who threatened first when Colin Flood broke clear but hammered well wide from just inside the Whitby box. The action then spilled to the other end as captain Scott Nicholson lofted a long ball over the top for Brunskill to chase- the 6’4”+ striker beat Runcorn keeper Robbie Holcroft to the loose ball, rounding him before driving confidently into the roof of the empty net for the opening goal.

Far from overawed, the Cheshire side rallied and within seconds won a free-kick which Flood battered towards the top-right corner of the net- only for Blues keeper Ben Escritt to throw himself upwards and tip the ball wide- an incredible reflex save.

Left-sided midfield man Flood again sprinted clear but his radar was off target for a second time, blazing over from a good position on 20 minutes. With chances at a premium, Brunskill’s amazing eye for goal was again vital as Whitby opened up a two goal lead just after the half-hour mark. Brunskill, who notched 27 goals for Spennymoor United despite a long-term injury and the County Durham only completing 33 league matches, had three defenders between him and Holcroft’s goal, but catching the keeping unawares, the big forward lashed a low drive that somehow flew inside the near post for 2-0 Whitby.

Within four minutes Brunskill was at it again, making room for himself before striking instinctively just wide from 20 yards.

As has been proved in the last month, Brunskill rarely stops at one goal, and this afternoon two was not enough either. Three minutes into the second half, Whitby’s number ten- nicknamed Bruno- had his third. The away defence, dressed in Norwich’s yellow and green colours, looked to have flown the nest and headed for a canal boat as teenager Chris Batchelor jinked his way through before neatly playing in Brunskill- as the visitors’ defence stood flatly appealing in vain for offside- Bruno sidefooted coolly past Holcroft for his ninth goal in the last six matches for 3-0 and the knockout blow to the relegation-threatened Linnets.

There was one disappointment for the home side when the lively Dave McTiernan was poleaxed by the far touchline and hobbled off early in the second period, with England youth cricketer Lyth taking his place at right-wing-back. Another on-loan Scarborough player Mark Barber had his chance to cap a fine display with a first Whitby goal, but the youngster, described by some as “The White Makelele” poked well over from just outside the box- the ball heading off to join his play-a-like in West London.

Runcorn player-manager Stephen Carragher introduced himself and his assistant Paul Burns to shore up the Linnets defence, with youngster Gerard Maloney coming on later to force more impetus going forward. But none of this could prevent the rampant Seasiders from netting a fourth at the Turnbull Ground for the seventh time this season, and it was arguably the goal of the game with 12 minutes remaining. With Holcroft caught in no mans land, Ant Ormerod nonchalantly executed a sweetly-struck curling lob over the stranded keeper and inside the top-right corner of the net for 4-0.

Moments later, Brumwell got a run out for the final ten minutes with Barber making way. Desperately seeking a consolation goal, the visitors piled forward with eight minutes remaining, but skipper Paul Scott’s chip goalwards was plucked out of the air expertly by Escritt, showing his opposite number how it’s done on the way to a second successive clean sheet.

At the other end, Brunskill left Burns smouldering in his wake as he cut inside the Runcorn box from the left flank before unselfishly cutting the ball back for Nicholson to fire wastefully over via the top of the crossbar from six yards out. Two minutes later, and Lyth nearly spoiled the home crowd with a goal on his debut, exchanging passes with fellow Whitby-based team-mate Batchelor and moving inside from the right and firing an angled drive goalwards, but Holcroft was not to be beaten for a second time at his near post and fended the ball away.

The dying embers of the game saw the visitors rub salt into their own wounds when Scott fired narrowly wide from distance but eleven-goal top-scorer Lee Furlong was saved the miss of the match when Anthony Bowden’s cross cum-shot flew across goal from the edge of the six yard box and Furlong conspired to poke wide from fully two yards out as his surname reflected the distance the ball landed from Escritt’s goal.

All in all then a fine all-round performance by the Blues, who now go to relegation-threatened Ilkeston next Saturday unbeaten in their last four matches and with just one loss from their last nine.