NORTHALLERTON TOWN 1 WHITLEY BAY 2
Saturday 16th November 2024
By Julian Tyley
Whitley maintained their good form with a well deserved victory over a Northallerton side who had won their previous three league games including an impressive 4-1 victory at West Allotment in midweek.
Striker Mackenzie Sharpe missed the trip to North Yorkshire through suspension while Mikel Thompson was unavailable but Regan Paterson and Luke Parkinson were both back in the squad after lengthy absences through injury.
With just over a minute played, Whitley had a great chance to take the lead when Jake Forster played the ball through to the unmarked Kyle Cockburn who was clear on goal but his shot hit the outside of the far post with keeper Callum Dobson struggling to reach the ball.
Play then settled down with few chances at either end. A rare attempt by the home side was well off target as the ball flew high and wide out of the ground.
Just past the half hour, Callum Larmouth also struck a shot too high, then in the 35th minute, Cockburn again had a glorious chance to put Whitley in front after Forster’s ball in from the left was not controlled by defender Jack Raper, leaving Cockburn with only Dobson to beat but he fired narrowly wide of the target.
Whitley were looking the better side and three minutes later they finally broke the deadlock following a fluent build up. Alfa Djalo took the ball down the left wing, played it short to Robbie Christie whose ball across the edge of the box was knocked back by Cockburn into the path of Josh Stewart who rifled a low 20 yard shot into the bottom corner of the net for an excellent team goal.
Leading by this goal at the interval, Whitley faced an immediate response by the home side when play resumed for the second half, but two early attempts on goal were well off target and balls into the box were confidently dealt with by the Bay defence, marshalled by captain Michael Scott.
Despite not playing the exciting and flowing brand of football that has been their hallmark in recent games, Whitley were working hard and were denying Northallerton any clear chances. It was largely a midfield battle but in the 64th minute, Dobson was called into action to collect a looping header from Forster that was dipping just under the bar.
Four minutes later the Bay created another opening and it took brave defending to block a powerful shot from Larmouth.
With just a single goal advantage there was always the possibility that Town could get back in the game but with six minutes remaining, Bay nerves were settled thanks to a great finish by teenage substitute Matty Griggs. In a quick break from midfield Meeshi Kanda burst through the heart of the home defence before playing the ball wide on the right to Djalo, who crossed from near the byline, cutting the ball back to the edge of the box where Griggs was unmarked and had time to turn on the ball before drilling it into the corner of the net.
With the cushion of a two goal lead, Jay Bates took the opportunity to give valuable game time to both Parkinson and Paterson in the closing stages.
Dan Gladstone in the Bay goal had dealt with several crosses into the box but Northallerton had not managed a shot on target until two minutes into added time when Scott could not cut out a high ball into the box and it fell for Town substitute Luke McCormack who poked it into the net.
Retaliating from the restart, the tireless Djalo almost restored Whitley’s two goal advantage with a great effort that flew inches wide of the target, to be followed soon after by the final whistle.
A workmanlike performance by Whitley brought them a narrow but thoroughly deserved victory, their third consecutive away day success and it was greeted with enthusiastic applause by the excellent travelling support as the players left the pitch.
WHITLEY BAY: Gladstone, Brady(Paterson 88mins), Christie (Parkinson 84mins), Stewart, Scott, Robson, Cockburn(Griggs 60mins), Kanda, Forster(Parker 79mins), Larmouth, Djalo
Substitute not used: Crawford
Referee: Jason Payne
Cautions: Larmouth, Stewart, Parkinson
Attendance: 171
