Seven up for Bay in first friendly

BEDLINGTON TERRIERS 2 WHITLEY BAY 7
Tuesday 10th July
Whitley began their pre-season programme with a very comfortable victory at Bedlington. It was very much a new-look Bay side with only four players from last season in the starting eleven.
One of the familiar faces, captain Peter Glen-Ravenhill had the chance to put Whitley ahead in the ninth minute after they were awarded a penalty but placed his shot too close to the keeper who duly made the save. They could well have had a penalty four minutes earlier when Jack Foalle appeared to be tripped inside the box but play was allowed to continue.
Foalle, who had a short spell at Hillheads in 2016, gave Whitley a deserved lead in the 14th minute and after David Hall and Lewis Walton had both gone close, Glen-Ravenhill made amends for his earlier miss when on the half hour he rifled a tremendous 20 yard shot into the top corner of the net giving the keeper no chance. Two minutes later it was 3-0 when triallist Stephen Ramsey poked the ball home.
Bedlington pulled a goal back following an error by Bay keeper Tom Kindley, who was playing his first game in two years, but Whitley quickly restored their three goal advantage when Ramsey rose to head home Glen-Ravenhill’s ball into the box.
Both sides made changes at half time and three of the Bay subs got on the scoresheet in the second period. Michael Bell added the fifth goal with an hour played and barely 60 seconds later James Proctor made it six.
Another mistake at the back handed the Terriers their second goal but three minutes from time Olly Martin made it 7-2 with a shot that flew into the net off the inside of the post.
While it would be unwise to read too much into this first game against lower status opponents, there were plenty of positives to emerge. Ibby Hassan looked confident alongside Callum Anderson in the centre of defence and Stephen Ramsey showed his goalscoring instinct. Alongside these two experienced players, the youngsters all worked hard and gave maximum effort.
WHITLEY BAY: Kindley, Redford, Walton, Hall, Hassan, Anderson, Brannen, Glen-Ravenhill, Ramsey, Foalle, Salmon. Second half substitutes: Martin, Allan, Bell, Proctor, Campbell