WHITLEY BAY 2 EASINGTON COLLIERY 1
Saturday 21st February 2026
Report by Harry Salkeld
After what felt like an eternity, the Bay were back at Hillheads Park to face in-form Easington Colliery. Only two changes were made to the side that lost on the road to Shildon, as Luca Shilling and Kieren Aplin started from the outset.
*Ahead of kick off, players, officials and spectators joined in one minute of applause in memory of former Whitley Bay Chairman and Director Mike ‘Rob’ Robinson, who sadly passed away recently.
The game started with the opponent’s goalkeeper, James Hopkinson, visibly struggling with his goal kicks. Their misguided nature created an inability for Easington to retain the ball. This allowed the Bay the opportunity to dictate the tempo of the opening stages of the encounter as their opposition struggled to gain any passing momentum.The Bay’s first chance of the game came when Larmouth squared a ball into the six-yard box to Mechack Kanda. Despite his best efforts, the ball was too far in front of him to get any real connection. The opponents first effort that sent any real shivers down Bay spines was in the 20th minute when captain, James Fairley, crashed a left footed effort just over the bar as it looked like it might fly into the top left corner. It was the wake up call that the Bay needed to dispel any complacency.
The Bay’s number nine, Mackenzie Sharpe, had his first effort of the game in the 25th minute. On his weak foot, he smashed it miles over the top of the woodwork. As for Easington, their first shot on target came in the 30th minute via a corner, which was delivered with real menace as the glancing header was miraculously saved by Mauro. Another fantastic save to add to his huge repertoire for the season.
Almost a minute later and the Bay had a chance to break the deadlock. Once again, it was Mackenzie Sharpe seizing the opportunity after the ball fell to him after a scrappy exchange in the box. Similarly to earlier however, the resulting effort sailed over the bar. In the 34th minute, the theme continued as Kieren Aplin's free kick was tipped over the bar by Hopkinson.
In the 40th minute the Bay had a corner kick that Kieren Aplin loomed ominously over. The Bay’s number 3 whipped in a ball to the back post, out of the grasp of the goalkeeper, leaving Errington and his formidable head to punish Easington and strike with venom into the back of the net. Finally the deadlock was broken before the halftime interval much to the relief of the increasingly nervy home fans.
One goal on the stroke of halftime wasn’t enough for the Bay faithful. The lads reacted to the easing of the tension by turning on the style. Larmouth bamboozled the Easington defence with a mystifying dummy that sent Thompson on a dazzling run down the left wing. Despite struggling to maintain his balance, his fortitude and strength in the face of defensive reinforcements allowed him to slot the ball into the bottom left corner.
The Bay, somehow, nearly made it three as Mackenzie Sharpe had a one-on-one attempt denied by Parkinson. A free kick on the edge of the box, that soon followed, was blocked by the wall.
That was the last significant act of the half as the Bay’s late ruthlessness gave them a much-deserved advantage.
The opposition made a relatively early change in the second half as Brad Hird came on. The substitute made an instant impact as he had an effort cleared off the line when it appeared inevitable that the net was about to burst. A lack of touches in the game affected the power needed to finish the job.Chances started to become limited in the game as it took until the 77th minute for anything to write home about as Nathan Nkunku was denied in another of the many one-on-one opportunities in the match.
Easington's threat grew in the dying embers of the game as they suddenly started to play aesthetically pleasing football with a real purpose, something they failed to do when on level terms.
With minutes left on the clock, the dynamic of the game took an interesting turn as Andrew Nelson scored, for the visitors, to give the majority of those in Hillheads Park a nervy last few minutes. This was a clear result of Easington's sudden willingness to play one touch football on the floor rather than the long ball option.
Fortunately, the Bay's defence managed to stay strong and compact as no chances were conceded at the end, securing a huge three points on home soil for the first time since the turn of the year. Rather than the Bay's fallibility, as only the second game in that period, the weather was the clear villain in this stat.
Whitley's next home game is not until 14th March with the next five games all away from home.
WHITLEY BAY: Asikaogu, Stewart, Aplin, Shilling, Scott, Errington, Livermore(Nkunku 72mins), Kanda, Sharpe(Da Silva 72mins), Thompson(Achuo 83mins), Larmouth
Substitutes not used: Williams, Christie
Cautions: Shilling, Thompson
Referee: Michael Studholme
Attendance: 347
Bay Fencing North East Ltd Man of the match: Kieren Aplin
Match photos http://www.flickr.com/photos/mcqweb/albums/72177720332141210
