WHITLEY BAY 0 NEWCASTLE UNITED U23s 0
Tuesday 25th July
A bumper crowd of 861 fans saw Whitley Bay fully match their professional opponents in a thoroughly entertaining friendly at Hillheads Park on Tuesday evening.
Peter Beardsley’s youthful Newcastle side found Whitley tough opponents and Bay manager Marc Nash was a proud man at the final whistle.
Whitley started well with Jack Byerley driving an early attempt into the side netting. Tom Potter’s dangerous looking cross into the box was then cleared by Mo Sangare before Byerley headed wide from Potter’s cross after United had only partially cleared a corner. Newcastle’s first threat on goal came from Owen Gallacher but Tom Flynn made a good low save. With 13 minutes played, Thibault Charmey shrugged off a defender before getting a shot on goal but United keeper Nathan Harker made a comfortable save.
The best chance of the opening half hour came when Potter crossed from the right and Peter Ravenhill volleyed a powerful effort straight at Harker. Ravenhill then fired wide before Craig Spooner broke downfield and tested Flynn with a long range effort that may have been curling just past the post but the Bay keeper was taking no chances and pushed it wide. Charmey’s deflected shot looped high over the bar five minutes before the interval and at the break there was little to choose between the sides.
Soon after the restart McNall was denied by Flynn following a free kick but then United made six substitutions as they set about giving game time to all of their 19 strong squad.
Just before the hour mark, the impressive Aiden Haley set Potter clear but he could not capitalise and Harker saved with ease.
Five minutes later an excellent Bay move brought warm applause from the fans when Byerley’s ball into the box was hooked inches wide by Haley.
During the final half hour both sides made a series of substitutions and with 15 minutes to go, Newcastle thought they had taken the lead through one of their replacements when Tyrique Bartlett slotted home a cross from the right but an offside flag had been raised and the goal was ruled out.
Fears among Bay fans that the fitness levels of the full timers would prove decisive turned out to be unfounded as in the final ten minutes Whitley finished strongly, twice going close to snatching victory. Kempster saw a shot blocked with Byerley drilling the rebound wide then in the final minute substitute Noah Summers headed narrowly wide from Potter’s corner.
Despite their best endeavours Whitley could not break down a disciplined United defence while at the other end, commanding performances by Callum Anderson who won virtually every tackle and Ross Wilkinson who was dominant in the air kept the visitors out.
It was a very creditable display by the whole Bay squad who remain unbeaten in their pre-season fixtures.
Premier League referee Michael Oliver was in charge of the game but had little to do in what was a hard fought but cleanly contested game.
After the match, the United team manager Peter Beardsley complimented Whitley on their performance, adding “Whitley Bay is a great football club and it’s run by good people – that’s why we come here.”
The former United legend then chatted to appreciative fans in a hastily arranged talk-in which continued for more than double the planned half hour in a packed Seahorse clubhouse.
WHITLEY BAY: Flynn, Byerley(Summers 80mins), Hall(Reay 67mins), Haley, Wilkinson, Anderson, Potter, Charmey(C Patton 63mins), K Patton(Jasper 70mins), Kempster, Ravenhill(Cunningham 84mins)
Referee: Michael Oliver
Attendance: 861
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