Report by Julian Tyley
A tremendous late comeback by Whitley saw them through to the next round of the FA Vase after a gripping cup tie at Longridge and there was a mixture of relief and delight from Jay Bates when he emerged from the dressing rooms to join the celebrating fans after the game.
The effects of the three hour journey may have contributed to a slow start but as the manager said “ We knew it was going to be hard. It’s been a stressful week, looking for a goalkeeper (with Dan Gladstone unavailable) and thankfully Tom’s come in and done us a great favour by helping out. He’s never played for 18 months so for him to kick into a massive wind first half was quite a struggle for him.
“For the first 25 minutes we just weren’t at the races at all. We allowed them too much space and too much time on the ball, they played us off the park for the first 25 minutes and we weren’t there.
“But we turned it round second half. I was glad to get them in at half time. I think just before half time we got in our first shot and were beginning to get a bit on top and started to find our rhythm and flow. We started adjusting to their formation. Their two forwards were both a handful. Their team worked very hard off the ball and when they got the ball they worked hard, so yes, they were a good team. They’ve not conceded many this year and they’re sitting third in their league.
“We knew it was going to be tough, so second half we came out there, we had the wind, we were quite comfortable and I thought we were going to get a goal quite early on, but we didn’t. They went down to ten men and we get caught out and they get a second goal and after that we knew that even then they were still going to get chances to put the game to bed.”
Whitley were up against ten men at Beverley earlier in the season and found out then how difficult it could be as they fought their way back into the game. “Yes, we’ve been there before a few weeks ago. We were 3 up and they had ten men but came back to 3-2. It’s difficult to play against ten men. So there was a little bit of change in formation; we put Jake in the number nine and it helps. He’s a tireless person; he gives you that little focal point up top. He runs effortlessly off the ball, he puts defenders under so much pressure as you could see from him for the third goal. He put that bit of pressure on the defender and he’s put a bad pass to the goalkeeper and then Cal’s got it and scored.
“Like we said at half time we’re not getting our shots off and haven’t been for the last few games. We haven’t scored for the last four games so for Robbie to get a shot off from 25 yards out right in the bottom corner.. he’s done it pre-season and he’s got that in his locker! He tried one previously and the keeper’s made a good save. It’s always good for a full back to get a goal. It gives him that bit of confidence. It’s a tough spot with Parky being in there as well breathing down on him to get that left back spot.”
Not for the first time this season, Joe Robson came up with a great header at a crucial moment (to level the score at 2-2,) as Jay agreed. “That’s what Joe does, I think he’s got three or four goals this season now. He’s a presence in that box and when you put a good ball in like Cal did, Joe’s always going to be there.”
Callum Larmouth got his first goal for the club which obviously delighted him, and it was the winner as well. “It’ll give him confidence, you don’t lose it overnight and we’ve said that about Cal, he’s scored 50 goals in Northern League 1. He scored a lot of goals at North Shields and they wanted to keep him because he was scoring goals in the league above. You don’t lose that instinct for goals and you’ve seen it when it did fall in the box and that’s who you want it to fall to, Callum because he just blasts it and the keeper had no chance. It was pretty much down his throat but it had that much pace he just wasn’t saving it.”
Paying credit to Longridge, he added “Their nine caused a lot of problems and he was a handful for Joe at times. Anything into the box he was going to be a handful. It doesn’t matter what team you play at this level they’re going to create chances whether they’ve ten or eleven men. In the last 5 to 10 minutes when they’re throwing everything in, just like we would be, you’ve got to try and catch them on the counter attack and pretty much we did that to see the game out.”
Jay was keen to thank the loyal fans who made the three hour journey to Lancashire to get behind the team. “The fans are still travelling when we’re not getting the best results over the last four games. They’re still coming to games and supporting us and it means everything to the lads. Most of them have never had this before at their previous clubs and they are thankful for that and so am I.”
“It’s been a lot of travelling at the beginning of the season, Boro Rangers, Redcar, Beverley and now we’ve come down here. It’s a lot of away games in such a short period of time. People don’t always realise when you’re travelling for three and a bit hours it tires your legs, but no excuses, we’ve just got to get on with it.”
Looking ahead to the next round in four weeks time Jay commented “It’s going to be good going to Harrogate Railway. I played them about four years ago. We managed to get a good result there. They’re not a bad team, they’re a young team. I’ve got a good friend down there so it’ll be good to see him and have a good day out again.”
