BIRTLEY TOWN 1-0 WHITLEY BAY
Saturday 15th August 2026
Report by Jensen Coleman
After being knocked out of the FA Cup on Wednesday via a replay at fellow Northern League Division One side Easington Colliery, Whitley looked to to get back to winning ways at Birtley Town, who had lost their last two league games by 3-2. Young left-back Spencer Ashcroft was handed his debut in a Bay shirt by Jay Bates, with Kieren Aplin on the bench. Jack Errington was also back in the starting lineup.
The hosts started brightly, and would continue to look bright as the game went on; Matthew Ward’s early effort was fired straight into the side netting, while Owen Lancaster’s cross in from the right almost ended up directly in the back of the net and James Proctor’s low strike trickled wide moments after.
A lengthy break in play saw Bay defender Hugo McNicol down receiving treatment for a head injury in which he was later taken to hospital for a concussion check and further assessment. It subsequently led to Alan Achuo replacing his fellow centre-back for the rest of the game.
It wouldn’t get any easier for the visiting team, however, as Birtley continued to dictate the match. Nick Morley fired a close-range volley just wide, before another first-time strike from Proctor was collected comfortably by Bay goalkeeper Preston Leech.
The pressure finally told in the 34th minute when the hosts deservedly took the lead, as a sublime cross in from the left hand side by Ward found Charlie Aitken in the box who tapped home from a few yards out; Bay conceding the first goal in a game for the fourth time in five league matches this season (0-1).
Birtley could have had a second to their name shortly after, but Proctor’s efforts once again fell shy as the winger could only drag a close-range strike just wide. Bay’s only half-chance of the first half came in stoppage time, when Alfie Livermore’s deflected effort landed in front of Birtley stopper Alfie Gordon who collected the ball comfortably.
Bay came out in desperate need of a quick response and almost got it, but substitute Kieren Aplin - who came on for the injured Nathan Nkunku in the first half - saw his volley saved well by Gordon.
However, the winning team continued to dominate the game and had more opportunities throughout the second half to seal the points. The first of those would come through goalscorer Aitken, who saw a volley saved brilliantly by Leech in the Whitley goal.
Nick Morley had also looked good for the hosts throughout and had arguably the best chance of the second half to wrap up the win after being put through one-on-one with Leech. However, the Birtley striker saw his first shot blocked before somehow sending the rebound bobbling wide at the far post. Matthew Ward also struck a decent effort straight at Leech minutes after.
Birtley continued to threaten in kind, as further attempts from Owen Lancaster and Liam Wotherspoon were thwarted by Leech, while Charlie Aitken fired another strike just wide a few moments later before Proctor headed the ball wide from Morley’s cross shortly after that.
Whitley almost conceded a second goal in quick succession through Aitken and Lancaster, but when the former’s strike forced a great save out of Leech, the latter somehow steered his effort wide at the far post. Leech made a mistake of his own shortly after gifting possession of the ball to Ward, but the Bay stopper’s blushes were spared, as Ward could only direct the ball well over the bar.
Proctor then fired an excellent volley just over the bar moments after, before Wotherspoon got his footing all wrong in front of goal and diverted the ball well wide of Leech’s goal.
Despite a slightly improved second half performance from Jay Bates’s men, it's now three straight league defeats for Whitley Bay, who desperately need the recapture the tenacity and confidence of the last campaign - and quickly. Their hosts Birtley fully deserved all three points and will look to build on that for the rest of the season.
As for Whitley, they’ll look to truly kickstart their league campaign with a trip to the Lake District this coming Tuesday (18th August), heading to early strugglers Penrith for a 7.45pm kick-off.
Whitley Bay: Leech, Errington, Ashcroft, Jensen (McCarthy, 81’), McNicol (Achuo, 16’), Scott [C], Magalhaes, Shilling, Nkunku (Aplin, 34’), Thompson, Livermore
Attendance: 157
Referee: James Crookes
Caution(s): Ashcroft (18’), Aplin (68’)
My Personal Player-Of-The-Match: Preston Leech - Had the young Gateshead loanee not kept the ball out of the net multiple times, his team would have been in serious trouble. The Bay goalkeeper looked brilliant throughout and despite not keeping a clean sheet - as well as a small mistake towards the end of the match - the man between the posts was superb in goal once again.
Match photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mcqweb/albums/72177720335141751
