UniBond Premier Division

14th February 2004

Attendance - 376

Team - Campbell, Obern, Williams, Reed, Hall, Craddock, Ormerod, Gildea, Nicholson, Appleby, McTiernan. Subs not used - Veart, Dixon, Linighan

Report - Whitby Town salvaged a deserved draw in their UniBond Premier Division match at Worksop with a last minute penalty from Andrew Appleby. The Seasiders had more than matched their top six opponents all match but fell behind to an 82nd minute Joe Taylor goal.
Whitby started the game with the same eleven who overcame Wakefield and Emley in midweek, Craig Veart remained on the bench.
Worksop were quickly into their stride on a sticky pitch and went close in the first minute when former Harrogate Town man Paul Sykes fed Matty Cauldwelldown the left but his shot from 18yards was wayward.
Five minutes later Simeon Bambrook crossed from the right but Whitby's Adam Reed headed clear before Sykes could reach the ball.
Chris Beardsley tried his luck from 10 yards with a bicycle kick that was easily saved by David Campbell, befotr Andrew Appleby's flick on saw Scott Nicholson the chance for Whitby's first shot on target. His lob was easily taken by McCarthy in the Worksop goal.
David Campbell then made an outstanding save when his reactions to a Bambrook header kept Whitby level.
Whitby started to get more into the game and David McTiernan hit a free kick from 22 yards over the bar. Soon after Mark Obern had a shot defelcted for a corner after he had powerfully shot from 20 yards out.
With 25 minutes played Campbell got down well to hold on to Beardsley's free kick.
Whitby then exerted some real pressure on the home goal. A McTiernan corner was flicked on by Adam Reed at the near post but the ball was taken off Appleby's head before he could score. Two minutes later in the 34th Nicholson's back header from Gildea's free kick nearly fooled McCarthy.
A great move involving McTiernan, Appleby and Gildea saw the ball cleared for a corner by a solid Worksop defence, after some neat football.
With 6 minutes to half time Worksop sub Harrison fired over from 20 yards. This was followed by a mazy Alex Gildea run, which resulted in him being upended on the edge of the penalty area. Gildea got up and curled a right footed effort wide of thr right hand post with McCarthy beaten.
A minute later Anthony Ormerod's header was easily gathered by McCarthy and in injury time Bambrook and Cauldwell combined down the Whitby left, before Reed got a saving foot in.
Whitby should have taken the lead a minute into the second half. Darren Craddock went on a great run and fed Nicholson inside the area, but from 8 yards out his weak shot was smothered by McCarthy when he should have done better.
After some more neat Whitby football, Ormerod then produced a great cross from the left which saw Appleby head wide.
David Campbell was brought into the action just after the hour mark when he was forced to punch away a dangerous free kick after Reed had fouled Beardsley. The same man then missed a great chance for the home side when he blazed over from 8 yards out follwoing a good move down the left.
Appleby forced McCarthy to make his best save of the match with 18 minutes remaining. The Hartlepool youngster showed great composureon the ball to find space outside the area. He unleashed an excellent effort that McCarthy was forced to tip over for a corener.
The corner resulted in a ding dong in the Worksop box before it was cleared. With the clock showing 82 minutes Whitby suffered a body blow when a needless free kick was conceded on the left hand side. The resulted cross was headed home by the unmarked Joe Taylor from 8 yards out.
Whitby were then hard done by when McTiernan fired across a corner and when Nicholson rose at the back post to score, the referee ruled his effort out for pushing to the amazement of the travelling fans and the Whitby players.
With injury time looming, Whitby were not to be denied and in an almost identical situation, it was Tony Hall who rose highest to head for goal. The ball was stopped on the line by the arm of Worksop defender Ludlam. Ludlam was rather harshly dismissed by the referee who could have shown some leniency with seconds left and a penalty awarded.
Andrew Appleby stepped up and slotted the ball home from the spot despite a valaint effort from McCarthy to make the score 1-1. The relief and joy was evident on the faces of the Whitby players as they celebrated.
Another good away performance from Jekyll and Hyde Whitby, who once again showed some good invention and neat football on their travels.

Man of the Match - David McTiernan - An outstanding first half and some wicked crosses supplied Appleby and Nicholson all game.