Unlucky Bay suffer narrow defeat at Shildon

SHILDON 2 WHITLEY BAY 1
Wednesday 21st March

Whitley can count themselves extremely unfortunate not to have gained at least a share of the spoils from what was an entertaining game at Shildon.
A deflected shot gave the hosts a half time lead before Tom Potter equalised just after the restart but then a bizarre own goal proved decisive as the Railwaymen claimed the points.
With Tom Flynn back in goal and Josh Nearney having regained fitness, there was a stronger and more experienced look to the Bay defence which also included Graham Williams, who replaced the suspended Noah Summers.
Whitley settled well and in the 11th minute, a good ball from Jack Walker gave captain Peter Glen-Ravenhill the chance to get a shot on target, which was saved by keeper Nick Liversedge. Three minutes later, Liam Brooks won possession on the left touchline after deceiving former Bay team mate Kyle Patton and his shot from 20 yards curled narrowly beyond the far post. Chris Salmon was posing a threat in an attacking role down the right for Whitley as the home defence were being kept on their toes.
Shildon were creating openings of their own but without troubling the Bay defence until the 20th minute when tall striker Greulich-Smith cut in from the right and drove a shot into the side netting. Five minutes later Shildon’s Adam Gell made a foraging run from midfield and unleashed a shot that Flynn looked to have comfortably covered until the ball struck Greulich-Smith and took a big deflection which wrong-footed the Bay keeper and rolled into the net to give the hosts a somewhat fortuitous lead.
The goal lifted the home side and seemed to knock Whitley out of their stride. A quick break into the Bay box threatened another goal but Rhys Groves knocked the ball behind. When the corner was partly cleared, it fell for Dominic Curl who fired wide of the target. Five minutes later Matty Waters quickly controlled the ball before driving a first time shot high over the bar. Despite having the majority of possession for the remainder of the half, Shildon failed to test Flynn and led by the single goal at the interval.
Whitley began the second half brightly and within four minutes they had drawn level. Following good play by Chris Salmon, Brooks broke away down the right and his fierce shot was pushed behind by Liversedge. The resultant corner was not properly cleared and fell for Tom Potter who rifled the ball into the net from the left edge of the 18 yard box.
Barely three minutes later, there was a calamitous misunderstanding in the Whitley defence when Groves, under pressure some 25 yards from goal, opted to make a back-pass but with Flynn having advanced well off his line, the ball looped high over the stranded keeper before dipping just under the bar and into the net to gift Shildon the lead.
Whitley went close to regaining parity three minutes later when Nearney took the ball down the right before playing it across the face of goal with no one on hand to apply the finishing touch. Greulich-Smith had another attempt for the hosts but Jack Walker almost levelled for Whitley in the 63rd minute with a great shot from the left which crashed off the far post. A 25 yard shot from Potter went narrowly wide while substitute Callum Johnston looked lively after his introduction. Playing only his second game of the season David Hall was working hard in midfield alongside Glen-Ravenhill and it was the captain who had a goalbound shot pushed over the bar five minutes from time after being played through by Salmon.
Whitley continued to push for the equaliser and late sub Regan Paterson immediately made an impression on his first team debut, racing down the right wing before sending a dangerous cross into the goalmouth from which Potter’s shot was blocked.
It was not quite enough to give Whitley the point their efforts deserved and while they could draw encouragement from a battling display, they need to end the current losing sequence if they are to retain their place in the top half of the table.
WHITLEY BAY: Flynn, Nearney, Walker, Hall, Groves, Williams, Salmon(Paterson 87mins), Glen-Ravenhill, Brooks(Johnston 66mins), Haley(Bell 80mins), Potter
Substitute not used: Cunningham
Referee: Mark Ryan
Attendance: 152

Match photos