UniBond League Cup

7th January 2006

Attendance - 240

Team - Escritt, Brumwell, Richards, Farthing, Wilford, Barber(Veart 86), McTiernan(Atkinson 80), Nicholson, Ormerod, Brunskill, Eccles(Batchelor 90).

Report - Defender Danny Farthing was the unlikely match winner for Whitby Town when he sidefooted home with 12 minutes remaining to book a place in the quarter-finals of the League Cup at Guiseley on Saturday. Earlier, Danny ‘Bruno’ Brunskill’s sixth goal in three matches cancelled out Sam Denton’s sixth minute opener, Ant Ormered’s putting Whitby ahead at the break before Farthing struck his first of the season to put the result beyond doubt.

Town manager David Logan made three changes to the side that lost 3-2 at Gateshead last Monday with new loan signing from Gretna Mark Eccles making his debut in place of Chris Batchelor on the left wing. Aron Wilford reverted back to central defence with Chris Hudson sidelined for a month with work commitments. Fit-again Ormerod returned to partner Brunskill up front, youngster Karl Richards was tried at left-back again with Craig Veart rested and another teenager Mark Barber got a rare start in midfield.

On a heavy pitch, it was Whitby who had the first real chance inside four minutes when Dave McTiernan had an eternity to nod goalwards inside the home box as the Guiseley defence napped but the youngster’s header was easily caught by keeper Matt Taylor.

However, it was to be the home side who struck first, just seconds after Morgan’s shot was cleared off the line by Farthing, Smithard crossed from the left for Sam Denton to sidefoot home from close range to put Guiseley ahead on six minutes- the seventh time this season Whitby have conceded in the opening ten minutes.

On a difficult surface, both sides were happy to hoof the ball into the air and just play for territory- the indecisive linesman patrolling the Guiseley half came in for plenty of stick as he got numerous decisions wrong and spent much of the half behind the play. On 27 minutes, Taylor picked up another long ball as Ormerod closed in with the keeper, who won the FA Trophy with Burscough in 2004, stood right on the 18 yard line and the ball appearing to many to be outside the box. Neither the well-positioned linesman nor referee Mr Smith gave anything prompting one supporter to ask the assistant if he was “up to the job”- “yes I am up to the job” came the reply, though most of the evidence seemed to contradict the official.

With clear-cut chances at a premium, it took a real moment of genius on 33 minutes to pull Whitby level. Step forward man of the moment Danny Brunskill who with everyone in the ground expecting a pass, turned just outside the Guiseley box and fired an unstoppable drive inside the bottom-right corner of the net which stunned everyone including the flatfooted keeper Taylor and his defence.

The Blues stepped it up a gear and turned the match on it’s head to go 2-1 up three minutes later. Brunskill turned provider this time, scrapping to win the ball in midfield and squaring for Ormerod to drill a deflected drive past Taylor from the edge of the box and into the top-right corner.

Finding themselves 2-1 down at the break, Neil Parsley’s men opened the game up a bit in desperate search of an equaliser in order to take the tie into extra-time, but this approach seemed to fit the visitors like a glove.

On 50 minutes, a spell of head tennis between Ormerod and Brunskill finally culminated in Eccles hooking goalwards but straight at Taylor from an awkward angle just outside the area.

Moments later at the other end, seven-goal David Henry saw his crisp drive from distance deflected wide. The Blues almost extended their lead after Lee Connor’s awful blind backpass saw Whitby win a corner from nothing and Ormerod head over at the near post from McTiernan’s cross.

Talking of McTiernan, the youngster almost got in on the act himself when he cut in from the right and struck a remarkable left foot curler from 20 yards that beat Taylor but thudded against the Guiseley crossbar.

The West Yorkshire side then tested the Blues with their best spell of the match. Firstly, Henry was unlucky after instigating a neat move but his shot from the edge of the box was well judged by Town keeper Escritt.

Seconds later and Morgan drove wastefully wide from 18 yards with Henry unmarked to his right. As the onslaught continued, Richards did well to charge down a goalbound 16 yard effort as the ball pinballed around the Whitby box.

As the pace of the game intensified, Scott Nicholson’s fierce 20 yard effort flew inches wide. Morgan then worked a good position for himself but Escritt did well to tip his near post drive into the side-netting, confusing the poorly sighted home supporters on the far side. Another near post effort was plucked out of the air with relative ease by Escritt, taking the well-struck ball comfortably above his head.

Ormerod struck a warning shot across the Guiseley bow on 77 minutes with Taylor just about getting back to tip over. However, from the resulting McTiernan corner, Nicholson headed back across goal for Farthing to turn and stroke past the helpless Taylor from point blank range for the killer third goal.

A fleet of substitutions followed with Whitby introducing Paul Atkinson, Veart and Batchelor for the final ten minutes with McTiernan, Barber and Eccles respectively making way. The hosts appeared to have accepted their fate and left the visitors to knock the ball between themselves with Brunskill, Ormerod and Eccles trying to outdo each other with the most outrageous piece of skill possible using head, chest and feet, with Eccles’ nutmeg on Connor by the corner flag surely the pick.

The strong travelling contingent of 40-50 from North Yorkshire were left to warmly applaud the men in Blue from the pitch and enjoy the perfect reward for their short trip- a first away win for seven matches, since the 3-1 success at Farsley last October.