BLUES SLIP LATE
Albion complete smash and grab at Whitby
WHITBY’S mini 100 percent run with back-to-back clean sheets was ended with a controversial Witton winner, three minutes from time. It was harsh on the home side who had produced a determined and at times professional and workmanlike performance against Witton Albion.
Albion were looking for their first win of the campaign while hosts Whitby had enjoyed 1-0 wins over Buxton and North Ferriby United, sitting second in the embryonic NPL Premier table.
They looked full of confidence early in the game and it looked as though their winning run may continue.
In a very scrappy first half, on-loan centre-half Jack Vaulks slid in to prevent Rob Hopley pulling the trigger for Witton, on 16 minutes, while Josh Wardle did likewise at the other end to thwart Junior Mondal.
Whitby’s Matty Tymon will have been relieved to see the off-side flag after glancing Dan McWilliams’ free-kick wide from close range.
Ex-Middlesbrough marksman Mondal then side volleyed over from the edge of the box and Blues skipper Dale Hopson forced Greg Hall to touch around his lefthand post, after a scuffed clearance straight at Tymon.
At the other end, the half closed with Jack Norton brilliantly pushing away James Foley’s ferocious close-range shot.
Will Jones then pulled back across the Whitby sixyard box where Vaulks again slid clear.
The second half saw Mondal have an edge-of-thebox effort charged down and Adam Gell’s follow-up was sliced wide, in the opening five minutes after the restart as the second period began at a frantic pace.
Skipper Hopley drilled straight at Norton, with the same player sending a stooping header in the same direction, at the near post of the goal.
Witton were ending the game on top, with their North Yorkshire hosts pinned on the back foot and limited to sporadic breaks upfield.
With nine minutes left, Gell and McWilliams blocked in an almighty scramble, with Jones in turn sending a shot on the inches wide, via a deflection.
A left-wing corner was then powered at Norton by River Humphreys as the pressure began to mount and the chances continued coming in what was a hugely tight and tense encounter.
Just as the match seemed to be heading for a stalemate, the winner arrived for the Cheshire outfit.
They had worked hard for the opening and didn’t miss the opportunity to claim all three points and sink the frustrated home side.
A deep cross from the left was chested down by McWilliams for Norton to collect, only for Jones to intercept.
And while Norton claimed to have been studded on the leg in the scramble, Tom Owens was allowed to slot into the empty net, for the winner, three minutes from time. STAR MAN: James Yates (Witton) ENTERTAINMENT: ★★★★★