WHITLEY BAY 7 RYHOPE CW 0
Tuesday 10th October
Whitley recorded their biggest league win for two years and left their fans in seventh heaven after a stunning performance against Ryhope CW.
During the opening half hour there was no sign of what was to come as Ryhope dominated the game, playing slick attacking football and denying Whitley time on the ball. In the fourth minute, 18 year old Dan Lister, signed as cover for the injured Tom Flynn, pulled off an excellent save at point blank range from Josh Home-Jackson, then less than a minute later the youngster kept out another goalbound header following a left wing corner. The visitors kept pressing forward and in the 16th minute Lister had to push the ball clear before the follow up shot was struck wide of goal. It was virtually all Ryhope and five minutes later Ellis tried a chip shot that drifted just past the far post. In the 31st minute Matthew Weirs delivered a curling shot from the edge of the box and the ball crashed off the top of the bar and behind for a goal kick. Ryhope must have been wondering what more they had to do to break the deadlock but they were being thwarted by excellent well-disciplined defending.
Whitley’s first real attacking move came two minutes later when Kyle Patton played the ball through to Jack Walker whose cross to the back post was cleared safely. Completely against the run of play, Whitley took the lead in the 35th minute with their first shot on target, Peter Glen-Ravenhill scoring from close range with a first time finish after Tom Potter’s cross had been knocked back across goal by Josh Nearney. With that goal, the momentum switched completely and after Potter had seen a shot saved by the feet of keeper Jonny Ball, Scott Jasper had a header pushed over the bar. Four minutes before the interval, Kyle Patton’s cross from the left across the face of goal was diverted into the net by the in-rushing defender David Gordon to give Whitley the cushion of an unexpected two goal lead at the interval. However, an already injury hit Bay side suffered a blow when Josh Nearney had to be replaced, hobbling off with an ankle injury on the stroke of half time.
The anticipated fight back by the visitors after the break did not materialise and the crucial third goal of the game went to Whitley nine minutes after the restart. Good work by Aiden Haley and Tom Potter set up the opportunity for Glen-Ravenhill to notch his second and put Whitley firmly in the driving seat.
Play was held up two minutes later following a horrendous high tackle by Ryhope defender Danni Lay on Scott Jasper which left the Bay striker unable to continue. Lay was promptly sent off while Jasper, following lengthy treatment, was helped off the pitch and replaced by Liam Brooks. Down to ten men Ryhope lost their discipline and with gaps appearing in their defence the floodgates opened. Just past the hour Potter played the ball across goal to Kyle Patton whose delightful back heel flew past keeper Jonny Ball to make it 4-0. Two minutes after coming off the bench Matty Cornish scooped the ball perfectly over the visitors’ defence for Brooks to meet on the half volley and fire home for Whitley’s fifth goal of the night. After Potter had curled a shot just over the bar, the impressive Glen-Ravenhill completed his hat trick in the 74th minute drilling home the rebound after a shot from Cornish had hit the post with Ball well beaten. Ryhope substitute Joe Devlin missed a glorious chance to get a consolation for the visitors when with an open goal to aim at he struck the angle of post and bar.
Even with a six goal lead, Whitley were not prepared to sit back on their laurels and they continued to pour forward with Cornish striking a shot just wide. However he deservedly got his name on the score sheet nine minutes from time, taking the ball round the keeper and sliding it across goal and into the net beyond a despairing defender. Chances continued to come with Cornish and Kempster both going close and Ryhope could have had no complaints if Whitley had reached double figures, such was their dominance.
While the plaudits will rightly go to hat-trick hero Peter Glen-Ravenhill, this was an outstanding team performance with every player contributing and some top quality goals.
The win extended Whitley’s unbeaten run to nine games and lifted them to 8th place in the table with games in hand on all but one of the teams above them.
WHITLEY BAY: Lister, Nearney(Hall 45mins), Walker, Haley, Wilkinson, Summers, Potter, Glen-Ravenhill, Jasper(Brooks 59mins), Kempster, K Patton(Cornish 66mins)
Substitutes not used: Harley, Robertson
Referee: Graeme Hopper
Cautions: None
Attendance: 262
h2oBathrooms man of the match: Peter Glen-Ravenhill
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