WHITLEY BAY 0 GUISBOROUGH TOWN 2
Saturday 17th January 2026
Report by Harry Salkeld
After a long wait, the Bay’s first game of 2026 was upon us as we hosted league leaders, Guisborough Town, who hadn’t lost a league game since the middle of September. A strong starting eleven was sent out on to the Hillheads turf to try and combat the most in-form team in the league.
The game started in an aggressive manner with a multitude of 'professional fouls' being committed to halt any promising attacks for either side.
The first effort of the game fell to Callum Larmouth who had a long-range effort palmed away by Guisborough goalkeeper, Ryan Catterick. The visitors' first chance of the game came in the 9th minute of the game, resulting from a free kick, as a header which look destined for the top right corner was miraculously denied by Mauro Asikaogu. It was another trademark Mauro save to add to his phenomenal collection for the season.
In the 13th minute, Robbie Christie saw an effort from long range sail over the bar. In the 20th minute, the deadlock was broken as Guisborough’s promising attack saw the ball fall to Matthew Willshaw, inside the six-yard box, who smashed it past Mauro, leaving the Bay’s number one with no chance of blocking the shot.
The Bay did react in a positive manner as Larmouth forced another save from Catterick in the 24th minute as he pierced a shot towards the bottom right corner. In the 32nd minute, another chance fell in favour of the Bay as Mackenzie Sharpe glanced a headed attempt just over the left-hand side of the bar after a fantastic Livermore cross from the right-hand side.
The last notable chance of the half was when Forster had an effort blocked by a Guisborough defender who unfortunately received an injury in the process. A few minutes later, the referee signalled the end of a highly competitive half.
After the fifteen minute interval, Guisborough had two early chances go just wide of the woodwork, one of which was courtesy of goalscorer, Willshaw. In the 63rd minute, Sharpe had a one-on-one attempt trickle past Catterick, but it was scooped off the line by a scrambling defender.
Multiple Bay changes were made within a ten-minute period as Kieren Aplin, Nathan Nkunku, Gildo Da Silva and Graham Williams entered the fray. Unfortunately, those substitutions didn’t bear fruit as Alfie Doherty scored a long-range effort in to the bottom left corner for the visitors, to double their advantage.
There were little chances in the dying embers of the game as Mauro denied a near post effort and Larmouth had a set-piece attempt deflected wide.
The game ended with a scoreline of 2-0 on a frustrating afternoon for the Bay. Despite creating an array of chances, it never felt like the Bay were in cruise control for a passage of play and the visitors threat was always apparent. Guisborough played with the confidence of a team clear at the top of the league. While they never necessarily manifested that confidence into a swagger and guile, their battling spirit and sharpness never diminished. They took their chances whereas Whitley didn’t, in an often, messy encounter. However, there were positives to take out the game and into our next one, on Tuesday night, against Marske at home.
WHITLEY BAY: Asikaogu, Stewart(Achuo 78mins), Christie, Forster(Nkunku 72mins), Scott, Errington(Williams 78mins), Livermore(Aplin 64mins), Kanda, Sharpe, Thompson(Da Silva 72mins), Larmouth
Caution: Errington
Referee: Daniel Forbes
Attendance: 366
Photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mcqweb/albums/72177720331527851/
