Match Report By Julian Tyley

Whitley began their pre-season programme with an attractive fixture away to Durham City. The game came little more than two months after the FA Vase triumph and nine of the players who were in the side at Wembley featured in Whitley’s squad. There were two new faces, Josh Gillies and Richard Hodgson who last season tormented Whitley, scoring a goal apiece for the now defunct Sunderland Nissan in the 3-1 defeat at the Nissan Sports Ground back in October.

Durham who won the Unibond First Division title last season, included several new signings following their promotion to the Premier Division and it was they who looked the livelier side in the opening stages. Alex Benjamin struck the top of Terry Burke’s bar after just four minutes but eight minutes into the game, Benjamin was the provider for Marc Walton who put City ahead from close range.

Gillies, who impressed with his speed down the left wing, fired across goal and beyond the far post as Whitley came back into the game but just before the quarter hour, Benjamin doubled Durham’s lead with a low shot from Walton’s cross. It was beginning to look as if Whitley were in for a tough night but they gradually came back into the game and with both sides making substitutions the flow of the game was inevitably affected.

There were loud cheers from the Bay fans on the half hour when the Wembley goalscorers Lee Kerr and Paul Chow were brought on. They quickly made a difference with Whitley much more in the game as an attacking force. Chris Moore was testing the City defence with his pace but there was no further score before the interval.

Seven minutes after the break, Whitley pulled a goal back when Lee Kerr produced an excellent finish from Leon Ryan’s header, firing the ball beyond the helpless Marc Riches. Riches was the Durham keeper back in 2002 when Whitley beat City in the Vase semi final and there was some friendly banter between the Bay fans and the now veteran keeper.

Kerr tested Riches with a cross that he saved at the second attempt while City went close without really testing Burke at the other end.

Callum Anderson was among the substitutes introduced during the second half and he looked assured in defence, with little getting past him.

Both sides went close in the later stages of the game and Whitley might have got the equaliser with what turned out to be virtually the last kick of the game when Ryan’s shot was deflected over the bar.

This was a useful work out for both sides and Ian Chandler will doubtless use the seven friendlies that are scheduled for the next few weeks to try out different permutations and give the entire squad plenty of match practice ahead of the opening league game on August 8th.

Starting line up: Burke, McFarlane, Picton, Moore, Coulson, Ryan, Gillies, Robson, Lee, Hay, Hodgson. Substitutes used: Chow, Kerr, Anderson, Reay, Morien.

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