THORNABY 0 WHITLEY BAY 3
Saturday 31st January 2026
Report by Jensen Coleman
In light of a 2-0 defeat at home to league leaders Guisborough Town two weeks ago, the Bay were on their travels for the first time in 2026. Jay Bates’s men headed to Teesdale Park, the home of hosts Thornaby, looking for their first win in three. Callum Larmouth was named on the bench for this fixture, while Luca Shilling and Gildo Da Silva were given the nod to start the game.
Bay looked to start brightly and almost did when Alfie Livermore made an early charge into the box and looked to cut the ball back to Mackenzie Sharpe, but the Thornaby defender got back in time to cut it out. Mikel Thompson could’ve gone one better just minutes later as his cross in from the right nearly caught out Jaan Yaqub in the Thornaby goal.
Between those two half-chances, the hosts could have easily have taken the lead themselves through Lucas Casson’s fierce long-range effort, only for that to crash back off the outside of Mauro Asikaogu’s right hand post. Dale Milburn also saw his strike blocked well by Michael Scott moments after.
Home goalkeeper Yaqub was the busiest of the two goalkeepers at this point, as his clearance was blocked by Robbie Christie before the ball fell to Livermore who just couldn’t get his shot away. With 20 minutes gone, however, Whitley Bay were awarded a penalty after Sharpe was felled by Shaun Ryder. Sharpe then picked himself up and smashed the ball past a diving Yaqub to open the scoring on Teesside (0-1).
Thornaby looked to reply in kind, as Kieron Parnaby’s strike deflected out off Scott for a corner after a decent run forward by the forward. But the visitors could have been further ahead minutes later as Mechack Kanda’s low bullet of a strike was saved well by Yaqub, following some excellent football from Jay Bates’s visitors.
Considering Asikaogu was the less active of the two stoppers, he had his blushes spared with ten minutes of the first half to go as his mistake almost saw James Sayer’s lobbed attempt from the edge of the box found the back of the net, only for Scott to head the ball away on the line. Milburn once again fired a strike towards goal moments later, but that effort would soar just over the bar. Down the other end, Sharpe and Livermore both saw tame efforts collected comfortably by Yaqub before the half was up.
The hosts started the second 45 on the front foot and had plenty of opportunities to draw level with Parnaby’s close-range strike whistling past the far post and Oliver Cann being denied twice by Asikaogu at the Bay goalkeeper’s near post.
With Bay’s first half momentum halted, Jay Bates looked to his bench for options and brought on Larmouth and Nathan Nkunku in place of Kieren Aplin and Gildo Da Silva. The changes from the Bay manager had got Bay looking back to their best, and they would pay dividends 13 minutes from time when Shilling was felled in the box by Casson and the referee pointed to the spot once again. Larmouth would assume responsibility this time round and proceeded to fire the ball past Yaqub to double the visitors’ advantage (0-2).
It was game, set and match 7 minutes later, as Mikel Thompson - who had been playing at right back in this clash - cut inside the Thornaby defence and curled an absolute beauty into the far corner to round off a relatively comfortable day’s work at Teesdale Park (0-3).
A first league win in three that was so desperately needed for Jay Bates’s men to get right back into the promotion conversation. Sharpe and Larmouth’s precise spot kicks coupled with a stunning strike from Thompson sealing a win that for the first time in a while has the Seasiders feeling rosy again. A first away win of the calendar year that surely must pave the way for the Bay’s form to get back on track.
WHITLEY BAY: Asikaogu, Thompson, Christie, Shilling, Scott, Errington, Livermore(Lees 81mins), Kanda(Achuo 81mins), Sharpe, Aplin(Nkunku 62mins) , Da Silva(Larmouth 62mins)
Substitute not used: Foster (GK)
Referee: Tom Ross
Cautions: Shilling (66’) Achuo (89’)
Attendance: 112
Man of the Match: Luca Shilling - For a player so young, Shilling took the opportunity to start and grasped it with both hands firmly. A compact and really solid performance from Bay’s number 4 who was all-in on the afternoon’s action.
Match photos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/mcqweb/albums/72177720331802359/
