WHITLEY BAY 4 WHICKHAM 2
Tuesday 12th March
Whitley defied the elements on a very windy night at Hillheads to pick up three valuable points and maintain Nathan Haslam’s unbeaten start as manager. This victory over Whickham lifted them three places up the table and seven points clear of their opponents in a congested lower half of the First Division.
In two changes to the side that earned a point at Shildon on Saturday, Craig McFarlane returned from injury while Kieran Brannen was handed his first start since December.
Whickham started well and forced two corners in quick succession but the Bay defence were relatively untroubled.
Whitley’s first chance came in the sixth minute when Luke Salmon curled a shot in from the left and assisted by the strong wind, the ball was heading for the top corner of the net until keeper Dimitrios Tsapalos leapt to push it wide at full stretch. Brannen made a good run down the left but his cross into the goalmouth was just off target. Whitley took the lead in the 12th minute when another cross into the box from Brannen hit a defender and fell for Salmon, unmarked ten yards from goal and he drilled a low shot past the keeper.
Growing in confidence following the goal, Whitley were moving the ball around quickly and accurately but the wind meant that close passing was more effective than long balls which were often blown out of play. Andrew Bulford struck a first time effort narrowly wide for the visitors midway through the half but Whitley were creating the better chances and they deservedly extended their lead three minutes before the interval. Tsapalos raced out from goal to his right touch line to put a through ball out of play but delayed the restart by retaining the ball. The keeper was punished when the throw eventually came in and poor defending gifted Olly Martin possession and he responded by firing the ball into the net from eight yards.
While Whitley were worthy of their two goal interval lead, the steadily strengthening wind had been at their backs so they must have expected Whickham to battle back strongly in the second half. However, by the time some of the home fans had emerged from the warmth of the clubhouse, their side had scored a third goal. It came in rather bizarre circumstances after just 60 seconds when Andrei Ardelean played a measured through ball to Salmon, but as the keeper came off his line, defender Stephen Little got a foot to the ball but his attempted clearance rebounded off Salmon and flew into an unguarded net.
Coming so early in the half, the goal seemed to leave the Whickham defence shell-shocked and Whitley had two quick chances to extend their lead further. Craig McFarlane was exposing the left side of the Whickham rearguard and in the 49th minute he broke through and fired a shot inches beyond the far post. Three minutes later it was the turn of Kieran Brannen to cut through the visitors defence and close in on goal. Rather than take on the shot himself, he unselfishly squared the ball to McFarlane whose powerful effort was pushed wide.
It seemed only a matter of time before another goal would come but when it did arrive it was at the other end. Whickham midfielder Dale Burrell spotted Dan Lister off his line and from around the halfway line he launched an audacious high ball and with the assistance of the wind it flew over the young Bay keeper and dropped into the net.
Straight from the restart, Whitley raced down the other end where Olly Martin played in Dan Wright and the young South Shields loanee slotted home his first goal for the club to restore the three goal advantage. Barely two minutes later, Whickham made it 4-2 when Damien Stevens got on the end of a cross from Dan Lowther.
Two minutes later, Whitley might have added a fifth but Brannen’s header went the wrong side of the post. Following this breathless five minute spell, the game settled down and while Whickham enjoyed a fair proportion of possession, Whitley were solid at the back, Luke Taylor in particular catching the eye.
Another good chance came Whitley’s way 12 minutes from time after Tsapalos mis-kicked an attempted clearance. The ball swirled high in the air and Ardelean won it when it eventually dropped. His powerful shot across goal just beat the onrushing Brannen and flew agonisingly past the post.
Substitute Peter Glen-Ravenhill sent a diving header narrowly wide as Whitley continued to pose the greater threat and in the end the final score somewhat flattered the visitors, with Nathan Haslam’s side fully deserving the plaudits that came their way at the final whistle.
WHITLEY BAY: Lister, McFarlane, Cooper, R Redford, Anderson, Taylor, Martin(Hassan 75mins), Wright, Ardelean(Ramsey 89mins), Brannen(Glen-Ravenhill 80mins), Salmon
Substitutes not used: Caines, Christensen
Cautions: None
Referee: James Westgate
Attendance: 203
h20 Bathrooms man of the match: Luke Salmon
