Windy conditions spoil good contest

WHITLEY BAY 1 NEWTON AYCLIFFE 1
Saturday 28th October

For the second successive weekend, strong winds made conditions very difficult for football, despite the best efforts of both teams to provide an entertaining game.
Once again Whitley were missing several players but Chris Salmon made his home debut while new signing Ryan Hucks was on the bench.
Whitley began the game with the wind at their backs but it was Aycliffe who had the first attempt on goal, Matthews directing a header straight at Dan Lister. A corner played short provided the first chance for Whitley but Noah Summers could not get his header on target. Four minutes later a corner from Peter Glen-Ravenhill was almost blown into the net by the gusty wind, but the ball was cleared from the line.
Whitley took the lead in the 24th minute when Matty Cornish cut the ball back from the right and Tom Potter carefully placed his shot through a crowded goalmouth from 15 yards. Aycliffe hit back two minutes later when Stuart Banks struck an excellent first time effort in off the far post from the right edge of the 18 yard box.
Good approach work from the visitors failed to produce any clear cut chances as man of the match Callum Anderson was outstanding in defence, inning virtually every challenge. Whitley nearly regained the lead when the impressive Matty Cornish burst through the middle and keeper James Winter needed two attempts to claim the ball. Three minutes before the interval a well worked free kick from Aycliffe briefly threatened but there was no one on hand as the ball flew across goal. In the final moments of the half Whitley almost went back in front when Cornish played a high ball to beyond the back post and Jasper’s header crashed off the outside of the post.
Two minutes after the interval, Aycliffe nearly took the lead but a shot from Banks that was heading for the top corner was superbly pushed behind by Lister. Alex Kempster then went close for Whitley, his shot cannoning off defender James Oliver for a corner. The visitors then had a looping attempt which bounced off the top of the bar and behind for a goal kick. A free kick from Potter flew agonisingly just inches in front of the onrushing Kempster. Passes were inevitably going astray as both sides struggled to overcome the strong wind but Whitley were looking the more likely to get a second goal, Jasper going close following more good work from Kempster. With 73 minutes played Jasper won the ball to go clear on goal but was hauled down right on the edge of the box by Aycliffe skipper Aaron Brown, who was sent off by referee Michael Burrows for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity. Frustratingly, the resultant free kick was struck over the bar by Potter and the opportunity had gone. Playing against ten men Whitley poured forward in search of a winner but were thwarted by a combination of the wind and good defending. A header from Jasper flew over the bar, Nearney swivelled in the box before driving a shot high over the top and then substitute Michael Hall played in Salmon whose effort looped just over the bar.
Whitley had created numerous chances in the second half and had probably done enough to deserve all three points but on the day the only winner was the weather.
WHITLEY BAY: Lister, Nearney, Walker, Glen-Ravenhill, Summers, Anderson(Hall 84mins), Potter, Cornish(Hucks 58mins), Jasper, Kempster, Salmon
Substitutes not used: Robertson, K Patton, Paterson
Referee: Michael Burrows. Caution: Hucks
Attendance: 299

Match photos