Tables are turned as Bay see off Synners
WHITLEY Bay are now unbeaten in 15 as they avenged last season’s FA Vase exit in an entertaining affair against Billingham Synthonia.
The sides met in the first qualifying round last year, with the Synners coming out as 4-3 winners in a thrilling game at Hillheads Park with goals in the first and last two minutes of the 90.
Goals were plentiful again in North Tyneside, with a Malcolm Morien brace alongside goals from Ben Richardson and Josh Gilchrist seeing the Bay through to the next round despite second half goals from Max Craggs and Ashley Lavan.
Danny Earl dropped to the bench for the visitors as Bermuda international Tevahn Tyrell made his second start of the season.
The home side enjoyed a sustained spell of early pressure with Stephen Turnbull having two efforts off target within the first five minutes of play – one of them clipping the crossbar as the defender almost caught Steven Hubery off his line.
Their pressure was rewarded just ten minutes later, with Bailey Geliher breaking down the right (where he caused problems throughout) and getting the ball into the path of Cameron Brewis who was able to direct it into the path of Morien who poked home for his eighth of the season.
Within two minutes the Bay had doubled their lead thanks to some intelligent individual play on the outside of the 18-yard-box from Richardson. The midfielder beat his man before curling his finish into the bottom corner to the goalkeepers left.
It was almost three and wrapped up for the home side in the 22nd minute, with a free-kick from the right hand side coming into the path of captain Michael Hall but he was unable to find the target from six yards out.
Nick Gray’s side began to take their foot off the gas shortly after and allowed Billingham to create a few chances of their own. The first of which came just shy of the half-hour mark, with Joe Carter’s cross to the back post finding the head of Tyrell who should have found the target from close range.
As the Synners’ confidence started to grow they left a gap at the back which was exploited by Brewis who found himself uncontested with little to do but he was unable to get his shot on target.
The away side did continue to build into the game towards the end of the first-half, but a succession of crosses proved of little difficulty for Dan Lister to deal with.
Billingham came out fighting in the second half, with Danny Chapman breaking down the left and fizzing a ball across the six-yard-box for substitute Craggs to poke home at full stretch. The visitors’ moment in the sun in a warm Whitley Bay was short lived, with Morien regaining the twogoal cushion straight away. Harvey Neary beat his man and drove to the byline before pulling it back for the centre-forward to grab his brace.
The Synners forced two good saves out of Lister in a short space of time around the 70th minute, but he was equal to both to keep the home comfortable.
Lister would be beaten by Lavan, however, to set up a cagey final ten minutes when he pulled it back to 3-2 with a straight shot from 22 yards after a short period of pressure earned their reward.
Lewis Orrell off the bench almost regained the two-goal lead instantly for the second time in the match, but his shot was tipped on to the crossbar and cleared.
The boys in blue-and-white battled on late into injury time, and Gilchrist rounded the keeper to slot home and kill the game off with virtually the last kick of the game.
The Synners will travel back to Stockton-on-tees with their heads held high against a side flying high in the division above them.
WHITLEY BAY: Lister, Lowery, Irons, Turnbull, Hutchinson, Hall, Geliher (Porritt), Richardson (Orrell), Morien (Gilchrist), Brewis, Neary Subs: Day, Ward, Groves-forbes
BILLINGHAM SYNTHONIA: Hubery, Carter, Ward, Boyle, Drummond, Rudd (Wilson), Chapman, Banki (Craggs), Tyrell (Earl, Lavan, Stockton Subs: Simpson, Gooch