Whitby Town 3-0 Guisborough Town

Match Report

Guisborough Town completed their challenging pre-season programme with a slightly disappointing but spirited and gutsy display in a 3-0 defeat at Whitby Town in the annual Micky Skinner Memorial Trophy.

The impressive Priorymen played exceptionally well in the first 45 minutes and actually had the better of the chances despite going in at the interval 1-0 down. Guisborough twice went close to taking the lead before Whitby got the first goal of the game after 24 minutes.

First, Guisborough striker Jason Blackburn burst through the Whitby defence after only three minutes but his cross shot went just a couple yards wide of the far post. Eleven minutes later on 14 minutes Guisborough midfielder-cum-winger Ben Jackson featured in a fantastic run down the middle but Whitby managed to snuff out the danger.

However, on 24 minutes, Whitby took the lead somewhat against the run of play when the normally highly reliable Guisborough centre back James Dillon’s attempted headed back pass fell short of young 17-year-old Guisborough ‘keeper Will Cowley and Whitby striker Bradley Fewster nipped in to score for 1-0 to the home side.

On 31 minutes Guisborough had a glorious double-chance to equalise when Blackburn put over a fine cross from the right and first Cole Kiernan saw a brilliantly header saved by the Whitby ‘keeper and secondly Jackson followed up with a shot from an oblique angle which went just wide. Two minutes later Jackson was in the spotlight again when he produced another brilliant run down the right and he unleashed a fierce drive that stung the hands of Whitby’s former Guisborough ‘keeper Shane Bland.

Then just a minute before the break a 20-yard pile-driver from 20 yards out was parried by Bland and subsequently cleared to safety by the Whitby defence.

CLEAR-CUT CHANCES!

Although the Priorymen went in a goal behind at the interval, it had been a pretty even first 45 minutes in which Guisborough had more than held their own against their higher league opponents and in fact had carved out the most clear-cut chances. But only nine minutes after half-time Whitby doubled their lead in slightly unfortunate circumstances as home striker Priestley Griffiths capitalised on a fumble by Guisborough ‘keeper Cowey to score easily into the unprotected net.

In the 59th minute Whitby went 3-0 up when Fewster netted his second goal of the net when he found himself unmarked in the Guisborough penalty area and he scored with ease.
Guisborough went close to pulling one back in the 74th minute when Cole Kiernan put over a good cross into the middle but the ball ended up well wide of the Whitby goal.

Report: Bill Perfitt