WHITLEY BAY 3 NEWCASTLE BENFIELD 3
Saturday 13th October
This was a thoroughly entertaining, action packed local derby and while a draw was a fair result, Whitley will feel disappointed to have conceded an equaliser with virtually the last kick of the game.
On National Non-League Day, this was a superb advert for football outside the professional game and the attendance was boosted by Newcastle United fans who had been encouraged to support their local non-league side. Their response was hugely positive with some saying it was the best game they had seen this season.
Credit must go to both Whitley Bay and Newcastle Benfield for their open, attacking football which produced six goals, a saved penalty and shots that crashed off the frame of the goals.
Whitley had crushed their rivals 6-1 earlier in the season but this game was never going to be so one-sided, especially with Benfield players determined to impress their newly appointed manager Tom Wade, who took up his post in midweek.
On a blustery but very mild afternoon, both sides created early chances, a run from Jack Foalle almost creating an opening before Mark Turnbull blocked his run, then Craig McFarlane put over a cross from the right that eluded keeper Andrew Grainger and was just too high for Luke Salmon as he came in near the back post.
Whitley took the lead in the 18th minute when Foalle was brought down on the right edge of the box by James Martin and Gavin Caines comfortably beat Grainger from the penalty spot. Six minutes later, Benfield had a great chance to draw level when Dennis Knight crossed into the Bay six yard box but David Robinson sent his header over the bar.
The miss was to prove costly as Whitley doubled their lead in the 28th minute. There seemed no immediate threat as a Bay attack developed but from 25 yards out, Luke Salmon spotted a gap in the Benfield defence and his tremendous swerving shot left Grainger helpless as it flew into the centre of the goal. Barely a minute later, Andrei Ardelean tested Grainger with a shot that the keeper pushed wide.
Rather than capitalise on their two goal advantage, Whitley seemed to sit back and Benfield enjoyed a period of possession when they threatened to get back in the game. Evergreen striker Paul Brayson forced Chris Bannon to push a shot wide, before Robinson struck the underside of the bar and when the ball rebounded away, Knight had an attempt blocked before another effort from Robinson was only narrowly off target with the Bay defence at full stretch.
Two minutes before the interval Brayson was denied by the bar before play quickly switched to the other end as Glen-Ravenhill burst forward before Foalle took the ball wide of Grainger, crossed for Ardelean who appeared to have a simple tap in but Turnbull raced back just in time to divert his shot wide.
Whitley retained their two goal lead at the interval but it was hardly an accurate reflection of the first half as Benfield had fought back strongly in the final 15 minutes.
Continuing on the attack, the visitors soon reduced the arrears when play resumed. Robinson wasted a glorious chance after being played clear but within a minute Brayson played Jake Orrell through on the left and he slotted the ball beyond Bannon.
A cross from Glen-Ravenhill was headed over the bar by Ardelean but the chances were coming mostly from Benfield and it came as no great surprise when they equalised in the 56th minute and there was a degree of inevitability about the scorer, Brayson seizing on the ball some 18 yards from goal, before finding space and driving a powerful shot past Bannon. The omens were not looking good for Whitley at this stage having conceded their two goal lead but they gradually battled their way back, Callum Anderson sending a 20 yard effort just over the bar before Foalle, spotting Grainger off his line, tried an audacious long distance lob which drifted just wide of the far post. Back at the other end, Bannon had to be alert to push a long range effort from Evans over the bar. The Bay keeper, making only his third appearance, then conceded a 69th minute penalty when he dived at the ball but succeeded only in bringing down Knight. However, he redeemed himself moments later when he saved Brayson’s spot kick, pushing the ball onto the bar before it was cleared to safety. Remarkably, this was the third penalty save by a Bay keeper this season, and it kept Whitley in the game.
Three minutes later, Kevin Carr came off the bench and with his first touch of the ball he almost put Whitley back in front. Foalle had an attempt blocked and when the ball rebounded to Carr, he drilled a low shot back at goal where it was repelled for a second time, but on this occasion Foalle made no mistake, crashing the ball past Grainger from 12 yards to extend his remarkable goalscoring record to ten consecutive games. More importantly, having weathered a prolonged period of Benfield pressure, it put Whitley back in front.
With time running out, Grainger denied Foalle before Nisbet and then sub McCarthy both failed to capitalise on chances for the visitors.
In the third minute of stoppage time, Benfield were controversially given a throw in midway inside the Bay half. Launching the ball into the box, Holmes sent a header onto the post and Turnbull poked home the rebound to level the score. There was hardly time to restart the game before the final whistle ended an enthralling encounter.
WHITLEY BAY: Bannon, McFarlane, Walton, Anderson, Caines, Hassan, Glen-Ravenhill(Carr 72mins), Salmon, Ardelean(Ramsey 87mins), Foalle, Martin
Subs not used: R Redford, Brannen, Christensen
Cautions: Glen-Ravenhill, Anderson, Walton
Referee: Chris Ellis
Attendance: 455
