UniBond Premier Division

6th January 2007

Attendance -

Team - Campbell, Brumwell, Reid(Claisse), Appleby, Farthing, Wilford(Nogan), McTiernan(Ormerod), Drinkall, Raw, Brunskill, Robinson

Report - by Andrew Snaith - Graham Robinson's 101st goal for Whitby Town was enough to send them into the quarter-finals of the Unibond League Challenge Cup after a controversial 93rd minute Danny Brunskill penalty forced extra-time at old foes North Ferriby United on Saturday.

The Blues made two changes from the side that were trounched 4-0 at Burscough the previous week, with defender Phil Brumwell recovering from a stomach bug and James Drinkall also back in the side. Fellow midfielder Stephen Thomas failed to shake off a chest infection and centre-half Neil Wilkinson was allowed to turn out for Northern League First Division Billingham Synthonia.

In a match that started slowly on a bobbly pitch, it was Town who had the only real chance of the opening 25 minutes when skipper Matty Appleby curled a beautiful fifth minute free-kick over the wall from 25 yards only for Antoni Pecora to acrobatically claw the ball wide.

A good build up then saw Ferriby's Leon Wainman place an 18-yard header perfectly into the top-right corner of the Whitby net- the only snag for the East Yorkshire side and the bandana-sporting striker was the linesman's raised flag for offside.

Six minutes later, and former Wales Under-21 full-back Michael Price, who netted in injury time against Ilkeston Town on the same ground seven days earlier, struck Town's near post direct from a corner.

The Blues marched straight up the other end within seconds, won a corner of their own and in a bizarre coincidence, the ball landed at the feet of Whitby full-back Tom Reid who amazingly forced Pecora to tip a ferocious low drive onto his right-hand post, with the rebound cleared upfield.

Ex-Scarborough defender Paul Foot, now Ferriby's captain, then forced Campbell to save well low to his right with another fierce effort from distance. The match was now in full flow and the Town defence were lucky four minutes before half-time when Campbell was again on hand, this time to parry well at his near post and deny the hosts' unmarked leading goalscorer Gary Bradshaw from close range.

Just before the break, there was time for Whitby to craft one more effort. Aron Wilford carried the ball out of defence before striking a 30 yard drive that Pecora did well to cling onto low down at the second attempt, with Tom Raw poised to pounce.

Manager Lee Nogan changed things around at the interval with Ant Ormerod replacing Dave McTiernan in a like for like swap on the left wing.

However, four minutes into the second half and it was the home side who broke the deadlock. Bradshaw, locked with Town's Danny Brunskill on 19 goals this season, grabbed the advantage over Bruno and his side with a fine finish from the edge of the Whitby area, his shot placed over Campbell and into the net via the underside of the crossbar.

Brunskill was then involved as Whitby nearly hit straight back within a minute, holding the ball up well for Drinkall to drive across goal from the edge of the Ferriby area, but narrowly wide of Pecora's left-hand post.

United nearly doubled their lead on 52 minutes when Wainman's point-blank header was saved right on the goal-line by Campbell.

At the other end, Whitby laid seige with Drinkall's downward header picking out Raw in a crowded six-yard box whose poke goalwards was slid off the Ferriby line. The ball was then delivered back across where Danny Farthing's header again picked out Raw. This time the nine-goal striker saw his shot on the turn cannon back off the foot of a post, leaving Town and Raw cursing their luck.

The visitors continued to press winning a succession of corners, but Farthing's header wide was the sum total of their efforts.

United flew up the other end, and only another superb reflex save from Campbell denied Wainman from distance.

Nogan then introduced Tom Claisse for Reid- but the Blues manager quickly grew sick of shouting from the sidelines and within two minutes made his final change, withdrawing Wilford from the fray and bringing on himself to try and influence things more directly with 81 minutes on the clock.

With three minutes left, it seemed Whitby had missed their last chance when Raw set up Brunskill who beat Price but saw his near post effort parried superbly by Pecora.

However, Nogan was going to have far more of an influence on the game than anyone expected as the seconds ticked on. Whitby kept up their pursuit of an equaliser and deep into three minutes of injury time, Brunskill found Nogan inside the six yard box, and the former Reading striker suddenly halted his stride and went down under minimal contact from the covering Wainman. Referee Mr Wooton pointed for a goal-kick, only for the assistant on the near side to draw his flag across his chest, and to the anger of the home side, the decision and Whitby's fortunes were reversed- a penalty was awarded.

There was a long delay as Rob Dewhurst taking the reins for his last match as Ferriby's caretaker boss was sent to the stands for his protests, and any number of his players could've joined him as they surrounded the officials. Dewhurst later claimed on United's official website that "The officials were mugged by an experienced pro for the penalty but that only summed up their general performance." Quote source: http://www.setbb.com/ferriby/viewtopic.php?t=98&mforum=ferriby

Finally, after the smoke cleared, Brunskill stepped up to calmly send Pecora the wrong way and slot home his 20th goal of the season, levelling the tie and his strike tally with Bradshaw's.

Referee Wootton from Wakefield then infuriated the home contingent further at Church Road- blowing for full-time immediately afterwards.

Another long delay followed, before Ferriby understandably began extra-time in determined mood. Four minutes in and Bradshaw forced a good stop from Campbell low down, with the 36-year-old stopper doing well to clutch the loose ball. Seconds later, and Whitby's defence were playing with fire as they left Bradshaw free at the far post, luckily for them the ex-Cheltenham forward delayed his shot but beat Brumwell only to scuff goalwards enabling Campbell to save well with his legs.

Campbell's opposite number was then tested as Ormerod fizzed in an awkward skidding 22-yard drive forcing Pecora to push the ball wide. Whitby should then have grabbed the lead a minute before the break when Robinson nodded a right-wing corner wide from point blank range. At the other end, there was just time for Ferriby to drive a dangerous free-kick inches wide of Campbell's goal.

The second period of extra-time saw the visitors on the attack with Drinkall driving well wide from just outside the box. However, Town's radar was bang on target with five minutes of overtime remaining. A long pass over the top saw Robinson gallop clear and as Pecora came out to challenge, the 32-year-old assistant manager finally decided to lob the ex-Scarborough keeper and found the top-right corner of the net. It was the South African's 101st goal in a Whitby shirt, and surely one of the most important, and it arrived less than two weeks after the century on Boxing Day, ironically, netted in a 4-1 win over Ferriby.

The closest the home side came to forcing penalties was two minutes later when Farthing's clearing header went straight up in the air six yards from goal but the resulting Bradshaw back header lacked power and was comfortably caught by man-of-the-match Campbell.

Town now go through to the quarter-finals of the Challenge Cup, the same stage of the competition they reached last season before bowing out to a last-minute goal at Farsley Celtic. The Blues reached the final of the League's showpiece cup in 2005 but they will be more interested in taking their good fortune from the weekend into Saturday's vital league clash with second-placed Hednesford Town at the Turnbull Ground.