HEATON STANNINGTON 1 WHITLEY BAY 6
Thursday 26th July
In weather more suited to cricket than football, Whitley hit Heaton Stannington for six in their latest pre-season friendly, with three trialists getting on the score sheet in the first half.
The Northern League Second Division side only just missed out on promotion last season but they were no match for a clinical Bay side who were much more effective in front of goal and composed in defence.
To most of the large contingent of Whitley fans in the crowd, there were very few familiar faces in the starting eleven, the only members of last season’s squad being keeper Tom Flynn, captain on the night, and teenager Kieran Brannen.
In an early attack by the hosts, Wright forced Flynn to tip the ball over the bar but it was Whitley who took the lead in the ninth minute when striker Trialist D slotted home from eight yards. The same player should have doubled the advantage seven minutes later but his header from Foalle’s cross crashed off the bar with the keeper beaten.
A clumsy challenge just inside the box gave Whitley a penalty on the half hour and Trialist B sent the keeper the wrong way to make it 2-0. Wright broke through for Heaton a few minutes later but wayward finishing let him down. Back came Whitley and with 36 minutes played they added a third when Trialist C nonchalantly slotted the ball home from 15 yards. The pattern of the game was summed up moments later when Stannington failed to capitalise on a chance to reduce the arrears, with Flynn making a fine save so it was Whitley who held a commanding 3-0 interval lead.
Little more than three minutes after the break, it was 4-0 thanks to an exquisite 20 yard finish from Kieran Brannen. Jack Foalle soon made it five with a shot from out on the right that beat the keeper and flew into the opposite corner of the net.
Ex-Whitley striker Lewis Burns tested Flynn with a strong shot that the Bay keeper saved well but the pace and skill of Brannen was causing all sorts of problems for the home side as the youngster repeatedly tore through from midfield and twice came within inches of extending Whitley’s lead.
Disciplined Bay defending and profligate finishing by Heaton were hampering the Second Division side but they did eventually get a goal back in the 71st minute when former Bay striker Andy Robertson poked the ball home from eight yards. As a precautionary measure after picking up a slight injury, Flynn was replaced in goal by Luke Salmon, but the emergency keeper, usually a defender or left sided midfielder, performed admirably and made a great save as the hosts attempted to capitalise on what they must have assumed would be a weak link in Whitley’s defence.
As it turned out, it was the Bay who finished the stronger with Foalle outpacing a tiring defence to lob the ball over the keeper for a sixth goal with just ten minutes remaining.
WHITLEY BAY: Starting X1 included Flynn, Redford, Hassan, Carr, Foalle, Brannen and five trialists. Substitutes included: Glen-Ravenhill, L Anderson, Salmon, Hall, Dinsley, Hucks, Ramsey.
