WHITLEY BAY 1 CHESTER-LE-STREET TOWN 2
Tuesday 4th October
Whitley’s poor run of form continued when they were beaten by newly promoted Chester-le-Street. The hard working visitors belied their lowly position in the league with a battling display and they were worthy of all three points while Whitley once again produced a disjointed and lacklustre performance.
Ian Chandler made four changes to the sides beaten at Seaham at the weekend, with Gibson, Haley, Allen and Robertson restores to the starting line up.
After a quiet opening, the first real chance came in the 17th minute when Cameron Nichol’s free kick for the visitors, from just outside the penalty area was blocked by the Bay defence. Three minutes later, Whitley’s first opportunity came when Alex Kempster’s cross flew just beyond the reach of Andy Robertson.
Chester took a fortuitous 22nd minute lead when a hopeful cross from out on the right by Dominic Laws was inadvertently sliced into his own net by Steve Gibson. Whitley responded with Wilkinson’s back header from McDonald’s cross going narrowly past the post. In another Chester attack, Flynn made a good save from Surrey and when play transferred back upfield, Andy Robertson levelled the score when he got on the end of Aiden Haley’s cross from the right to divert the ball past keeper Jack Wilson into the corner of the net.
Hopes that Whitley would press on and take control of the game were quickly dispelled when in the best move of the game, a quick break by the visitors ended with Callum Johnston curling a great shot into the top corner of the net giving Tom Flynn no chance.
Other than a Robertson shot that was blocked, there was little further action before the half time whistle.
Whitley looked a little more lively for a period after the interval, Robertson seeing a shot pushed wide before Chester defender Chris Stephenson’s defensive header flew inches wide of the post. In general though, it was the visitors who looked the hungrier and more determined side, while Whitley lacked cohesion with passes all too often going astray.
Into the final quarter, play became scrappy with neither side creating much and in the closing stages, tempers began to fray as the visitors battled hard to hold on for a precious victory that saw them climb out of the bottom three.
WHITLEY BAY: Flynn, Gibson(Shanks 58mins), Allen(Nearney 46mins), Haley, Wilkinson, Anderson, Fryatt, Fowler(Patton 69mins), Robertson, McDonald, Kempster
Substitutes not used: Keltie, Potter
Caution: Shanks
Referee: Stephen Dial
Attendance: 214
