NEWCASTLE BLUE STAR 4 WHITLEY BAY 1
Friday 29th November 2024
Report by Julian Tyley
Whitley’s first ever visit to Scotswood was not one they will wish to remember. It was a night when little went right for the Bay and while the final score line was perhaps a little harsh, there could be no disputing that Blue Star were much the better side on the night. The three points lifted them into the top three while Whitley remain in midtable.
With Mackenzie Sharpe and Callum Larmouth both suspended, it was always going to be a tough challenge against a side that had lost only once in their last nine league outings.
There was little to enthuse over in the early stages of the game, the first incident of note coming with nine minutes played when Liam Beeston had to be replaced after failing to recover from a knock he received barely two minutes into the contest. This meant a reshuffle with Regan Paterson coming off the bench and Kyle Cockburn switching wings.
After 15 minutes Cockburn played a dangerous looking ball across the face of goal but it was just ahead of Paterson and the danger was averted.
Chris Reid, one of three former Bay players in the Blue Star starting eleven, sent a back header only inches beyond the angle of his own post and bar with 27 minutes on the clock but five minutes later the home side took the lead when a neatly placed cross from the right wing was bundled into the net by Dan Lanning.
Three minutes later former Bay keeper Dan Lister needed two attempts to gather a through ball as Alfa Djalo closed in.
On the stroke of half time, Gladstone made a good save, pushing a shot from Paul Dudgeon round the post.
Just four minutes after the restart, poor defending allowed Dudgeon to add a second goal for Blue Star with a shot from the left of the box that went across Gladstone and into the net.
Star were quick to close down Bay attacks, denying them time on the ball and slowing the game down which suited them perfectly while frustrating Whitley.
Rain was now falling with spectators looking for cover while the ball was zipping across the wet surface.
A good move down the Bay right brought them back into the game with 58 minutes gone. Kanda slipped the ball through to Griggs who found Paterson with a well judged pass through the Blue Star defence. Running into the right side of the box, Paterson, now recovered from a nasty injury suffered early in the season, slotted the ball past the advancing Lister to give hope the travelling fans.
For a short spell, Whitley got on top and after Cockburn fired a great effort inches beyond the far post, Forster headed wide form a corner then Stewart sent a header just over the bar.
However, another error effectively ended hopes of a comeback when a free kick was spilled by Gladstone and Lanning pounced to poke home the loose ball.
Into the final quarter hour, things went from bad to worse for Whitley. Kanda was sin binned for disputing a decision and a plethora of yellow cards were flashed, mostly at Bay players for what in some instances seemed innocuous fouls.
Robbie Christie, cautioned in one of these incidents, was then shown a second yellow in the 90th minute, and with Whitley down to ten men, Star rubbed salt into the wounds adding a fourth goal with what was the last kick of the game deep into added time.
WHITLEY BAY Gladstone, Beeston(Paterson 9mins), Christie, Stewart, Scott(Parkinson 65mins), Robson, Cockburn(Wilson 71mins), Kanda, Forster, Griggs(Parker 71mins), Djalo
Substitute not used: Crawford
Referee: David Mitchell
Attendance: 364
