Ludus Est Omnis  Whitley Bay Football Club  
 

Northern League Cup 2nd Roundn/k
Tuesday 23rd November 2004 Easington Colliery V Whitley Bay 4-2
Whitley Goalscorers : Kerr32 and Shotton90

Bay Team
1Burke, Terry
2Kirkham, Peter
 70 minsChandler, Ian
3Fairlamb, Andy
 60 minsShotton, Neil90 mins
4Kirkpatrick, Ian
5Ryan, Leon
6Turner, David
 60 minsLeadbitter, Steve
7Ryan, Ben
8Rowe, Brian
9Kerr, Lee32 Mins
10Thompson, Paul
11Bell, Lee
Match Report By Peter Fox

Some asked why Whitley saved one of their worst performances of the season for the second half at Thackley. Well they didn’t, they saved it for the whole 90 minutes at Easington in the League Cup on Tuesday night, going down 4-2.

If Thackley had been a disappointment then this was a total embarrassment against a side who lie second bottom of the Second Division having mustered only 6 league points all season.

Adam Johnston was out with his injured ankle, Paddy Little unavailable, and Neil Shotton and Steve Leadbitter were on the bench but this was still a line up that should have won this game easily. Unfortunately they obviously thought that too and forgot that no matter what the opposition you have to approach the game in the right way.

Bay started off OK and forced a corner in the opening moments and then Ian Kirkpatrick headed over a Lee Kerr cross but there was a sign of things to come when Burke had to look lively to deny Mike Hardy. Easington took the lead after 9 minutes when Martin Barwick showed a great first touch to turn and fire low past Burke. Bay tried to hit back with a Lee Bell free kick but it was wildly off target. Easington doubled their advantage when Hardy turned the Bay defence before firing a fine effort home from fifteen yards.

Bay pulled a goal back after 32 minutes when Lee Kerr looped a header home from a right wing cross.

Leon Ryan looked to be denied a penalty after 57 minutes when he was tripped in the box and despite bringing Shotton and Leadbitter on in an attempt to get back into the game Bay were struggling to make an impact. Ian Chandler came on for Peter Kirkham as Bay pushed forward for an equaliser but they weren’t stringing anything together and the game looked to have bee finally killed off when Damien Beattie fired home Easington’s third goal on 78 minutes.

Neil Shotton gave Bay a glimmer of hope when he pulled it back to 3-2 in stoppage time with a header from Leadbitter's free kick but even this was extinguished when straight from the kick off the ball was worked to Chris McGill who lobbed Burke to complete Bay’s humiliation.

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