HORDEN CW 1 WHITLEY BAY 3
Tuesday 3rd February 2026
Report by Jensen Coleman
After their excellent 3-0 win at Thornaby on Saturday, Bay were back on the road again as Jay Bates’s 4th-placed side headed to Horden Community Welfare, who sat 7th. Following their impact off the bench three days prior, Nathan Nkunku and Callum Larmouth were both handed starts for the first of two huge games in four days, in place of Alfie Livermore and Gildo Da Silva.
In the very early minutes of the game, it became clear why the hosts were right in the play-off race. Ash Lavan and Philly Angus were the first to test Mauro Asikaogu in the Whitley Bay goal with some decent efforts, but both ultimately came to nothing.
Jay Bates’s men replied in similar fashion as a neat interchange between Nathan Nkunku and Mackenzie Sharpe saw the former get the ball back and fire it towards goal, only for Horden stopper Robert Dean to make a decent save. Luca Shilling’s strike minutes later also forcing Dean into action, albeit more comfortably on this occasion as the shot was tame.
Horden continued to threaten the opener thereafter, as Ben Henderson’s great strike curled towards the far corner, but it whistled just wide instead. Bay goalkeeper Asikaogu was then called into action to prevent home captain Jack Pounder from heading the hosts in front; tipping the attempt over the bar. From the resulting corner, Elliot Wilson scooped the ball just over the woodwork.
After soaking up the early pressure from the home side, Bay took the lead with 14 minutes gone. A free kick from Callum Larmouth almost went all the way in from 25 yards out, but the ball fell to Shilling on the rebound and the youngster steered the ball home with ease (0-1).
It could have been got even better for the visitors as Larmouth saw his close-range strike from Mikel Thompson’s cut-back blocked from a few yards out and Mechack Kanda’s back-post strike from the resulting corner tipped over by Dean.
With 22 minutes gone, the hosts were awarded a penalty after a foul by Robbie Christie. The impressive Taylor Campbell took on the responsibility of the spot kick and saw his original effort saved by Asikaogu, but the Horden No.4 quickly tucked home the rebound to level matters at the Horden Welfare Park (1-1).
Two minutes later, the visitors found themselves back in front, as a wonderful ball forward by Larmouth found Mackenzie Sharpe in the Horden box. The Bay striker took the ball down before firing the ball past Robert Dean into the far corner to put Bay back into the lead (1-2).
Larmouth himself had another chance to find the back of the net minutes after, but another free kick that looked like it was heading straight in was this time saved well by Robert Dean.
Horden then threatened in quick succession to level the game up again, only for Ben Riding to be denied twice in just seconds from a corner and Henderson’s tame effort landing straight in the arms of Asikaogu.
With ten minutes of the first 45 to go, Mikel Thompson was released down the right hand side and got forward quickly. The Bay No.10 then played the ball wide to Nathan Nkunku whose cross found Sharpe at the far post, who tapped the ball past a diving Robert Dean to get his second of the game and Bay’s third - which proved to actually be enough to win this match (1-3).
Jack Errington could consider himself lucky to not have steered the ball into his own net just moments later from Campbell’s cross, but Asikaogu was there to spare the defender’s blushes.
Sharpe had the chance to seal his first hat-trick since August very late on in the half, but his header was kept out by Dean. Robbie Christie very unlucky to see his rebound from only a few yards out cleared off the line following Scott’s header. Kanda also saw a free header at the back post come bouncing back off the bar just moments after from a corner, the last action of the half.
It was becoming a case of how many more goals could the visitors get, and Gildo Da Silva - on for Nathan Nkunku at half-time - almost put the game to bed just four minutes into the second 45, but saw his header go just wide from Errington’s great cross in from the right hand side. A wonderful ball forward by Sharpe found Thompson moments after, but the latter was unable to take the ball round Dean before he had the chance to score.
Horden didn’t feel they were out of this contest just yet, however, as Campbell took matters into his own hands and fired a decent long-range strike towards goal, but it flew just over the bar instead.
It was all Bay for a sustained period after that as Sharpe, Da Silva and Christie all had chances to finish the hosts off, but all saw chances not come to fruition. Unfortunately, it didn’t look like it was going to be Gildo Da Silva’s night, as the youngster fired wide of Dean’s near post after Josh Stewart’s through ball before another tame effort was dragged well wide of the far post from Shilling’s pass.
If Horden felt like it was game over at this point, Taylor Campbell certainly didn’t think so as another brilliant long-range effort from 30 yards was surely heading into the top corner with Asikaogu beaten, but the ball came back off the bar instead. Jack Pounder and Horden substitute Jayden Pow both also saw chances come to nothing as the game came to a close.
Down the other end, Sharpe was still hunting a treble, but his fierce curling strike towards the far corner was collected comfortably in the end by Dean. The Horden goalkeeper denied Sharpe again just minutes later, as some wonderful football from the visitors beforehand saw Bay substitute Alfie Livermore cut the ball back towards the Bay No.9 who couldn’t steer the ball home.
The title may be considered a long shot by some Bay fans now, but Jay Bates’s men - going off this big win at a play-off rival - are in pole position to be extending their season past April 18th. Two well-taken strikes from Mackenzie Sharpe, as well as Luca Shilling’s close-range effort, made sure it was back-to-back league wins on the road for Whitley Bay ahead of another season-defining clash at 2nd placed Shildon this coming Saturday.
Whitley Bay: Asikaogu, Stewart, Christie, Shilling (Livermore, 75’), Scott [C], Errington, Nkunku (Da Silva, 46’), Kanda, Sharpe, Thompson (Williams, 80’), Larmouth
Attendance: 138
Referee: Martin Dunn
Caution: Sharpe (85’)
Man of the Match: Callum Larmouth - This was Bay’s No.11 back to his best. Having a hand in every one of the Seasiders’s goals at the Horden Welfare Park, a cool, calm and collected performance from a player who pulled the strings from the off on the night.
