FA VASE 2nd QUALIFYING ROUND REPLAY
WHITLEY BAY 3 BILLINGHAM SYNTHONIA 0
Tuesday 26th September
Whitley are safely through to the next round of the FA Vase after an impressive victory over Billingham Synthonia. Marc Nash’s side seem to be specialising in cup replays under the Hillheads floodlights, this being their third of the season and once again they delighted their fans with a display of positive and attacking football. The foggy conditions proved challenging both on and off the pitch but the fans who defied the inclement weather were rewarded with a game that provided great entertainment and excellent value for money.
Whitley made two changes from the side that started Saturday’s game on Teesside, Peter Glen-Ravenhill replacing the unavailable Scott Jasper while Michael Hall came in at left back with Jack Walker switching to the opposite flank.
Whitley started strongly while Synthonia seemed content to sit back and soak up the pressure. Andy Robertson was a real threat up front and it was he who set up the opening goal with a run down the left, holding off several challenges before being unceremoniously brought down by centre back James Rowe as he entered the 18 yard box. Referee Elliott Heward briefly hesitated before awarding a penalty which Tom Potter confidently struck past keeper Adrian Beblowski to give Whitley a 17th minute lead. Four minutes later Thibault Charmey struck an excellent curling 20 yard shot that brought an excellent diving save from Synners’ Polish born keeper. Whitley kept up the pressure and Robertson made a great run to the right edge of the penalty area, took the ball past the keeper who just got a hand to divert it away from goal, doing enough to prevent a shot at the empty target. From out on the right, Alex Kempster was left with a narrow angle and his shot hitting the side netting.
Six minutes before the break an excellent passage of play almost saw Whitley double their lead. A perfect ball was played through to Charmey who advanced down the right before crossing to Robertson in front of goal. He was about to slot it into the net but Beblowski somehow managed to block the shot at point blank range.
Synners had failed to get any real shot on target but despite Whitley’s dominance, there was only one goal separating the sides at the interval.
In the two previous games between the sides this month, Synthonia had come back strongly from a goal down and Whitley needed a second to establish their control on the tie. Starting well after the half time break, they got that goal after just five minutes when after stringing several passes together, the ball fell for Jack Walker just inside the penalty area. Taking the ball past a defender he turned and smashed a powerful shot past the unsighted keeper into the roof of the net. Just a week after returning to Hillheads, it was his first goal for the club and it gave a vital two goal cushion. With confidence clearly growing, Michael Hall played in Charmey whose shot flew narrowly wide of the target.
With striker Callum Hassan missing and with Jordan Jewson denied the space he was allowed in Saturday’s game, Synners posed little threat in attack. Bay substitute Matty Cornish came off the bench midway through the half and just four minutes later celebrated his 20th birthday in fine style, putting the icing on the cake for Whitley with a tremendous volley into the top corner of the net from Alex Kempster’s pin-point cross.
Whitley were now cruising to victory and might have added further goals in the remaining 20 minutes. The hugely impressive Thibault Charmey was controlling midfield and might have got on the scoresheet 14 minutes from time with a 25 yard shot that bounced just in front of the keeper but was somehow kept out. After an evening when fans had to peer through the gloom to watch the action, the fog eventually lifted in the final ten minutes as Whitley continued to push forward. With three minutes remaining, Charmey very nearly rounded off the game in spectacular fashion with an acrobatic overhead kick that flew a matter of inches wide with the keeper stranded.
Following this success, Whitley can now look forward to a trip to Hull in the next round on October 21st when they will face new opposition in Westella & Willerby from the Humber Premier League.
WHITLEY BAY: Flynn, Walker, Hall, Haley, Wilkinson, Andderson(Nearney 52mins), Potter (Cornish 65mins) Charmey, Robertson, Kempster(K Patton 70mins), Glen-Ravenhill
Subs not used; Brooks, Harley
Cautions: None
Referee: Elliott Heward
Attendance: 233
