WHITLEY BAY 0 WEST ALLOTMENT CELTIC 6
Tuesday 1st August
This was definitely a night to forget for Whitley as they crashed to a heavy defeat against local rivals West Allotment.
With four players out through injury the squad was significantly depleted and the situation got even worse when striker Mark Davison was added to the injury list after suffering a calf injury in the warm up and had to be replaced in the starting line up by debutant Evan Wilkinson, signed just last week from Bedlington Terriers.
Right from the kick off Allotment looked the stronger outfit, putting pressure on a Bay side that never showed the confidence that was evident a few days earlier in the victory over Penrith.
Less than six minutes into the game it took a diving save from Dan Lister to keep the visitors out as the Bay keeper pushed a shot wide of goal. Three minutes later there was little he could do when the defence in front of him failed to clear a through ball and Guy Bates slotted home to put Allotment in front.
Whitley responded around the quarter hour when a well placed through ball from Harvey Neary almost set Matty Weirs clear on goal bur former Bay keeper Dan Gladstone reacted quickly to block the ball. A minute later Noah Millington was almost through on goal but a last ditch tackle prevented him from getting a shot on target. Attacking again two minutes later, Harvey Neary’s powerful first time shot was well saved by Gladstone.
That was about as good as it got for Whitley and with 24 minutes gone, Bates doubled his side’s lead with his second goal of the game as the Bay rearguard failed to defend the ball.
Barely 60 seconds later, Lister denied Allotment a third goal, palming the ball away from danger as the visitors burst forward again.
Passes were frequently going astray with alarming regularity as Whitley lacked cohesion and a third goal was not long delayed. This time it followed a long free kick floated deep beyond the back post over Lister as he leapt for the ball. An Allotment player left unmarked near the by-line played the ball back across the face of goal where Scott McCarthy had a simple tap in to make it 3-0.Five minutes before the interval Kanda added a fourth when allowed time and space in the six yard box.
The game was as good as won and shortly before the half time whistle, Harvey Neary, already booked for kicking the ball away, pulled back an opponent as he tried to prevent another attack from the visitors and was shown a second yellow card, resulting in a red card to leave Whitley a man short for the rest of the game.
Rubbing salt into the Bay wounds, Cyril Giraud added two more goals inside the opening ten minutes of the second half as he capitalised on weak defending as the impressive visitors looked capable of scoring with every attack.
Thankfully for Whitley’s fans, supporting the team in excellent numbers once again, their side stuck to their task for the remainder of the game and avoided further embarrassment and with the game over as a contest, Allotment made a series of substitutions in the final half hour with no risk of affecting the outcome.
Few Bay players emerged with credit from this encounter, but one who did catch the eye was teenager Evan Wilkinson, who certainly looks a good prospect.
Whitley will be looking to put this performance behind them as they focus on Saturday’s Emirates FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round tie when Garforth Town are the visitors to Hillheads.
WHITLEY BAY: Lister, Cartwright, Phillips, Richardson, Scorgie, Hall, Neary, Weirs, Page, Wilkinson, Millington
Subs not used: Lowery, Suddick
Referee: Cameron Atkins
Attendance: 384
