UniBond Challenge Cup

18th December 2004

Attendance - 217

Team - Escritt, Williams, Veart, Farthing, Linighan, Nicholson, Bishop, Scaife, Ormerod, Robinson(Johnson 53), Pounder. Subs not used: L Gildea, Atkinson.

Report - by Andrew Snaith - Whitby Town reached the quarter-finals of the Unibond League Cup and extended their unbeaten run to 16 matches on Saturday at the Turnbull after a 2-1 victory over Lincoln United.
Scarborough Loanee David Pounder netted his third in three matches and Neil Bishop completed the scoring after Dave Logan's side found themselves behind at half-time.

Logan made four changes from the side that drew at Matlock the week before with understudy keeper Ben Escritt, defender Graham Williams, forward Graham Robinson and flu-victim Ant Ormerod all returning, as Dave Campbell, Paul Atkinson, Steve Johnson and Dave McTiernan were rested.

However, it was the squad rotated Blues that applied all the early pressure. Within four minutes, Ormerod's effort was beaten away by Lincoln keeper Nick Conroy. Five minutes later and Craig Veart laid off for Nick Scaife to strike an awkward low drive straight at Conroy who was forced to deflect the skidding ball around his left-hand post. Seconds later, Pounder's inspired run down the left saw him ghost past two defenders but hammer a loose shot high and wide.

In a shock moment, Lincoln almost led on 27 minutes when Gary Bull's side volley was brilliantly parried by the diving Escritt and clutched at the second attempt with the ball bouncing on the Whitby goal-line.

The Blues still held the lion's share of possession without threatening Conroy's goal, so it was a big suprise when the mid-table visitors took the lead seconds before the half-time whistle sounded. Charlie Trout burst down the right flank and laid off for Matt Roche to fire clinically between Escritt's legs and into the roof of the net from close range for a shock opener.

A much more purposeful Seasiders side emerged for the second half and they showed intent right from the get-go when Veart's throw was flicked on by Robinson, but Ormerod volleyed wide from close range. On 51 minutes, Robinson's driven cross from the right beat defender Jonty Hawley and Ormerod, somehow squirming out for a Lincoln throw-in.

Two minutes later, and Paul Bartle's late slide challenge on Robinson, saw the South African limp off the field, with Johnson taking his place in attack.

And moments later, Whitby threatened again when Ormerod headed over Veart's corner on the hour mark and Johnson was straight into the game, nodding off target from another right-wing cross within minutes.

The Seasiders had their best chance on 69 minutes from nothing. Scaife surged forward and battered a low piledriver goalwards from all of 30 yards, with Conroy only able to parry, however, no Whitby player was on hand to follow-up and Ben Brown cleared.

The momentum was not to be lost for the Yorkshiremen as scores were levelled with 18 minutes left. Ormerod again got to the byline, putting over an inviting cross from the right, which the unmarked Pounder volleyed home at the far post.

Game on, and so it proved as the Blues turned the match on it's head and lead four minutes later. Johnson's low drive was parried but Neil Bishop showed excellent composure to fire home the rebound from 18 yards, reminiscent of Everton's winner in last week's Merseyside derby.

In-between, Bull headed straight at Escritt at the other end. But it was all Whitby until the end with Conroy spilling Linighan's 77th minute header but doing well to push wide Bishop's goalbound follow-up. In the final minute, Ormerod raced clear, only for Bartle to slide in at the last second to prevent a killer third goal.

All in all, despite a lax start, Whitby deserved to progress into the last eight of the Unibond League's premier cup competition. More importantly they extended an unbeaten run stretching back as far as October 6th and comprehensively outplayed the visitors with some excellent football in the final 20 minutes.