WHITLEY BAY 1 ASHINGTON 2
Tuesday 20th October
For the second time in a week, Whitley let a winning position slip, conceding twice in the closing stages. Last week Shildon fought back to take a point in a 2-2 draw, but this time it was even more agonising as Ashington snatched all three points with the winning goal coming four minutes into stoppage time and with almost the last kick of the game.
Although they held their own in an evenly matched first half, Whitley were never really at their best against an Ashington side that were lively throughout and appeared stronger in the closing stages.
There were few clear cut chances in the opening half and while the visitors started brightly with former Bay winger Chris Moore whipping the ball across goal in the third minute, it was Whitley who had the better of the early exchanges with Alex Kempster heading narrowly past the post from Mark Bertram’s right wing corner.
At the other end, Andrew Johnson got a shot on target but Dan Gladstone made a comfortable save while four minutes later ex-Collier Michael Bell tried his luck from 25 yards but failed to trouble Conor Grant in the Ashington goal.
Neither keeper was being seriously tested and when Moore made a good run down the right in the 38th minute he delivered a cross that was headed narrowly wide by Kyle Oliver. Within a minute Liam Hudson and Adam Shanks combined to set up a chance for Kempster, whose shot was pushed wide by keeper Conor Grant. Just before the interval, a bouncing ball inside the Colliers’ penalty area caused confusion between Grieve and his keeper Grant, and Shanks got a foot to the ball but his overhead kick drifted wide of goal. Gladstone then made a fine save from Moore’s header to ensure that the sides went in all square at the interval.
Ashington started much the stronger after the break, quickly forcing a series of corners and after Oliver had an attempt saved, Chris McDonald headed off the line before Johnson drove a shot across the face of goal and beyond the far post.
Whitley were struggling to take a grip on proceedings in midfield with too many players performing below their best. It took them 16 minutes to create their first real chance of the half and it should have seen them break the deadlock but after Hudson, out on the right, had played the perfect ball behind the Ashington defence, Shanks could not get sufficient contact on the ball and side footed wide of a gaping goal.
At the other end, Oliver turned and fired in a shot that was also wide of the target but then with 65 minutes played, Whitley went ahead, somewhat against the run of play.
Following good approach work from McDonald, Hughes crossed from the left and Shanks rose above the Ashington defenders to head home his 19th goal of the season.
The goal gave Whitley a real lift and they looked capable of extending their lead as they pushed the visitors back into defence. McDonald’s tantalising deep cross from the left seemed to bamboozle the Colliers’ defence, flying beyond Grant and only just past the back post.
Ashington came back into the game and were having the greater share of possession but without any end result and with time beginning to run out, Whitley seemed to be edging towards victory. However a defensive mistake by Michael Laws 11 minutes from time gifted Steve Harmison’s men the opportunity to get back in the game, when the Bay captain made a loose clearance, playing the ball from near the right touch line across to a crowded midfield rather than to safety down the wing. Michael Dixon, recently signed from Dunston, won the ball then played it to Atkin who found Kyle Downey on the right. Seizing his chance, he drove the ball across Gladstone into the bottom corner of the net. The momentum was now with Ashington and barely a minute later Michael Dixon curled a shot inches past the post.
It had been a well contested game played in good spirits but a brief flare-up inside the Bay half ended with three players cautioned, two from the visitors along with Bay’s Kris Hughes.
Whitley were defending in depth and the result was that whenever they attempted to clear the ball downfield, they immediately gave possession back to Ashington, and put the pressure back on themselves. Five minutes from time, Hudson received the ball from Shanks but blazed his shot high and wide. That was a brief respite for the Bay defence as Ashington pushed forward in search of a winner. Deep into stoppage time, and just when it looked as if the points would be shared, substitute Lee Scott played the ball into the path of Johnson who curled a shot just inside the near post to give his side a last gasp victory and end Whitley’s unbeaten home league record.
WHITLEY BAY: Gladstone, Gibson(Bramley 71mins), McDonald, Bell, Laws, Flynn, Hudson, Bertram, Shanks, Hughes, Kempster
