An evenly-matched contest at Hillheads saw both Whitley Bay and Heaton Stannington struggle with more than just the stuffy temperature. 

Jordan Lashley had the first effort on target inside the first two minutes, receiving a pass 25 yards out with his back to goal, then turning, creating space for himself and shooting low, but the Whitley Bay keeper wasn’t troubled too much. 

The two teams spent the opening stages feeling each other out and each having good spells of possession. The home side’s first opportunity came on 14 minutes as their number 7 picked up a loose ball following a Stan charge-down, lined up a shot on the edge of the area and forced goalkeeper Callum Corkhill down to his near post to push the attempt wide.

The Whitley woodwork was rattled two minutes later. Joe Shepherd played a diagonal ball forward from deep, which was defended, but fell to Konner Lamb, whose flick on found Lashley’s perfectly timed run from wide. Nobody could quite believe how much time and space Lashley found himself in on the edge of the area, with just the keeper to beat, but he was thwarted by the crossbar.

Just as they did at Seaham earlier in the week, the Stan drew a foul close to the half way line in the closing stages of the first half. Tuesday’s free kick from Stephenson led to a Connor Walker goal, but Friday’s did not, and Konner Lamb may wonder how his header from close range didn’t hit the target.

Having missed a good chance, moments later the Stan were carved open at the back and probably should’ve gone behind. A neat one-two bypassed the back line, but under the pressure of defenders Shepherd and Turnbull hot on the striker’s heels and Corkhill in goal charging towards him, his shot couldn’t have the kind of force he would’ve wanted, and a little dink ended up trickling harmlessly wide. 

With a few minutes of the half remaining, Kane Evans tried to pick out Dan Stephenson’s run into the box with a long diagonal ball from the Stan half. The punt was slightly too long, but Stephenson’s pressure on the keeper caused Whitley Bay’s pink-clad custodian to swipe at the ball with his feet. With the keeper off his line, Lashley seized upon the loose ball and fired it straight back towards goal, but if he’d afforded himself a second to steady himself, the shot may have been more accurate than his wild wallop.

Just as they did the first, the Stan started brightest in the second half and could’ve found themselves ahead on 48 minutes. Evans received a long ball in a good crossing position, floated in a cross but Lamb was unable to connect with it in the six yard box. 

Whitley Bay clearly took some inspiration from that long ball to the wide player ten minutes later, as an identical ball from their left back found a right winger, but rather than cross, he took the ball onto his left, cut into the box, pulled back for a right-footed shot, but under pressure he wasn’t able to steady himself for anything other than a swing - no danger for Corkhill. 

Up at the other end, the Whitley Bay defence gifted the Stan possession parallel to the 18 yard line. A heavy touch from the recipient of a throw allowed Evans to steal the ball from in front of him - he moved it onto Lamb, who cleverly halted and dragged the ball from his left to right foot, but his eventual shot was narrowly high and wide. 

After a quiet spell, Whitley Bay created a good opening on 65 minutes. The home side’s keeper launched a long ball forward - it was dealt with by Alfie Marriott, but the second ball dropped into the Whitley Bay midfield and another excellent one-two allowed them to unleash a powerful first time shot which swerved, but Corkhill dived to his left, got his body behind it and took the sting out of it before collecting calmly at his feet. 

As the minutes ticked away, the score-less outcome was looking more and more likely. Both sides were showing real fight and endeavour, but neither side were having much luck in front of goal. Whitley Bay proved this twice in the same minute with 13 to play, stealing possession and charging towards goal on both occasions, but each attempt missed the target. 

The Stan had a wasted opportunity of their own three minutes later. Evans was involved in the build-up again, this time sending a ball low into the box, flicked on beautifully by James Harper to the arriving Danny Sayer, who should’ve hit the target but fired over.

The final word goes to the home side, who elicited the biggest gasp of the night on 81 minutes. Their corner caused chaos, eventually dropping close to the penalty spot for a Whitley Bay man. He had a lot of bodies in front of him, so he opted to bend it over everyone, but like Lashley in the first half, he had to watch in agony as his shot crashed against the crossbar.

No goals in the end, but no lack of excitement as both sides can rue big opportunities that went amiss. Certainly not a wasted evening, as the players got a good workout and more minutes in the tank, and the supporters enjoyed some beers in a rare bit of summer evening sunshine.

Heaton Stannington: Callum Corkhill; Kane Evans, Mark Turnbull (Alfie Marriott 46), Joe Shepherd, Jay Hornsby; Marc Ellison (Trialist 46), Dan Stephenson, Connor Walker (Daniel Sayer 46); Jordan Lashley (Liam Doyle 46), Leighton Hopper (James Harper 58), Konner Lamb.

Attendance: Unknown.

Venue: Hillheads Park, Rink Way, off Hillheads Road, Whitley Bay, Tyne & Wear. NE25 8HR

Liam Milburn

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