Whitley Bay 2-1 Guisborough Town

Match Report

Guisborough Town’s glorious 14-match unbeaten run came to a completely undeserved end at Whitley Bay on Saturday where the Priorymen were extremely unlucky to go down 2-1.

Ultimately, Guisborough were beaten by a really harsh penalty award to the Bay just before half-time, while the Priorymen had two good penalty shouts themselves turned down in either half.

For long periods of the match – particularly the second half – Guisborough relentlessly attached the Bay goal but just couldn’t apply the killer touch.

After the game, Guisborough Manager Steve Bell lamented:

This was a tough one to take for us today. I thought we started the game a little slowly to be honest and Bay took a deserved lead. When we equalised, though, we really stepped up our game. Then a soft penalty decision has eventually cost us the game.

In the second half we really battered them and did absolutely everything but score. So, it’s a valuable three points dropped and we have suffered yet another injury with Dylan McAvoy injured. But there’s still nine games to go so loads to play for.

In the game, Guisborough fell behind after 13 minutes when a completely uncharacteristic mistake by normally highly consistent defender Alex Nelson let in Bay striker Josh Gilchrist who scored with a well-placed shot into the far right hand corner.

But it took the Priorymen only six minutes later to equalise when livewire winger Joe Pickett showed a terrific burst of speed down the right wing to get to the ball and put over a dangerous cross with Whitley Bay defender Andrew Cartwright turned into his own net.

Pickett was all over the pitch once again and a constant thorn in Whitley Bay’s side with his speed continually troubling the Bay defence.

In the 39th minute came Guisborough’s first decent shout for a penalty when striker Matty Tymon looked to be blatantly pushed over in the penalty area but the referee waved away Guisborough’s appeals.

AMPLY DEMONSTRATED

Then just five minutes later the cruel irony of football was amply demonstrated when in a fairly rare Bay attack Guisborough were penalised for what looked like a robust but perfectly-timed tackle. Up stepped Bay striker Lewis Suddick to score into the corner despite Guisborough goalkeeper Robert Dean’s valiant full-length dive.

It gave the Bay a 2-1 half-time lead they scarcely deserved and left Guisborough’s travelling faithful with a feeling that their team had the potential to recover in the second period of play.

Eight minutes into the second half Guisborough had another good shout for a penalty when Pickett was bundled over in the Bay penalty area – but once again the referee was impervious to the Priorymen’s spot kick appeals.

Throughout the second half Guisborough were unremitting in their search for the equaliser their play absolutely deserved, but overall a combination of bad luck and lack of a real cutting edge was their undoing.

But it wasn’t for the lack of trying by gallant Guisborough as it was all one-way traffic towards the Bay goal and on 55 minutes Mason McNeill was a whisker away when a hard, low shot from the right whistles six inches just past the far left hand post.

Then five minutes later the Priorymen had a golden opportunity to equalise when McNeill worked himself into a wonderful position in the Bay box but he delayed his shot a split second by taking a second touch and saw his looping effort tipped over for a corner by the Bay ‘keeper. It was a case of so near yet so far…

In the 71st minute Guisborough’s eager beaver Pickett went on another brilliant run down the right and his cross-cum-shot was well saved by the diving Bay ‘keeper.

A rare Bay attack in the 83rd minute was thwarted by a brilliant block by Guisborough ‘keeper Robert Dean – who had mostly been a spectator throughout the second half.

Guisborough tried bravely to snatch an equaliser right to the final whistle but it was one of those days when it just wasn’t to be for the Priorymen, and their brilliant unbeaten run stretching back to early December came sadly to a brave end.

Despite the defeat and the loss of three points, Guisborough only dropped one place to fourth and still remain in strong contention for an end of season play-off place.

Guisborough’s next game barely deserves a reminder – they host seaside rivals Whitby Town next Tuesday 12 March in the Semi-final of the North Riding Senior Cup at the KGV Stadium (KO 7.45pm).

Report: Bill Perfitt