Bay suffer shock Vase exit

BUILDBASE FA VASE 1^st QUALIFYING ROUND

WHITLEY BAY 1 NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY 4

Saturday 19^th September

Whitley suffered a shock exit from the FA Vase, comprehensively beaten at Hillheads by a lively and impressive Newcastle University side. This Bay performance was in complete contrast to their two previous games when they recorded impressive victories. The win at Bishop Auckland three days earlier and the manner in which it was achieved rightly earned them praise but perhaps after their Covid enforced two week isolation, their midweek exertions had taken their toll as too many players looked lethargic and performed well below their best. That is to take nothing away from the University side who have started the season strongly and could well be among the challengers for promotion.

Ahead of their first home game of the season, Whitley officials had worked tirelessly to put in place effective measures to make the stadium Covid compliant and the all-ticket attendance was not far short of the 300 maximum permitted. Prior to kick off there was a minute of applause in memory of long time Whitley Bay fan Jim Hall who passed away recently.

Unsurprisingly, Tony Fawcett and Derek Forrest named the same starting eleven that performed so admirably in midweek and in bright sunshine they kicked off towards the Hillheads Road end. Their first effort on goal came in the fifth minute but Lewis Orrell’s attempt was comfortably saved by keeper Daniel Dekanski. Three minutes later the University stunned Whitley when they took the lead. The referee played advantage after a foul by Scott Lowery and Josh Hammett burst clear from just inside the Bay half, closing in on goal before slotting the ball beyond Dan Lister.

Whitley responded with Richie Coulson’s cross from the left being sliced over the bar by a defender. The resultant corner was not cleared and as the ball bounced around the box, Adam Shanks was brought down from behind leaving referee Tom Chambers with a simple decision to award a penalty. Jamie Dunn sent the keeper the wrong way from the spot to draw Whitley level with 15 minutes played.

Having restored parity, many in the ground must have thought Whitley would now take control of the game but that was not how it turned out. Chances came and went at both ends, the University side looking dangerous on the break with an unchallenged header from a left wing corner going not far wide of the target. When Whitley pressed forward, good build up play from Jon Weirs ended with the keeper saving a shot from Coulson on the line. On the half hour, Hammett struck a shot into the side netting but three minutes later he was on target again to restore his side’s lead, drilling a shot into the bottom corner after a bouncing ball was not dealt with by the Bay defence.

Whitley’s next attack saw Dunn taking a second touch to a high ball from Coulson before clipping it over the bar when well placed.

The students struck again six minutes before half time when a free kick into the box was headed on by Tim Browne and although Lister got his fingers to the ball he could not keep it out, leaving Whitley 3-1 adrift at the interval and with an enormous task to get back in the game.

Scott Jasper, who had replaced Mark Robinson at the interval, narrowly failed to get on the end of a cross to the back post nine minutes after the restart but Whitley were creating very little and the result was put beyond doubt in the 61^st minute when the University’s top scorer Niza Chilufya scored from close range after Whitley had failed to clear the ball from their six yard box. The goal understandably sparked huge celebrations from the students who played out the remainder of the game with relative ease.

Good approach work from Weirs, Orrell and substitute James Thompson saw no end product and it was only in the final five minutes that Dekanski was forced into a significant save, pushing wide a strong drive from Jasper. In stoppage time Chris Salmon was tripped on the edge of the box and moments later his shot on target was saved just under the bar but it was all too little and far too late for a weary looking Bay side who will need to put this game behind them quickly and focus on Tuesday’s FA Cup tie.

WHITLEY BAY: Lister, Salmon, Dunn(Colquhoun 83mins), Hennis, Hamilton, Lowery, Robinson (Jasper 46mins), J Weirs, Shanks(Thompson 62mins), Coulson, Orrell

Substitutes not used: M Weirs, Gillesphey

Attendance: 254