Whitley take on Newcastle Benfield in the semi final of the Northumberland Senior Cup tonight with the reward for the winners being at trip to St James' Park for the Final where holders Heaton Stannington await after their victory over Newcastle University last week.
Whitley reached this stage with a memorable and exciting 2-1 victory over local rivals North Shields two weeks ago thanks to two stunning goals. Mikel Thompson scored early in the game with Mechack Kanda getting the second late on before Shields grabbed a consolation goal with almost the last kick of the game.
In the First Round of the competition back in October, two more outstanding strikes, a stunner from Mackenzie Sharpe and another from Thompson, earned a 2-0 victory over West Allotment Celtic, several months before their sad demise.
Newcastle Benfield's road to the semi final has seen them drawn at home in all three ties. To reach the last four they have edged through both ties on penalties. Their first round opponents were competition debutants AFC Newbiggin, who they overcame after a 2-2 draw before they shocked higher ranked Morpeth Town, winning the shoot out after a 0-0 draw.
In the two league meetings between the sides this season, Whitley were comfortable 4-0 winners at Hillheads back in August, with Mackenzie Sharpe scoring a hat trick, while the return game just before Christmas was a much tighter affair, Sharpe coming off the bench to get the winner in a 2-1 victory, Da Silva having score Whitley's first goal.
Benfield have finished the season in 13th place and without a win in their last seven games but during that run they were only beaten 1-0 by both of the top two sides, Guisborough and Shildon and in their last game on Saturday it was another 1-0 defeat at 5th placed Boro Rangers.
These results suggest that their league position is a false one, a point emphasised by assistant manager Barry Rizza when he warned against any complacency “You know what you’re going to get from Benfield, I can tell you now, I think the league table’s a bit deceiving because they’re hard to beat especially on their pitch.”
This will be just the fourth time that the sides have met in the Senior Cup, a competition now sponsored by Newcastle Flooring Company, and it is a fascinating fact that Benfield have competed under a different name on each occasion.
The first time in the 1996/97 season, Whitley won 2-1 away to Benfield Park in the 1st Round.
In 2004/05 Whitley beat Newcastle Benfield Saints 2-0 in the Final at Whitley Park, giving Ian Chandler his first trophy as Bay manager.
Four years later, Newcastle Benfield Bay Plastics won 3-2 in the 1st Round at Sam Smith's Park.
With Benfield playing in blue and white, Whitley will be wearing their yellow and black away colours for this game and as usual in this competition, should the game end in a draw after 90 minutes, it will go straight to penalties.
Kick off is at 7.30pm and a large contingent of Bay fans are expected to make the short trip up the Coast Road as Jay Bates and his side aim to take the club to their first Senior Cup Final since 2013.
