WHITLEY BAY 2 NEWTON AYCLIFFE 2
Saturday 29th December
An 83rd minute penalty earned Whitley a share of the spoils from an entertaining contest but on the balance of chances, this was a game that they should probably have won. Quite remarkably, the contest followed an identical pattern to the game between the sides at Moore Lane Park four weeks earlier, with Whitley taking the lead before Aycliffe came from behind, scoring twice and looking likely winners until a late equaliser saw the game end in a 2-2 draw.
Whitley were boosted by the return from injury of Craig McFarlane while Olly Martin also made the starting eleven after work commitments had ruled him out for the previous two months. However, Luke Salmon missed only his second game of the season after suffering a nasty head injury at Seaham last week.
The game got off to a lively start and Whitley almost scored inside the first minute. A right wing corner caused confusion in the Aycliffe box and the ball flew across goal where Ben Christensen, coming in at the back of the six yard box, struck the post with his shot. Four minutes later Martin leapt to meet a cross from the left and headed inches over the bar. With Whitley continuing to press forward, Andrei Ardelean tried his luck with a 20 yard shot that was only narrowly off target.
After eleven minutes the visitors finally forced their way out of defence and won a corner but the Bay defence coped comfortably and play soon returned to the other end where Lewis Walton had a shot deflected past the post.
Just before the half hour Peter Glen-Ravenhill was denied when keeper Bradley Young pushed his close range shot away after the Bay captain had burst through on goal.
Three minutes later, Tom Flynn dived full length to keep out an effort from Vincent Gash, a rare Aycliffe attempt on goal. Shortly afterwards, Flynn needed treatment after Alshabeeb attempted to reach the ball but his foot caught the keeper in the process. Right on half time Walton was only denied by a combination of the keeper Young and the upright, leaving the game goal less at the interval.
Whitley started the second half in the same positive style and they were rewarded seven minutes after the resumption when Craig McFarlane broke down the right and cut in, playing the ball across the edge of the 18 yard box where Ardelean struck an excellent shot beyond the despairing dive of Young to give Whitley a well deserved lead.
Although Gash managed to get a shot not far off target six minutes later, Whitley looked to be in control, still creating the better chances. Walton met a cross from Glen-Ravenhill with a shot straight at Young which the keeper held on to.
Sixteen minutes from time, Aycliffe were awarded a free kick inside the Bay half and when it was floated into the box, Kurt Matthews got his head to the ball just ahead of Flynn and it looped into the top corner of the net to level the score. Barely 90 seconds later, Flynn made an excellent block to deny the revitalised visitors but the ball was not cleared and Matthews volleyed home, to turn the game on its head.
It was now a test of character for Whitley after looking much the better side for most of the game and they responded well, creating further opportunities. The key moment came with seven minutes left on the clock when Lewis Walton was tripped by defender Alan Harrison as he cut into the left corner of the penalty area. Referee Asa McDonough immediately pointed to the spot and Olly Martin despatched the ball into the bottom corner of the net to draw Whitley level.
In the closing stages, rather than settling for a point, both sides searched for a winner. It was not to be, but a significant moment for Whitley came when Callum Anderson came off the bench for his first action since suffering an ankle injury at Newton Aycliffe at the start of the month.
This was an encouraging display after two disappointing defeats, with every member of the side putting in a good performance. Ben Christensen had his best game since arriving at Hillheads in the autumn and was named h2o Bathrooms man of the match.
With players now returning from injury, Mick Mulhern will hope to have a full strength squad available for a tough run of games against the top sides over the coming weeks.
WHITLEY BAY: Flynn, McFarlane, Cooper, Christensen(Anderson 84mins), Hassan, Taylor, Martin(Suddick 88mins), R Redford, Ardelean, Glen-Ravenhill, Walton(Brannen 85mins)
Substitutes not used: Carr, Caines
Cautions: Martin, Christensen
Referee: Asa McDonough
Attendance: 292
Mascots: Whitley Bay U9 Barca and U11 Milan squads
