WHITLEY BAY v CHORLEY

FA Cup Third Qualifying Round

It is a fine day for a cup tie on the North East coast; hazy sunshine on the green but undulating pitch, and a good crowd gathering in anticipation of a bit of giant-killing as Whitley Bay take on Chorley from three levels above in the non-league pyramid. The home side are in blue and white stripes with the visitors in an all green strip only a couple of shades brighter than the grass.

Early Chorley pressure forces a corner and their centre half Charnock spins away from his near post marker to reappear at the far post and get a firm header on target that deflects of a defender and clips the bar on its way over. More corners and crosses follow but Whitley Bay survive.

While camped out in their opponent’s half, Chorley take a throw back to a defender on half way, who is pressurised and dispossessed by the speedy Shanks. The home striker then spots the keeper well out of goal and strikes a fine lofted forty yard drive over his head and into the net. It’s against the run of play but, a quarter of an hour in, sets up the game nicely.

Play reverts to Chorley possession and tigerish Whitley Bay defending. Shots rain in but mainly high and wide. A rare excursion to the Chorley end sees Shanks connect with a cracking volley that unfortunately is straight at the keeper. The respite is short lived as minutes later Chorley’s Winter gets a good header on target, producing a fine save from keeper Jennison, low down to his left, finger-tipping round the post.

As half time approaches Whitley Bay’s hopes of holding out are dented as influential defender Reid has to go off injured. However they do finish the half with a rare spell of attacking football, but without reward.

Chorley start the second half with the same intensity with which they began the match. Within minutes Bond cuts into the penalty area from the right, easily beating his man. His first effort is saved, his attempt to knock in the rebound is blocked, but when the ball again comes back to him he is able finally to force it over the line for an equaliser.

Whitley Bay’s response is immediate and promising. The rangy Kempster runs clear of his defender and he is closing in on goal before being tripped from behind. The home fans bay for a red card but with other defenders in the vicinity, the referee produces only yellow. Nevertheless the free kick is dangerous, ricocheting a few times before bobbling up and over the bar for a corner.

The corner proves dangerous in a different way. The ball is cleared and worked quickly upfield by Chorley, finding full back Ross overlapping on the right. He wastes no time in crossing well for team mate Cottrell to glance a fine header into the goal. Two goals in not many more minutes have turned the tie around.

Whitley Bay are on the ropes and narrowly survive a further blow when Chorley substitute Carver’s shot from twenty yards hits the inside of the right hand post and rebounds along the goal line, passing the other post before going dead. Chorley have their tails up now and look to have an appetite for more goals.

Somehow Whitley Bay weather the storm, and a reshuffle of personnel provides more attacking threat. With fifteen minutes left this produces dividends as a deep cross from the left finds Shanks at the far post; his header back across and over the keeper is good enough to find the net, and so set up a tense end to the match.

It is fast and furious now. Carver again is unlucky as his header hits the underside of the Whitley Bay bar but drops safe to be hoofed clear. The next chance also falls to Chorley. Centre forward Dean for once wrestles himself clear of marker Flynn and heads for goal. He’s forced wide in rounding the keeper and his attempt to slot home from wide is on target but weak, enabling a scrambling defender to block on the line. But Stephenson is following up and is able to tap in to restore the Chorley lead.

The last ten minutes see Whitley Bay, urged on by the home fans, throw everything at Chorley. This is literally the case with left back McDonald who has a phenomenal long throw, and whose overall excellent game is summed up late on when having taken a throw from the right wing he sprints back across to his left back position to foil the resulting Chorley break.

There are more throws, corners and free kicks aimed into the Chorley box; and equally some threatening counter attacks, but no more goals and Chorley hold out. So no giant-killing but still a great cup tie and both teams go off to resounding applause.

Chorley will go forward to the final qualifying round but will remember the testing they received in the North East of England up at Hillheads Park.