Late fireworks earn Bay a point at Thornaby

THORNABY 2 WHITLEY BAY 2
Tuesday 5th November
A game that struggled to come to life in the first half ended in high drama with three goals coming in the final six minutes.
Guy Fawkes Night celebrations were going on in the neighbouring area but for much of the game, events on the Teesdale Park pitch amounted to little more than a damp squib as both sides struggled to create goalscoring opportunities.
A low shot from Connor Smith flew past the Thornaby goal in the 11th minute but other than that it was a sadly familiar story of good build up play by Whitley but final passes going astray. Thornaby’s strategy seemed to be to launch high balls into the goalmouth and they were aided in this approach by a series of free kicks, several highly questionable, awarded by referee Samuel Packer. The nearest they came in the first half was when a header from Ross Preston struck the base of the post before being cleared.
Just past the half hour, Nathan Stephenson got a strong shot on target for Whitley and keeper Dawson could only parry the ball. When it ran loose, James Martin pounced but his attempt on goal went wide. Ten minutes before the break, Smith was given a temporary dismissal for his reaction when a foul was given against him. This was the first time a Bay player had received this punishment since the scheme was introduced at the start of this season.
Goalless at the interval, Whitley made two changes shortly after half time, Craig McFarlane replacing James Proctor as both players continued their return to fitness following injury while in a tactical move, Tom Bexton replaced Nathan Stephenson with Connor Smith moving forward into a more attacking role down the right wing.
Whitley began to pose more of a threat and when Smith cut in from the right, his shot was deflected over the bar for a corner. Brad Hird then had a close range effort blocked by Dawson. Still the final ball was letting Whitley down as promising approach work came to nothing. Into the final 20 minutes, Hird brought a good save from Dawson before Craig Spooner was forced off through injury, with Liam Doyle taking his place in midfield.
With 15 minutes left, the Teessiders were awarded a penalty when Callum Anderson was adjudged to have fouled Thornaby substitute Kyran Clark although there appeared to have been minimal contact between the players. Preston scored from the spot to give Thornaby a lead they did not really deserve, but at this stage it looked as if it would be enough to win the game. Whitley pushed forward in greater numbers as they searched for an equaliser but in the 90th minute they were caught out as Thornaby broke away and an inch perfect pass found Scaife-Wheatley in space and he advanced into the box before slotting the ball past Lister to seemingly wrap up proceedings.
However, this was the touch paper that finally sparked the game into life. In the second minute of stoppage time, Smith out on the right played in Mark Robinson who advanced on goal before producing a clinical finish. It appeared no more than a consolation goal but three minutes later Smith, who earlier in the game had been inclined to take one touch too many with the ball, cleverly weaved his way past two defenders before crossing into the box where Craig McFarlane jubilantly crashed the ball into the roof of the net for a dramatic late equaliser. The fireworks on the pitch had been saved to the very end but having been frustrated for virtually all of the regulation 90 minutes, Whitley were rewarded for never giving up and the point they earned was well deserved.
WHITLEY BAY: Lister, Smith, Martin, Orrell, Anderson, Taylor, Spooner(Doyle 74mins) Stephenson(Bexton 54mins), Hird, Robinson, Proctor (McFarlane 49mins)
Substitutes not used: Martindale, Bramley
Caution: Anderson. Temporary dismissal: Smith
Referee: Samuel Packer
Attendance: 120