WHITLEY BAY 2 GUISBOROUGH TOWN 4
Saturday 30th March
A combination of missed chances and defensive mistakes contributed to a disappointing defeat by Guisborough Town on a damp afternoon at Hillheads. Experienced defenders Craig McFarlane and Callum Anderson were both unavailable and manager Nathan Haslam continued his policy of giving squad members time on the pitch as he plans ahead for next season. Tom Bramley made his first appearance of the campaign while recently signed teenager Evan Suddick was named on the bench.
Guisborough started well and inside the first minute Steven Roberts tried his luck with a shot that flew wide of the target. Whitley’s first chance came nine minutes later when Luke Salmon had a shot blocked by keeper Jordan Nixon. The ball was then quickly played downfield and a misjudged tackle allowed a cross to come in from the right and Danny Earl slotted home from close range to give the visitors a 10th minute lead. Whitley should have equalised four minutes later when Salmon played an excellent cross deep towards the back post where Olly Martin raced in but with the goal at his mercy, got his foot under the ball and scooped it over the bar. The action was coming thick and fast as both sides showed attacking intent and in the 16th minute, the Priorymen capitalised on an error in midfield as Mason McNeill doubled their lead.
Back came Whitley and they had another great chance after 22 minutes but Andrei Ardelean failed to make contact with a low cross from Jon-Jon Wright. Two minutes later Kieran Brannen played an excellent ball through to Salmon whose attempt was put behind for a corner. When action switched back to the other end, Dan Lister made a crucial diving save as he clutched the ball on his goal line.
Whitley got back in the game in the 36th minute when Brannen cut through the Guisborough defence with a precision pass to Salmon who closed in on goal, took the ball past Nixon before slotting it home from a narrow angle. Three minutes before the interval Whitley nearly equalised in spectacular style. Salmon played a neat ball down the left touch line for Jon-Jon Wright who attempted an audacious shot from well outside the box but unfortunately for the striker who was making his full debut, the ball landed on the roof of the net. Earl was denied a clear run on goal by Luke Taylor’s timely tackle but it was Whitley who finished the half strongly, with Salmon seeing an effort palmed away by Nixon with Ardelean putting the rebound over the bar. Whitley probably felt aggrieved to end the half one goal down, and with more clinical finishing they could have been in front.
The game became more of a midfield battle after the break with the visitors looking the stronger, and after Earl had broken through but seen Lister fingertip his shot past the post, the resultant corner was not defended effectively and Bythway headed home a third goal for the North Yorkshiremen. With less than half an hour remaining, Whitley needed a rapid response if they were to have any hope of rescuing the game and that is exactly what happened when debutant Wright found space on the left edge of the box and fired home a fine shot that left Nixon well beaten.
Briefly Whitley looked as if they might find an equaliser but their hopes were dashed with 12 minutes remaining when they failed to deal with a ball that was allowed to bounce in the box and Luke Nixon seized his chance to bundle the ball home and restore his side’s two goal lead.
There was no way back now although in stoppage time Bay’s man of the match Luke Salmon produced a stinging shot that was pushed over the bar.
WHITLEY BAY: Lister, Bramley, Cooper, D Wright, Caines, Taylor, Martin(Ramsey 72mins), Brannen(Suddick 86mins), Ardelean(Glen-Ravenhill 62mins), J Wright, Salmon
Substitutes not used: Hassan, Christensen
Caution: J Wright
Referee: Craig Dean
Attendance: 255
