Report by Julian Tyley
Speaking after Whitley’s 6-0 victory over Birtley Town at Hillheads, Bay’s assistant manager Barry Rizza was naturally delighted but after recent games he was not totally surprised to see such a comprehensive win.
“It was a tremendous result. We’re on a little run and I genuinely believe it’s been coming for a quite a while. I sometimes think everything just falls for you. We’re getting a little bit of strength in depth in the squad now. We’ve got a few new lads in and it’s good to see lads scoring on their debut so it’s keeping them all on their toes because they know if they don’t perform they’re not going to keep their shirts.”
Whitley went into the game without several key players, with Mechack Kanda suspended, while George Brady, Jake Forster and Kyle Cockburn were all unavailable.
“It was a worry going into the game especially without two of our starting centre midfielders, Meeshi and Jakey in the middle of the park. But some of the passage of play and one touch football in the first half was just so nice to see.”
There were some top quality goals but the second one in particular was outstanding, a lob from debutant Liam Beeston from well over 40 yards that caught the goalkeeper slightly off his line and dipped just under the bar. Barry told us “Beeston’s been a player we’ve had in and around us for years. He served in the army alongside me. He works offshore so he can’t be here every week but we know he does bring experience. He communicates well and technically he’s so comfortable on the ball.”
Having the rare luxury of being 3-0 ahead at half time, what was the message to the players during the interval? “Carry on doing what you’re doing. I wanted a clean sheet, that was very important so I said to the lads ‘do what you’re doing but aim for the clean sheet. Carry on doing what you’re doing but don’t over commit.’
“Listen, we will never sit back ever. We’re an attacking side and goals are in the players DNA but it’s hasn’t quite clicked until today and it’s just nice to see.”
Six different goalscorers was a remarkable statistic but one that fits in with the management approach. “We’ve never relied on one person getting 30 or 40 goals. The system we’ve set up, the goals come from the wide men, the number ten, the nine.. The midfielders interchange so we’re never going to be that team that relies on one person to be honest. It needed that number nine to make it click, where we can bounce it into him, and play it off him and Mackenzie Sharpe has come in and done a tremendous job since he’s been here.”
Another new signing, Chris Luaba was brought in just 24 hours before the game. “He’s showed a bit of quality, he’s a bit away from fitness because he’s come back from a groin injury, quite a long term injury but he’s played at a good standard at Newton Aycliffe before he came here. He just needs time. We’re going to get him along, get him training, get him fit and he’ll be another bonus to the squad, an attacking player, a wide 9 or a 10.”
With more players available and others returning from injury, the management team are going to have a difficult task to select the squad for next week’s game at home to Penrith, a problem Barry readily acknowledged. “We are, but it’s a nice headache to have. We’ve been there where we’ve had not many on the bench. But I like it now because the lads have to have competition. If lads become comfortable and there’s no competition then it’s not good.
“Sometimes with shift patterns they’re coming off night shift, turning up and playing a game so their bodies are going to be depleted and tired, but you can’t fault the lads, no matter what, they’ll give you as much as they can.”
Jay Bates was away at the weekend and as Barry commented “Jay will be gutted he’s not here to see this as he’s away with the army.”
The reaction of the crowd of more than 350 fans, the weekend’s biggest attendance in England at the Step 5 level of non-league football, was to give the players a huge ovation as they left the pitch. “That was one of our key objectives, get the fans to enjoy seeing the style of play, hopefully they’re seeing what the lads can do and they can go forward from here.”
