UniBond Premier Division

3rd December 2005

Attendance - 243

Team - Campbell, Atkinson, Veart, Farthing, Wilford, Nicholson, McTiernan, Ormerod, Raw(Barber 34, Hudson 83), Brunskill, Batchelor.

Report - Goalkeeper David Campbell celebrated his 300th appearance for Whitby Town with a clean sheet and a penalty save to earn a share of the spoils at fifth-placed Witton Albion on Saturday.

Missing flu-victims Phil Brumwell, Nick Scaife and Karl Richards, as well as long-term injury victim Graham Robinson, Dave Logan was down to the bare bones with just 13 players available. On-loan teenager Chris Batchelor was handed his first start since October 1st on the left-wing, with Paul Atkinson returning at right-back and Ant Ormerod reverting to a midfield role.

Recent heavy rain in the North West made for a sodden surface at the GMB Stadium with only the frenzied efforts of the Albion groundsman and a group of supporters making the surface playable.

Albion started with former Whitby forward Griff Jones in the red number nine shirt- Jones only appearance in blue saw him score the winner for Whitby in the 2-0 victory at Witton last season.

Whitby looked composed on the ball, playing to feet at every opportunity, but it was the hosts who created the first real chance of the game. And it was no surprise to see Jones involved but sliding the ball wide across goal from 12 yards.

Seconds later though the Blues nearly hit back when captain Scott Nicholson headed straight at keeper Jon Kennedy from Craig Veart’s in-swinging corner.

Whitby continued to threaten in a strong spell with another Veart corner glanced wide from a great position by McTiernan arriving at the far post, the ball striking him just above the eye. Moments later, Nicholson threw an unconvincing right leg at a loose ball just outside the Albion box, shinning the ball well wide.

At the other end, the lively Mark Peers saw his dangerous turn and shot deflected wide.

The Blues suffered a big blow on 34 minutes when striker Tom Raw limped off after a re-occurance of his hamstring injury, midfielder Mark Barber, on-loan with Batchelor from Scarborough took his place, slotting in alongside Nicholson, with Ormerod pushed into attack.

However despite the upheaval, Town came closest to breaking the deadlock five minutes later when Danny Brunskill held the ball up well on the right-edge of the six yard box before turning quickly and forcing Kennedy to tip a ferocious drive onto his own near post.

And from the resulting Veart corner, Danny Farthing headed wide when well placed as Whitby continued to make chances.

But it was almost Witton who grabbed the lead to kick-start a frenetic end to the first half. A minute from the interval, Albion forced a succession of corners and Farthing found himself heading clear from his own goal-line.

The ball was then whisked up to the other end, a long ball was raced onto by Ormerod, but the former Middlesbrough forward was closed down quickly by Kennedy who blocked a tentative low drive with his legs- referee Mr Siddall sounding the half-time whistle as the ball bounced clear.

Amazingly, two minutes into the second half, the Whitby man was to have a chance to quickly make amends. Some lovely one touch football, saw Brunskill return Ormerod’s pass, but once again, the former England Youth international saw a low drive parried by Kennedy and hacked to safety by the relieved Albion defence.

Albion almost made Town pay for another miss, as Nicholson pushed Liam McGuire to the ground just outside the box, the resulting free-kick was neatly cleared after a brief scramble, and three minutes later, Campbell had to be alert to save well low down at his near post.

Whitby kept up the pressure at the other end, with Wilford beating Spearitt in the air and desperately throwing out a left leg as the ball dropped agonisingly in front of him, but the versatile centre-half, still the Blues’ top scorer, could only poke wide at full stretch.

It was to be the visitors’ last chance to test Kennedy as the play-off holders, who held leaders North Ferriby on the same pitch the week before, threw all they had at the men from North Yorkshire.

On the hour mark, a dangerous corner was just about poked off the Whitby line, with the Blues just about surviving.

However, the official from Bolton, who seemed to give every opportunity to the hosts, awarded a penalty on 74 minutes for an apparent handball. Moments earlier, the Albion fans were in uproar when a home striker threw himself to the ground in the area with the referee telling the player to get up but refusing to brandish a yellow card for diving, especially as it followed a similar incident in the first half.

But justice appeared to be done when McGuire tried to place his kick into the bottom-right corner but the ball slowed on the pitch and Campbell was able to smother the effort after diving low to his left.

Mr Siddall again avoided issuing a booking for a home player when Atkinson was scythed down just inside his own half, but instead Barber became the first player to see yellow after a rash lunge around the halfway line on the opposite side of the field.

Five minutes later, and Nicholson became the second when sprinting several metres before diving in late to halt Peers’ progress. With the home support baying for a sending-off as they’d done moments earlier, Siddall opted for another yellow.

Perhaps, the first incident had rattled Barber who decided to run alongside Peers as the pacey forward accelerated towards the Whitby goal but, luckily the tall forward fired unconvincingly high and wide from just inside the box.

With seven minutes remaining, Barber, who had run himself into the ground was given a breather as the substitute was substituted- centre-half Chris Hudson replaced him in a defensive minded change as Whitby attempted to cling on.

Albion, to their credit, never gave up, but Whitby’s well-led rearguard combined with lots of determination, despite a terrifying four minutes of injury time for Logan and the Blues travelling fans to endure, thwarted the men from Cheshire and kept the gap between the sides and Whitby’s path to the play-offs to six points.

The Blues also moved up two places and back into the top half of the table, but, more importantly, will take a heap of positives from a much improved display following last week’s 5-1 thumping just 20 miles away on Merseyside. Campbell was back to his imperious best after last week’s manic error, youngsters Barber and Batchelor worked tirelessly and certainly didn’t look out of place despite their rare appearances of late. Atkinson slotted in seamlessly at right-back and linked up supremely with my man of the match McTiernan, though no-one in a Whitby shirt under-performed this week.