WHITLEY BAY 3-4 BIRTLEY TOWN
Saturday 22nd August 2026
Report by Jensen Coleman
Desperately seeking a response to four straight league defeats without a goal, Bay returned to Hillheads where they met Birtley Town for the second time in a week, with the visitors prevailing in County Durham through a Charlie Aitken winner. After making his debut for Whitley off the bench in the trip to Penrith on Tuesday, Matthew Griggs was handed his first start for the club as part of the starting XI.
After a fairly even start from both sides, the opposition would take the lead in bizarre circumstances with five minutes gone. Jack Errington attempted to pass the ball forward, but it took a heavy deflection off Birtley’s James Proctor, and as a result, the ball ended up looping in past Preston Leech; Bay on the back foot already (0-1).
Bay tried to respond in kind, with Kieren Aplin’s free kick being fired straight into the arms of Alfie Gordon before Lennox Magalhaes’s cross flew well over everyone and went well wide.
Birtley would double their advantage in the 13th minute, as a decent cut back in from the right hand side found Liam Wotherspoon in the box. Wotherspoon then took the ball inside Michael Scott and slotted home from close range to extend his side’s lead (0-2).
At this point, it was matter of just how many for the visitors against an injury-ravaged Bay side. A third could have been added shortly after, only for Charlie Aitken to fire a decent effort just wide. The same player would just about miss his cue to head the ball home minutes later, before Matthew Ward sent a long range effort just over the bar.
Just before the half hour mark, the visitors would add a third to the scoreline, as Harry Gettins got past Spencer Ashcroft on the right hand side before cutting the ball back to Aitken, who scored his second against Whitley in the space of a week (0-3).
Whitley continued to struggle with the pressure Birtley were applying and could have been out of sight soon after, but Matthew Ward’s low shot was saved comfortably by Leech. Magalhaes could have got a goal back up the other end, but Gordon was alert and came to get the ball safely.
Reece Harrison could have added a stunning fourth for the visitors with five minutes of the first half left, but his brilliant effort crashed back off the bar.
The hosts would score their first league goal in four matches soon after, as Magalhaes took the ball down well and steered it past Gordon to give his side a foothold in the game; a goal Bay desperately needed (1-3).
Matthew Griggs would be next to try his luck to give Bay a further bit of encouragement, but his low shot whistled wide. Leech would be called into action once again shortly after, though, as Ward’s fierce close range shot was kept out by the Whitley goalkeeper.
Deep into first-half stoppage time, however, the hosts did pull another goal back through Nathan Nkunku, who slipped at first trying to recover the ball, but then got back up and slotted home past Gordon following a great ball in from the right hand side. Out of nowhere, Whitley were back in it (2-3).
The first real chance of the second 45 came Magalhaes’s way, as George Brady’s cross-field pass found the Whitley No.8 in the Birtley box, who fired the ball straight at Gordon who got down well at the near post.
After playing a confounding part in Birtley’s opener, Errington found himself through on goal thanks to Magalhaes’s lobbed through ball, but Town goalkeeper Gordon collected the ball just before the Whitley defender could get his head to it.
With just under twenty minutes to go, despite a much improved second half showing from Bay, Birtley sealed all three points with a rare opportunity for them in the second half; Ward racing down the right hand side before squaring the ball across to Proctor, who tapped home from close range (2-4).
Mikel Thompson wouldn’t let Birtley’s fourth stop him from trying to get Bay back into the contest, as an intricate one-two with Aplin saw Thompson fire a superb volley towards goal, only for Gordon to parry it away from his goal. Up the other end, Birtley substitute Aaron Croft fired a decent free kick just over Leech’s bar before Ward struck a good effort straight at the Bay goalkeeper.
With second-half stoppage time ticking away, Bay would add a third goal of their own through Alfie Livermore, who took the ball down well inside the Birtley box and finished well past an on-running Alfie Gordon (3-4).
But Livermore’s late goal would only prove a consolation, as Whitley fell to a fifth straight league defeat. Once again, Bay ended up on the wrong side on the scoreline but it was a battling performance from Jay Bates’s men in the second half as they fought to rescue a draw. However, James Proctor’s second of the game quickly diminished any hopes of an unlikely point as Birtley completed a very quick league double over their hosts.
As a result, Bay continue to struggle in the league, but will look to return to winning ways when they host Carlisle City on Tuesday (25th August) at 7.45pm.
Whitley Bay: Leech, Thompson, Ashcroft, Aplin, Scott [C], Errington (Achuo, 74’), Alf. Livermore, Magalhaes, Brady, Griggs (McCarthy, 84’), Nkunku (Clark, 55’)
Attendance: 252
Referee: Alex Van Tam
Caution(s): Magalhaes (45+1), Aplin (64’), Achuo (87’)
My Personal Player-Of-The-Match: George Brady - Known best for being Bay's current right-back, Brady assumed the role of a striker today and looked solid up top alongside Matthew Griggs. He didn't stop running all game in the hope Whitley could get something from it, but it wasn't to be. Nevertheless, a top performance from George.
Match photos http://www.flickr.com/photos/mcqweb/albums/
