Match report: Worksop 0 Whitby 1

Tigers simply weren’t at the races, only forcing Whitby keeper Nicholas Liversedge into one save during 90 lacklustre minutes.

A pitch that is starting to look very bare didn’t help matters, both sides struggling to get their passing going, but the Seasiders performed better in the first half and shut Tigers down for vast periods of the second half, grabbing a winner 18 minutes from time.

The first half served up little in the way of entertainment, but the visitors were the happier side as the sides went in at the break, having troubled Tigers stopper Jon Worsnop on a couple of occasions, and had the lion’s share of possession and territory.

It was Worksop who created the first opportunity however, James Cotterill’s long ball forcing Whitby keeper Nicholas Liversedge to rush out of his area and head clear - Massiah McDonald half volleying the ball well wide of the empty head.

Andrew Appleby shot at Worsnop’s goal from an acute angle on 10 minutes and the custodian got down to concede a corner.

The resulting set-piece went into the net but the whistle went for a foul on Worsnop.

Jimmy Beadle had his shooting boots on, but his aim was a little wayward as he sent three efforts off target.

In Worksop’s best move of the half Craig King combined with McDonald and he fed Mark Hudson, the midfielder sending it low into the six yard box as Lee Beeson rushed to the back post only to steer the ball wide.

Whitby ended the half on top, a lovely whipped cross from Nathan Mulligan nodded goalwards by Jamie Clarke and Worsnop was alert to it, acrobatically tipping the ball over the bar.

Worksop emerged from the changing room without McDonald, Owain Warlow returning from illness to take a place on the left flank.

Luke Shiels picked up a yellow, in similar circumstances to the one he was given seven days previous, for clattering into Jamie Clarke.

The Whitby striker should have scored a minute later as Jimmy Beadle’s looping ball into the box was punched clear by Worsnop, only to fall to Clarke who volleyed well over.

Luke Sharry had a torrid afternoon, and for a time during the second half seemed to be incapable of finding one of his team-mates with a pass, instead wasting possession far too often.

With 20 minutes to go veteran Steve Melton made his entrance in place of Beeson, but the midfielder had little influence on the game.

Instead a corner from the right found Kevin Burgess in a surprising amount of space in the six yard box and he nodded past Worsnop for the winner.

Clarke was yellow carded for kicking the ball away and Adam Colton got his debut in the final 10 minutes as Whitby comfortably kept Worksop from threatening and boosted their surival hopes.