WHITLEY BAY 1 NEWCASTLE BLUE STAR 1
Saturday 5th September 2026
Report by Harry Salkeld
After an impressive 4-1 win away at Redcar, the Bay were back on home soil for the first time in 10 days, as they took on Newcastle Blue Star. Two changes were made to the side that comfortably beat Redcar as Heyward and Sharpe came into the starting eleven.
Blue Star had the first chance of the game as Macleod headed wide from a corner early on. The Bay failed to create any concrete chances of their own in the opening of the game, however there were many liquid passages of play which consisted of an array of one two’s, with Luca Shilling being at the heart of many.
Unfortunately, the Bay suffered early substitution setback, a familiar feeling lately, as Michael Scott came off for Hugo McNicol. After that change, the visitors clearly grew in confidence as they took more risks and played with more intent.
The Bay then changed the directions of their attacks, predominantly targeting the right flank now and it nearly paid dividends in the 30th minute as MacKenzie Sharpe had a shot denied at the back post, after Kieren Aplin slipped him through on goal. Two minutes later, both Sharpe and Aplin came close to scoring, but Blue Star managed to hang on by a thread as their goal came under the most scrutiny of the afternoon so far.
The end of the first half didn’t involve many, if any, chances as it was a period of play that revolved around second balls and Blue Star’s tenacity to win them, something the Bay couldn’t get to grips within this passage.
After a fifteen-minute interval, that would change the dynamic of the game, the Bay were back in action as they now attacked the ‘car park goal’.
It took the away side less than a minute to break the deadlock in the second half, as Collins Unareokpa pounced upon a loose ball after Preston Leech failed to collect at the near post. It was a very frustrating way to concede due to the nature of the goal, Leech’s great performance up to, and eventually beyond that point, as well as the sudden and abrupt timing of the slip up.
The Bay’s first attempt at getting back into the game was through Magalhaes as he dribbled past a collection of black and white defenders, treating them as if they were cones in a drill, however his eventual shot was frustratingly denied from inside the box, preventing what would have been a spell binding goal from our number eleven.
Mikel Thompson was clearly inspired by his teammate, as he recreated his run at goal, bamboozling defenders and ultimately drawing a free kick from the situation, albeit inches away from a penalty due to the positioning on the pitch. After speculation as to whether it was a penalty or not, Sharpe stepped up for the eventual free kick which was from a very tempting range. Our number nine coolly did what we are so used to seeing from him as he placed the set piece into the bottom right corner, revitalising blue and white hope.
The Bay tried their best to use that goal as a platform to build from in the last 10-15 minutes of the game and Magalhaes nearly did so as he had an effort crash of the bar from distance.
The final stages of the game would prove to be chaotic as Blue Star failed to score from a gifted counter-attack, in front of the allotment. Minutes later, they would be denied again, this time it was thanks to Whitley Bay heroics rather than Blue Star’s profligacy, as Joe Power cleared a shot of the line with his head.
Despite the Bay’s best late efforts to find all three points, they were ultimately shared as the game ended 1-1. A draw felt fair in a game where both teams had multiple good opportunities, fought hard for the ball in the middle of the park and provided similar threat in transition. Despite the slow start to the game, it ended up being an enthralling encounter, especially in the final half an hour.
Next week we are back in action at Hillheads Park, against Darlington Town in the FA Vase, a competition that all Bay fans love and are needed for next Saturday at 3pm.
WHITLEY BAY: Leech, Storey, Power, Heywood, Scott (McNicol, 15'), Chapman, Shilling, Aplin(Livermore, 54'), Sharpe (McCarthy, 80'), Thompson, Magalhaes
Cautions: Power, McNicol
Referee: Chris Ellis
Attendance: 300
Match photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mcqweb/albums/72177720335476286
