NORTHUMBERLAND SENIOR CUP 1st ROUND
HEATON STANNINGTON 4 WHITLEY BAY 3
Wednesday 24th October
This was an action packed cup tie with seven goals, a controversial penalty and shots at both ends striking the woodwork or being cleared off the line. It was certainly an exciting game for the neutral but unfortunately for Whitley it ended in the disappointment of a narrow defeat.
Second Division Heaton Stannington came into the game full of confidence following a run of seven victories and after a gripping encounter they deservedly progressed to the next round.
Whitley started strongly and went close in the third minute when good work from Glen-Ravenhill and Ramsey set up Ardelean whose effort was only narrowly wide of the back post.
Heaton then settled and Lewis Burns, one of four former Bay players in the home side, drove a shot across goal and beyond the far post. Two minutes later another cross from Burns flew across the face of the Bay goal.
Ramsey failed to make sufficient contact on a cross from Ardelean when Whitley broke down the other end and the chance was gone. In the 20th minute Cooper sent a looping header only just wide as Heaton kept up the pressure with Burns causing most of the problems with his pace down the right wing.
The deadlock was broken in the 25th minute and it was Whitley who went in front when striker Andrei Ardelean produced a moment of real class, his overhead kick from the edge of the box flying past the helpless Dan Regan in the Heaton goal.
The home side fought back and on the half hour, Connor Campbell’s dangerous looking cross was cut out by Chris Bannon. However, four minutes later Campbell, another former Bay striker, levelled from the spot after Heaton were awarded a penalty when Burns went down following a challenge the box. While the decision was felt by many to be harsh on Whitley, there was no doubt that the hosts deserved to be on level terms.
Two minutes before the interval a powerful shot from Ryan Redford was finger-tipped over the bar by Regan and with Whitley finishing the half strongly, McFarlane’s cross saw Ardelean’s header pushed wide by the home keeper.
In a lively start to the second period, Lewis Walton’s cross into the box resulted in the ball ricocheting around the six yard box before being deflected behind for a Bay corner. Glen-Ravenhill then brought a fine save from Regan, with the keeper pushing his shot just wide. Ardelean’s header was held right on the line by the Heaton keeper but Whitley’s early pressure was to count for nothing as the Stan burst away in the 51st minute with a long clearance from the back and Andy Robertson’s shot beat Bannon and crashed off the far post, leaving Campbell with a simple tap in to put the hosts in front. Five minutes later it got even worse for Whitley when Robertson took advantage of slack defending to slot the ball beyond Bannon leaving Burns with an easy finish.
It was looking grim for Whitley at this stage but in a bid to change the course of the game, Luke Salmon, who had surprisingly been left out of the starting eleven, was brought on along with youngster Kieran Brannen. Within a minute, the visiting fans were cheering a second Bay goal when Ardelean crossed from the left and Stephen Ramsey slotted home from six yards.
Two minutes later Heaton responded, creating two good chances, Ibby Hassan heading Robertson’s effort off the line. Brannen then tried dribbling his way through the home penalty area but was crowded out. It was the Second Division side who were posing the greater threat and they regained their two goal lead in the 73rd minute when Robertson produced an excellent finish with a shot across Bannon into the far corner of the net.
Dan Taggart, who had missed the previous five games through injury, replaced Ramsey for the final 15 minutes as Whitley made their final throw of the dice. A corner almost brought reward as Anderson’s header was blocked almost on the line but ten minutes from time, Kieran Brannen’s persistence earned its reward when the youngster went past three defenders in the box before drilling a low shot beyond Regan to set up a dramatic finale. Brannen was certainly making an impact and almost snatched a sensational equaliser three minutes later but his shot struck the bar and bounced down into the grateful hands of the keeper who was on his back on the goal line and made an extraordinary save.
At the other end, Stan sub Kerridge wasted a glorious chance blazing over the bar from close range. Three minutes later, the home side were claiming a fifth goal which referee Stephen Beresford appeared to award but Bay defenders persuaded him to consult his assistant and the goal was eventually and correctly ruled out as the ball had been handled into the net.
The drama continued and in the 88th minute, Luke Salmon had a great chance to force extra time but failed to connect properly with a cross from the right and his shot flew wide of the target.
That was Whitley’s final chance and it was the home side who were soon celebrating victory, with all of their goals coming from former Bay players.
WHITLEY BAY: Bannon, McFarlane, Walton, Anderson, Caines, Hassan, R Redford(Brannen 61mins), Carr(Salmon 61mins), Ramsey(Taggart 75mins), Glen-Ravenhill, Ardelean
Subs not used: A Redford, Christensen
Referee: Stephen Beresford
Caution: Glen-Ravenhill
Attendance: 274
