WHITLEY BAY 2 SHILDON 2
Tuesday 13th October
An injury striken Whitley Bay side came within three minutes of inflicting a rare defeat on league leaders Shildon on Tuesday night but in the end had to settle for a share of the points in their first league game for more than three weeks.
In a thoroughly entertaining game, Alex Kempster almost gave Whitley a fourth minute but his shot struck the foot of the post from 15 yards after he broke clear and drove the ball beyond former Bay keeper Kyle Hayes.
Shildon went close three minutes later when Fryatt’s header was well saved low down by Andy Jennison and the same player was wide of the mark with another attempt. It was Whitley who took the lead after 27 minutes following a foul on Adam Shanks 25 yards from goal. When the free kick was played towards the back post, Shanks won the ball and cleverly worked his way past two defenders near the by-line before clipping the ball over the Shildon defence to Liam Hudson who headed home from five yards for his first goal in Bay colours.
Despite efforts from Fryatt which struck the post and Mattie Robson, the league leaders could not find a way through the Bay defence, which included debutant Stuart Bramley, signed from Blyth Spartans less than 24 hours earlier.
Shildon started the second half strongly but ten minutes after the interval, Whitley had strong penalty claims turned down after Shanks went down in the box under pressure from James Harwood. Three minutes later though, most of the excellent midweek crowd of 353 were cheering when Whitley doubled their lead and once again it was Hudson who got the goal, heading home Mark Bertram’s right wing corner, although there were suggestions that Hayes had been impeded when the corner kick was taken.
Play was held up for several minutes when Jennison was injured making a save and after lengthy treatment he tried to continue, but was clearly in discomfort and had to leave the field with Dan Gladstone taking his place in goal. It later emerged that Jennison had been taken to hospital and was diagnosed with a broken bone in his hand, further adding to Whitley’s injury woes.
Midway through the half, the Railwaymen reduced the arrears when Greulich-Smith poked the ball home at the back post following a corner that was awarded by referee Lucy Oliver despite her assistant flagging for a goal kick.
Shildon steadily built up a head of steam as the Bay defence came under increasing pressure. Gladstone saved well from Connor while in counter attacks, Whitley went close through Williamson and Hughes. Their cause was not helped when Mrs Oliver once again over ruled her assistant and awarded another corner to the visitors, much to the frustration of the Bay players and fans.
Rather than protect their lead, Whitley went in search of the third goal and Chris McDonald won the ball in defence and broke away down the left but his shot failed to find the target.
The longer the game went on, the stronger Shildon looked and three minutes from time, their pressure paid off. Josh Day, who a few minutes earlier had bravely blocked a goalbound shot from Robson, was the victim of an unfortunate deflection when attempting to make a clearance and with Gladstone wrong footed, the ball crept just inside the post for the equaliser.
The visitors pushed hard for a winner in the remaining minutes but Whitley held firm with Gladstone making another important save to deny Connor.
WHITLEY BAY: Jennison (Gladstone 58mins), Day, McDonald, Bell, Laws, Bramley, Hudson, Bertram, Shanks(Williamson 71mins), Hughes, Kempster
Substitutes not used: Young, Richardson, Redhead
Referee: Lucy Oliver
Caution: Bramley
