Sun sets on a long and wearying season

WHITLEY BAY       0          CONSETT     3

Tuesday 10^th May

Whitley rounded off one of their longest seasons on record with a defeat by in-form Consett on a sunny evening at Hillheads. Playing their tenth game in three weeks, it was a leg weary and depleted Bay side that took to the pitch with several key players missing through a combination of injuries and work commitments. Consett were also well below full strength but had enough in reserve to maintain their excellent end to the season making it eight wins from their final ten games.

Whitley’s previous two games had produced goal less first halves and this followed the same pattern, but the storming second half displays against Jarrow Roofing and Durham were not replicated with the visitors scoring three times in a fifteen minute spell to claim the points.

Consett had the better of the opening half without ever troubling Tom Flynn in the Bay goal. Jordan Nellis fired over the bar early on and Joe Grant put a shot wide of the target in the 14^th minute but it was Whitley who went closest with Chris McDonald, who scored twice in both of the previous two games, drilling a 20 yard effort inches past the post with keeper Gareth Young well beaten. That was on the half hour and the only other moment of note came five minutes later when Nellis, who had looked a threat for Consett, volleyed into the side netting when well placed.

With Adam Shanks and Callum Patton both unavailable, Whitley lacked a cutting edge in attack and it was Consett who deservedly went ahead in the 59^th minute, good play from Nellis setting up the opportunity with a looping header from Nathan Steel beating Flynn as the ball dipped just under the bar. Nikolay Ivanov, who had been ploughing a lone furrow in attack for Whitley was replaced for the final quarter of the game by substitute goalkeeper Dan Gladstone, once again called into action as an on-field player.

Jordan Lavery doubled Consett’s lead with a low shot in the 70^th minute and four minutes later the game was as good as won when Lavery broke away and although Flynn forced him wide, he got a shot on target that the Bay keeper managed to block but the ball was not cleared and Lewis Gibbons slotted home the third goal.

Victory would have lifted Whitley two places up a tightly packed area of the league table but the result left them in 16^th position, a disappointing outcome but a much better position than had looked likely a few weeks ago.

WHITLEY BAY: T Flynn, McFarlane, McDonald, Day. Gibson, Anderson (Haley 46mins), Munro, Fowler, Ivanov(Gladstone 68mins), Prosser, Kempster

Referee: Lucy Oliver

Cautions: None

Attendance: 268