WHITLEY BAY 2 NEWTON AYCLIFFE 1
Tuesday 20th October
A pulsating, action packed game of football saw Whitley end the last unbeaten record in the Northern League First Division as Richard Coulson’s 81st minute header earned a memorable victory over an impressive Newton Aycliffe side.
The visitors exuded confidence from the start, with striker Adam Burnicle racing clear inside the second minute but Chris Bannon forced him wide before conceding a corner. Four minutes later Dibb-Fuller spurned a great chance to give his side the lead, putting the ball the wrong side of the upright when clean through on goal. Meanwhile for Whitley, Scott Lowery, playing further forward than normal, sent a looping header over the Ayclffe bar.
The game was being played at a rapid pace with the visitors posing the greater attacking threat and it took a well judged block by Darren Hamilton to prevent Ethan Wood from advancing through on goal.
When Whitley pushed forward, Lewis Orrell sent a cross tantalisingly across the goalmouth but keeper Pickford gathered the ball safely. Just past the half hour, Richard Coulson’s cross into the box was met by Adam Shanks whose header was not far off target.
It required some disciplined defending by Whitley to thwart Aycliffe nine minutes before the break, Bannon blocking a shot on target before the ball was cleared. Matty Weirs then had a shot well saved by Pickford and with Whitley ending the half strongly, Shanks was just inches wide with a header but at the interval the game was still evenly balanced.
Three minutes after the resumption, a free kick played into the Bay goalmouth was not cleanly gathered by Bannon and when the ball ran loose, there was a scramble as Whitley attempted to clear the danger. As the ball ricocheted back and forth, Phelan was brought down a yard inside the box and the visitors were awarded a penalty. Burnicle took the spot kick and beat the dive of Bannon to put Aycliffe in front.
Three minutes later an attempt from Craig McFarlane was blocked but Whitley continued to push forward and eleven minutes into the half they won a corner on the left. Mark Robinson swung the ball into the six yard box where it was met by Jamie Dunn who rose above the Aycliffe defence and his downward header beat Pickford at his back post to draw Whitley level, despite a valiant effort to keep it out by former Bay defender Lewis Walton.
Barely four minutes after the equaliser, Whitley conceded another penalty, this time for a trip by Lowery on Petijean. Once again Burnicle stepped forward but this time Bannon got his feet to the ball to block it then responded superbly to make a second save from the rebound before it was eventually cleared.
This turned out to be a key moment in the game as Whitley gradually gained the upper hand while the visitors became more wayward in their finishing, one effort from Dibb-Fuller being blazed out of the ground and into the allotments. Shanks, who had been allowed little space throughout, robbed Munro of the ball on the edge of the box with the visitors appealing for a foul, but his attempt on goal was saved by the alert Pickford. Aycliffe’s Liam Jarvie failed to trouble Bannon with a long range shot that was off target, as did Walton, before Whitley got what proved to be the decisive goal.
With the game entering the final ten minutes, an attack down the right saw Orrell play the ball into the box but it was knocked straight back out. His second cross, perfectly delivered to the back of the six yard box was met by Coulson who headed home powerfully at the back post. The significance of the goal was evident in the exuberant celebrations by the Bay players who now sensed victory, but Aycliffe were clearly not prepared to concede their unbeaten record without a battle and four minutes from time Wood rattled the upright with a powerful shot.
Rather than sitting back and defending their lead, Whitley went on the attack and might have added a third goal in stoppage time but Matty Weirs, who has quickly gained a reputation for late goals, fired narrowly wide.
Excellent discipline and determined play throughout the team saw Whitley through to the final whistle and a hard earned but in the end well deserved three points against a top quality side that could be destined for honours at the end of the season.
WHITLEY BAY; Bannon, McFarlane, Dunn, Orrell, Hamilton, Gillesphey, M Weirs, Robinson, Shanks(Colquhoun 79mins), Lowery, Coulson
Substitutes not used: Taylor, Wilson, J Weirs, Brannen
Cautions: None
Referee: Darren Williams
