ASHINGTON 1 WHITLEY BAY 1
Tuesday 14th March
A draw was a fair result between two well matched teams in this derby game at Woodhorn Lane on Tuesday evening.
Ryan Keltie returned to the starting eleven following a lengthy injury but Nicky Allen and Tom Gilbey were both missing. This was Whitley’s first game in more than two weeks and they took a few minutes to settle as Ashington had the better of the early exchanges. Former Bay striker Ryan McGorrigan was not far off target for the hosts after just three minutes but when Whitley did create an opening, Kyle Patton was clear on goal but was foiled as keeper Conor Grant raced out to block his shot. Whitley were now getting into their stride and with 19 minutes played, Patton turned provider setting up Thibault Charmey whose first time shot crashed off a defender and behind for a corner. Two minutes later, Charmey played a delightful chip over the Colliers defence and a well timed run from Callum Patton took him clear and he slotted the ball past Grant and into the far corner of the net to put Whitley in front. Maintaining the initiative, Patton then attempted an audacious overhead kick when he connected with a cross from Tom Potter but the ball flew over the bar. Just before the half, hour, Tom Flynn produced an excellent save to push clear a shot from Sampson. Whitley then threatened when Kempster played in Robertson but in taking a second touch rather than shooting first time, he allowed the home defence to block his effort. Four minutes later Ben Harmison hit the base of the Bay post with a powerful volley. Ashington were coming more into the game again and a free kick five minutes before the interval led to the equaliser as Henderson floated the ball into the Bay goalmouth where Harmison headed home to send the sides in level at the interval.
Four minutes after the restart, Kempster was narrowly off target for Whitley, who then forced two corners in quick succession. Tiffoney then fired over the bar for Ashington before Andy Robertson’s low cross evaded everyone in Whitley’s next attack.
Chances came and went at each end as both sides searched for the winner, McGorrigan’s ball across the Bay goalmouth failing to get the vital final touch while Bay substitute Liam Brooks was inches away from connecting with an in-swinging corner from Callum Patton. Andrew Bulford had an excellent chance to seal the points for Ashington in the closing stages but Flynn did extremely well to get his fingertips to the ball and push it over the bar. Deep into stoppage time, another corner from Callum Patton beat the home defence and also the inrushing Tom Potter.
The point extended Whitley’s unbeaten run to five games and keeps them in eighth place, but frustratingly, they now face another free weekend with their next game not until a week on Saturday when they travel to Dunston UTS.
WHITLEY BAY: Flynn, Haley, McDonald, C Patton, Anderson, Keltie(Wilkinson 65mins), Potter, Charmey, Robertson(Brooks 79mins), Kempster, K Patton(Glen-Ravenhill 74mins)
Substitutes not used: Shanks, Moore
Referee: Jonathan Urwin
Cautions: Anderson, C Patton
Attendance: 225
