First half goals give Whitley a crucial victory

WHITLEY BAY 2 NORTHALLERTON TOWN 1
Saturday 30th November
Whitley came from behind to claim a crucial victory against Northallerton which lifted them three places up the table. Playing their first game for three weeks following prolonged wet weather, Whitley were without captain Craig McFarlane who picked up a calf injury in training, and was replaced by Luke Salmon.
Although soft, the pitch looked in remarkably good condition and the fixture was one of only a handful of Northern League games to go ahead.
Play was held up after just seven minutes when visiting midfielder Ryan McKendry suffered an ankle injury and after lengthy treatment he had to be helped off the pitch. However Northallerton were not deterred and substitute Richard Walker soon made an impact, bursting forward and forcing Dan Lister to push a strong shot behind. From the corner that followed, experienced striker Nicky Martin headed home from close range to give the Yorkshiremen a deserved 15th minute lead.
Whitley were guilty of giving the ball away in midfield and putting themselves under pressure but the game suddenly changed around the half hour as they scored twice in rapid succession. In the 28th minute, Callum Anderson produced a rare attempt on goal, from fully 25 yards, which took a deflection off a defender and flew wide. Connor Smith played the resulting corner in from the right and Mark Robinson turned on the edge of the six yard box and drove a first time shot high into the net. The goal came against the run of play but it proved to be a key moment in the game.
Three minutes later, Robinson turned provider, bursting down the middle before playing the ball through a gap on the right of the Northallerton defence where Brad Hird timed his run perfectly to collect the ball before clipping it over the advancing keeper and into the net from ten yards.
Now full of confidence Whitley pressed forward in search of a third goal. Lewis Orrell had a shot blocked before Luke Taylor powered a header over the bar from a corner. When Northallerton responded it took a fine save from Lister to prevent Martin levelling the score but back came Whitley with Callum Anderson producing a second long range shot which flew just inches wide of the target.
Deservedly ahead at the interval, Whitley had the better of a second half which failed to produce many clear cut chances as passes went astray and the increasingly heavy conditions sapped the energy of the players. Midway through the half, a great run down the right by Connor Smith nearly produced a goal which would have put the result beyond doubt but having evaded several challenges, his final effort was blocked. Scott Lowery sent a header over the bar when well placed as Whitley continued to push forward. Eleven minutes from time Robinson had genuine claims for a penalty waved away when he went down in the box as he burst through from midfield. With time ebbing away, Orrell had a low shot saved by keeper Dawson but with the North Yorkshiremen unable to seriously trouble the Bay defence, the goals from the first half proved sufficient to give Whitley a welcome and much needed victory.
WHITLEY BAY: Lister, Bexton, Martin, Anderson, Taylor, Lowery, Smith(Martindale 77mins), Orrell, Hird(Colquhoun 69mins), Robinson, Salmon(Proctor 60mins)
Substitutes not used: Kerr, Bramley
Cautions: Salmon, Anderson, Bexton
Referee: Darren Williams
Attendance: 258