DUNSTON UTS 8 WHITLEY BAY 0
Tuesday 14th August
Whitley crashed to their heaviest ever Northern League defeat on a night to forget at Dunston’s UTS Stadium. Callum Anderson was the only absentee from the side that won at Thackley in the FA Cup at the weekend, Luke Taylor replacing him in the centre of defence.
A sign of what was to follow came as early as the second minute when Dunston’s Liam Thear set up Mark Fitzpatrick and his shot was pushed round the post by Tom Flynn. Barely a minute later, a dreadful error led to the first goal when rather than clearing the ball downfield, Luke Taylor inexplicably played it back across goal from near the left corner flag. Former Bay striker Liam Brooks intercepted the ball ahead of Flynn and easily slotted it home from six yards. Against a Dunston side that had yet to concede a league goal, it was the worst possible start.
A seventh minute Whitley attack ended with Ryan Redford’s shot being saved before Brooks almost set up a second Dunston goal with a cross that was just beyond the reach of Pearson. A long range shot from Kevin Carr flew over the Dunston bar before the home side doubled their lead in the 16th minute after Brooks had skipped past a challenge near the left touchline and played an excellent ball in for Fitzpatrick to slot home.
Whitley were unlucky in the 20th minute when a good build up saw Luke Salmon play the ball into the path of Carr whose shot from the edge of the box crashed against the post with keeper Karl Dryden beaten. Three minutes later, during their best spell of the game, Ryan Redford’s low shot was parried by Dryden and as he went for the loose ball, Jack Foalle looked to be tripped. It seemed an obvious penalty but rather than pointing to the spot, referee Mark Ryan cautioned Foalle for what he deemed to be ‘simulation’. Three minutes later, Brooks, who was proving to be a real thorn in the side of his former club, made it 3-0 when the ball ricocheted into his path after Thear’s effort took a deflection.
Whitley were certainly playing their part in the game at this stage and on the half hour Dan Taggart had an attempt saved by Dryden. A good move between Salmon and Taggart earned Whitley a corner but the delivery was not good enough to trouble the Dunston defence.
Perhaps to the relief of Bay fans, Brooks was substituted but his replacement Scott Heslop wasted little time in getting on the score-sheet, latching on to a long throw in from the left as a gap opened in the Bay defence leaving him with only Flynn to beat and he slid the ball home to make it 4-0 with just 37 minutes played. The game looked all over but as one neutral fan commented at half time, the score at this stage was harsh on Whitley.
Hopes that they would re-group and defend more effectively in the second half were quickly dispelled when less than four minutes after the restart, Fitzpatrick was played one on one with Flynn and confidently notched his side’s fifth goal. The sixth came in the 70th minute when Grant-Soulsby volleyed home from Thear’s free kick. Three minutes later, Dunston were awarded a penalty but Fitzpatrick’s shot crashed off the bar.
The relief for Whitley was short-lived however as they were cut open once again with neat inter-passing which saw Elliott’s diving header loop over Flynn and dip just under the bar. It was all too easy for a rampant Dunston side who sliced through the fragile Bay defence in the 83rd minute as Elliott got his second of the night. Substitute Kieran Brannen tried his best to get a consolation goal for Whitley, linking up with Taggart in the closing stages but it was not to be and the final score eclipsed their previous heaviest defeat, when they went down 8-1 at home to Bishop Auckland in 1979.
Just about the only Bay player to emerge with credit from this display was keeper Tom Flynn who could not be blamed for any of the goals and made several excellent saves.
Andy Gowens described the performance as ‘totally embarrassing’ and apologised to the large number of Whitley fans who had travelled to the game.
Dunston were the best side Whitley have faced so far this season, showing skill, energy and clinical finishing and on this form look likely to be among the front runners in the league. Andy Gowens’ side need to bounce back quickly from this defeat but they could hardly have chosen more difficult opponents than West Auckland, who they will meet at Hillheads on Saturday.
WHITLEY BAY: Flynn, A Redford, Cooper, R Redford(Ross 69mins) Taylor, Caines, Glen-Ravenhill, Carr(Martin 46mins) Taggart, Foalle, Salmon(Brannen 57mins) Subs not used: Hall, Hassan
Cautions: Foalle, Taylor
Attendance: 291
Referee: Mark Ryan
