WASHINGTON 1 WHITLEY BAY 2
Tuesday 23rd January
Whitley made it seven away league wins in a row with a victory at Washington that was more comfortable than the final scoreline would suggest.
With a full squad available, Marc Nash was able to rest Callum Anderson, Kyle Patton and Mattie Cornish while still fielding a strong side, with Liam Brooks and Noah Summers both returning to the starting eleven.
In blustery conditions, Whitley started with the wind in their faces and the first chance came in the fifth minute when Chris Salmon crossed from the right but Tom Potter could not quite get his header on target. Three minutes later Aiden Haley had a low shot saved by former Bay keeper Dan Gladstone. In Washington’s first attempt on goal, Jak Hanson drove a shot straight at Tom Flynn. In another attack down the right wing, Salmon crossed low into the box but Gladstone got down to make the save.
Whitley took the lead in the 18th minute when Thibault Charmey played the ball through from midfield to Liam Brooks who advanced just inside the penalty area before unleashing a shot that flew into the net beyond Gladstone. It was a well deserved lead with Whitley looking much the better side.
Salmon was proving effective as an attacking wing back and just before the half hour he played an excellent ball through to Callum Johnston, who lobbed it over the advancing Gladstone but unfortunately it did not have sufficient pace to take it into the net and the keeper managed to get back and gather the ball before it crossed the line.
The home side were not posing any great threat and although they only had one goal to show for their efforts, Whitley were comfortably in control at the interval.
Ten minutes into the second half, Josh Nearney met a cross from Salmon but struck his shot wide of the post. In a break to the other end Pickard headed wide of goal before play switched back in the Washington half where good work by Haley set up another opportunity for Nearney whose shot was taken by Gladstone. Shortly after the hour, Brooks had a shot parried by Gladstone and when the ball fell for Haley, his powerful effort was deflected over the bar by Washington’s former French international Pascal Chimbonda. Whitley were stepping up the pressure and after Potter had a shot pushed over the bar, the same player was denied again with a 20 yard effort that was pushed wide of goal.
At the midpoint of the half, Brooks who had played well on his return to the starting eleven was replaced by Alex Kempster who took only three minutes to set up the second Whitley goal. His shot from the right proved too strong to hold for Gladstone who could only parry it and Callum Johnston slotted the ball into the net from close range. Chimbonda protested to the officials that there was an infringement in the build up to the goal but took his complaints too far and after initially being cautioned, he persisted and was sent off for using abusive language.
With a man advantage Whitley now looked in complete control and might have extended their lead. A cross into the box from Jack Walker was just beyond the reach of Potter, then substitute Kieran Brannen fired an effort into the side netting. Bay’s third sub Scott Jasper had a header pushed out by Gladstone but with time running out, Whitley fell victims to some hugely controversial refereeing. In the 89th minute, Nearney was sent off for a foul that looked worthy of no more than a caution. This was Whitley’s first red card of the season when their disciplinary record has been among the best in the league. Then in stoppage time, and for the second time in four days, they conceded an extremely dubious penalty following what seemed a quite innocuous incident on the right edge of the box. Pickard beat Flynn from the spot to reduce the arrears but the goal proved no more than consolation for the home side as the final whistle soon followed, but not before further yellow cards were handed out by Mr Andrews as both sides incurred the wrath of the man in the middle.
The victory lifted Whitley to seventh place in the table, still with games in hand on all but one of the teams above them.
WHITLEY BAY; Flynn, Walker, Nearney, Haley, Wilkinson, Summers, Potter, Charmey, Johnston(Jasper 76mins), Brooks,(Kempster 67mins) Salmon(Brannen 76mins)
Substitutes not used: Glen-Ravenhill, Patton
Referee: Michael Andrews
Sent off: Nearney Cautions: Wilkinson, Flynn
Attendance: 109
Match photos
