EMIRATES FA CUP EXTRA PRELIMINARY ROUND
WHITLEY BAY 1 HEBBURN TOWN 7
Saturday 10th August
Whitley are out of the FA Cup after suffering a heavy defeat at the hands of Hebburn Town but the final score told only part of the story and was not a fair reflection of the game. It was a cup tie that had incidents galore – some controversial – with three penalties, an own goal, a sending off and several yellow cards.
Callum Anderson, Brad Hird and Luke Salmon all came into the side for the first time this season while Lewis Walton was also included in the starting eleven. Hebburn included striker Olly Martin, signed from Whitley during the summer while in goal was another ex-Bay player Andy Jennison.
Whitley began strongly and in the first minute, Jennison had to race out of his box to clear the ball ahead of Hird. The keeper then had to dive at the feet of Nathan Stephenson to gather the ball as Whitley attempted to capitalise on hesitant defending.
With five minutes played, Salmon went round the keeper but his shot was blocked almost on the line by the chest of a defender, with appeals for handball turned down. In the 19th minute, Lee Kerr, who was looking impressive in midfield, attempted a shot from 30 yards but his effort was saved by Jennison. Two minutes later, the overworked keeper again thwarted his former side, using an outstretched foot to keep out a shot from Salmon. Walton then weaved his way through the Hebburn defence but was denied a shot on goal by skipper Louis Storey.
On the half hour, another Bay attack was cleared by the visitors only for the referee to halt proceedings and caution Stephenson, one of a number of questionable decisions by the match official.
Three minutes later Whitley finally got the goal they so richly deserved when a long ball from McFarlane cut though the Hebburn defence and Hird raced clear, calmly slotting under Jennison from the edge of the box.
The lead lasted only four minutes however, with the first penalty coming when Storey was tripped by Tom Graham as he cut into the box from the Hebburn left. Mr Lawson deemed that the spot kick was not sufficient punishment and also cautioned the young defender. When the penalty was taken, Armstrong sent Lister the wrong way to level the score. Worse was to follow for Whitley when three minutes later Anderson was adjudged to have fouled Armstrong in the box and the experienced striker drove home his second spot kick to turn the game on its head and give the visitors a fortuitous lead at the interval.
Whitley must have been confident of getting back in the game after the interval but their hopes were dealt a severe blow less than two minutes after the restart when they conceded a free kick out on the left. Richardson floated the ball into the goalmouth where Storey got a slight touch which was sufficient to send it beyond the diving Lister and into the far corner of the net.
The visitors were now stepping up their game and in the 55th minute they forced an error at the back. In attempting to prevent a ball from the right reaching Armstrong, Callum Anderson could only poke a cross from Taylor into his own net. At 4-1 there was no way back into the game for Whitley and the steady rain which had been falling since half time summed up the mood among the 400 strong crowd.
Brad Hird, on his debut, forced a good save from Jennison midway through the half before a needless challenge by Bott on the impressive Armstrong, near the touchline on the edge of the Bay box, saw Mr Lawson award a third penalty and caution the defender. Armstrong made it 5-1 as he completed a rare hat trick of penalties, giving Lister no chance from the spot.
Five minutes later, another foul by Bott resulted in a second yellow card and consequent dismissal from the pitch.
The turnaround in fortunes since the opening 35 minutes was now complete but there was yet worse to come as the visitors rubbed salt into Bay’s wounds with two further goals in stoppage time, Donaghy heading home from close range before Taylor made it seven with the last kick of the game.
Had Whitley capitalised on their first half chances, the outcome could have been very different, but no team can expect to win a game when they concede three penalties.
WHITLEY BAY: Lister, Graham(Proctor 46mins), Walton(Dinsley 70mins), Kerr, Anderson, Bott, McFarlane, Smith, Hird, Stephenson(Orrell 56mins), Salmon.
Substitutes not used: Emmerson, Bexton, Parnaby, Colquhoun
Cautions: Graham, Stephenson, Sent off: Bott (2 cautions)
Attendance: 438
Referee: Steven Lawson
h2o Bathrooms man of the match: Lee Kerr
