WHITLEY BAY 0 SEAHAM RED STAR 2
Saturday 24th February
Whitley began life after the departure of Marc Nash and his management team with defeat at home to Seaham Red Star, but it was a closely contested game and they could consider themselves unfortunate not to have earned a share of the spoils.
Caretaker manager Gavin Hattrick suffered a blow in the build up to the game when both Callum Anderson and Liam Brooks were ruled out due to family reasons. Josh Nearney also missed out through injury. However, Scott Jasper returned to the starting eleven after spending a month on loan at Ryton & Crawcrook while David Hall made his first appearance of the season after returning home from a coaching role in America.
With a bitter wind in their faces, Whitley were caught cold and fell behind in the fourth minute when Codie Howe sent a looping header over Tom Flynn after a free kick had been played in towards the back post.
It proved to be a rare attempt on goal in a first half when chances were at a premium. Whitley suffered a blow just past the half hour when Matty Cornish limped off injured. Two minutes later, his replacement Kyle Patton struck a free kick against the Seaham defensive wall and when the ball broke for Peter Glen-Ravenhill, his first time shot flew narrowly wide of the post.
Four minutes before the interval, former Bay winger Robbie Bird directed a header straight at Tom Flynn when well placed but two minutes later Whitley almost drew level when Tom Potter drove a 20 yard free kick towards the bottom corner of the net only for keeper Jordan Harkess to make an excellent one handed save low to his left, pushing the ball round the post.
After the interval, Whitley enjoyed a greater share of possession but scoring chances remained few and far between as Seaham defended strongly and rarely gave Whitley a sight of goal. Jasper typified the effort and determination in the Bay side but the vital cutting edge was missing. An early effort for the visitors came from Alex Ramshaw but Flynn made the save but then in the 56th minute, captain for the day Ross Wilkinson burst through from midfield, brushing off two challenges before firing just over the bar. Another free kick from Potter was pushed behind by Harkess but with ten minutes remaining, McBride went close for Seaham following good work by Bird down the left wing.
Whitley were really pushing forward in the closing stages but without getting any testing shots on target. Chris Salmon raced down the right wing but his shot was comfortably saved. A quick breakaway by Seaham saw Hetherington’s shot cleared off the line by Bay’s man of the match Wilkinson and as Whitley threw men forward in search of an equaliser they were caught on the counter deep into stoppage time when substitute Tom Scott found space in the box and sealed victory for the visitors.
WHITLEY BAY: Flynn, Salmon, Walker, Haley, Wilkinson, Williams, Potter, Hall(Johnston 83mins), Jasper, Glen-Ravenhill, Cornish(Patton 33mins)
Substitutes not used: Cunningham, Summers
Referee: Terry Fletcher
Caution: Glen-Ravenhill
Attendance: 267
