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Click on the opposition name to read the Match Report. Home matches are in capitals.
| Pre-season | |||||
| July | |||||
| Saturday 25th Sunday 26th |
Tournament | Away | Umbro Tournament | ||
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Saturday 25 July 9am - Fletcher Moss 0 Whitley Bay 2 (Hunter, Twaddle) 12.20pm - Burnley1 Whitley Bay 0 2.50pm - Boroughmuir 0 Whitley Bay 1 (Kay) Sunday 26 July 9am - Bradford City 0 Whitley Bay 1 (Kay) 11.30am - Crewe Alexandra 0 Whitley Bay 1 (Brown) |
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| 7.30pm Thursday 30th | Friendly | Away | South Durham Royals | 0-4 | |
| Two goals in each half meant defeat for Whitley in their first pre-season friendly. They faced South Durham Royals at their new home in Barnard Castle and started with the first 11 players to turn up following delays at the Tyne Tunnel and A1. It took time for Whitley to settle to the pace and physicality of the game and were two down at half time. Substitutions were made when reinforcements arrived and debuts were given to Julie Twaddle and trialist Lucy Dewar. Whitley came more into the game and held their Combination oppoents for long periods of the game but two further goals meant a final score of 4-0 to SDR. Whitley manager Colin Phillips was not too bothered by the result 'This was a good work out against a very strong team and at this stage all I require is maximum effort and for the new players to take the opportunity to fit into the team' | |||||
| August | |||||
| Sunday 2nd | Friendly | Away | Norton and Stockton | P-P | |
| Sunday 9th | Friendly | Away | Sunderland | 0-5 | |
| Whitley faced the Sunderland first team in this pre-season friendly and knew that they would have to work hard to keep the score down against their more illustrious Premier League opponents. Whitley handed a debut to Jen Fairhurst and set about executing a defensive plan to contain last season's cup finalists. They were under the cosh for half an hour but held firm until 3 goals towards the end of the half came from speculative long range shots and crosses. Whitley made 5 changes at half time and set to work again, holding Sunderland for long periods but once again, as Whitley tired, 2 late goals gave the Wearsiders a deserved win. Whitley manager was pleased with the performance ' We held a top side for long periods of the game and I was delighted with our shape, workrate and application. We even managed to create a few half chances ourselves. but the aim was to practice our defensive play, which we got ample opportunity to do' | |||||
| Sunday 16th | Friendly | Away | Penrith | 5-1 | Smith, Twaddle 3, Suddes |
| Whitley travelled west to Penrith to face a young Cumbrian side in the last of their pre-season friendlies. With 4 of the first team squad miising and one injured, it was a chance to use the full squad and test them in different positions.Whitley settled quickly and on 7 minutes Nikki Smith ran with the ball and cracked a low drive into the corner of the net. This was followed by a brace from Julie Twaddle - both great strikes from distance. At 3-0 at half time, changes were made and Whitley extended their lead on the 56 minutes as Twaddle claimed her hat-trick with a shot that crept under the keeper. Penrith replied with a converted penalty and Whitley restored their advantage with a goal from Jo Suddes. Manager Colin Phillips was happy with the work out. 'We played some excellent football and my starting eleven for next week is becoming clearer' | |||||
| League and Cup matches | |||||
| Sunday 23rd | League Cup | Away | Scarborough | 4-1 | Coleman L 2, Smith, Darmody |
| Whitley Bay eased into the next round of the League Cup after well deserved victory against Scarborough. It was a windy McCains Sports Club that greeted Whitley after a 3 hour journey from the far North East and it took both sides a while to master the swirling wind. Whitley handed competitive debuts to Jen Fairhurst, Julie Twaddle and Lucy Dewar and settled into their passing game. They were creating chances, with Rachel Kay prominent, but were unable to convert their superiority into goals. It took half an hour to break the deadlock as Charlotte Rowley released Nikki Smith who angled a great ball into the path of Lisa Coleman who took the ball around the keeper and slotted home. Just before half time, it was 2-0 as Kay made another run down the left to cross for Lisa Coleman to arrive at the back post and steer the ball into the net for her second of the game. After the interval, with the wind at their backs, Whitley lost a bit of composure on the ball and the game became scrappy and on 75 m minutes, Scarborough took advantage and were awarded a penalty after a foul in the box. Bronagh Malone found the net despite a valiant effort by Catherine Clough, the Bay keeper who got a hand to the effort. Whitley hit back almost immediately to restore their advantage as a Donna Brown pass found Nikki Smith who advanced unchallenged and hit a low drive into the corner of the net. With a few minutes remaining, Kay got to the bye-line yet again and squared to the onrushing Laura Darmody to slide home for 4-1. The goal made up for an identical effort a minute earlier as Darmody was ruled offside. The final score of 4-1 sees Whitley through to the next round and manager Colin Phillips was satisfied with the team's efforts 'We should have scored a few more, particularly in the first half, then our passing game went missing as we struggled to keep possession, but we were deserved winners' | |||||
| Sunday 30th | League | Away | Guiseley | 6-1 | Coleman L, St Louis, Coleman S, Smith, Twaddle, Hunter |
| Whitley Bay opened their League campaign with a comprehensive win away to Guiseley. Kate St Louis was handed her Whitley debut and made an impact in less than a minute; she stormed down the left wing and crossed for Julie Twaddle to head against the bar. Lisa Coleman was on hand to follow up and side foot the ball into the net for 1-0 to Whitley. The game then settled and Guiseley started to show some attacking skill. On the half hour they drew level as Clare Jenkins stole in at the far post to hit home a deep cross. Whitley went into the break 2-1 up as just on the stroke of half time, Twaddle released St Louis who ran clear and slotted home for a debut goal. After the break, Whitley made a tactical change to make the most of the big pitch and it was 3-1 within 5 minutes of the re-start when Sarah Coleman returned a goalkeeper clearance with a great left foot shot into the unguarded net. Twaddle was hugely influential in the midfield and on the hour, her pass was flicked on by Kirsty Hunter into the path of Nikki Smith who took it into her stride and fired home. Ten minutes later and it was 5-1 as Emma Philipson joined in from full back, beat a player and cut the ball inside for Twaddle to drive a low shot under the keeper. With 5 minutes on the clock, Twaddle hit a through ball to Sarah Coleman in the right channel and she unselfishly deceived the keeper and squared the ball for Hunter to roll it into the empty net to complete the scoring at 6-1 to Whitley. Manager Colin Phillips was pleased with the win 'We were excellent in the second half and Guiseley were unable to cope with our attacking threat' | |||||
| September | |||||
| Sunday 6th | League | Home | HUDDERSFIELD | 6-3 | Twaddle 2, Coleman S. 2, Hunter 2 |
| Whitley Bay knocked Huddersfield for six in this Regional Premier Division match, but a gritty second half performance by the West Yorkshire outfit gave Whitley plenty to think about. It took Whitley 20 minutes to capitalise on their early possession when Rachel Kay ran down the wing and her partially cleared cross was hammered home by Julie Twaddle. Huddersfield were defending well and their keeper Laura Carter was particularly impressive, but on 40 minutes Kay played a ball through to Twaddle whose curling shot from distance gave Carter no chance. Just when it was looking like Whitley would have to settle for two, they went into the break 4-0 up from two Donna Brown corners. Firstly on 43 minutes when Sarah Coleman volleyed in and again on the 45 as again Coleman forced the ball into the net despite the valiant efforts of a Huddersfield defender. The second half was a different story as Whitley allowed Huddersfield back into the game. Just after the break Emma Poole scored the first of two penalties after a foul in the box, then Whitley replied almost immediately as another Brown corner was volleyed in by Kirsty Hunter. Poole slotted her second penalty for 5-2 and a Whitley own goal made it 5-3. Whitley hit back on the break and Carter made two stunning saves and the crossbar was rattled and then on 75 minutes, yet another Brown corner was powerfully headed home by Hunter for a final score of 6-3. Whitley manager Colin Phillips was concerned how Huddersfield were allowed back into the game 'At 4-0 we were cruising and it looked like it could have been 7 or 8, but we let our foot off the gas and lost concentration. Credit to Huddersfield for a good second half performance but in fairness we never looked like losing the game and our set pieces were fantastic' | |||||
| Sunday 13th | League | Away | Hull City | 5-3 | Coleman L, Hunter 2, Coleman S, Carr. |
| Whitley made the long trek to the end of the M62 knowing that Hull's artificial surface was their least favourite pitch and one where they drew a blank last season. They also had 5 absences through work and holiday commitments and knew they would have a tough game against a side that had a morale boosting win last week. Whitley were playing against the wind in the first half and found it difficult to cope with Hull's direct style that saw them camp in the Whitley half and scrap for every ball in Whitley's area. It was no surprise when they went 2-0 down inside 20 minutes as Demi Thomas claimed 2 great finishes. Whitley gradually settled and started to defend with more determination, making occasional raids into the Hull half, one of which saw Nikki Smith fire agonisingly close after great work from Rachel Kay. Whitley went into the break the happier of the 2 sides as just on 40 minutes Kay was tripped in the box and a penalty was given. Lisa Coleman strode forward and took responsibility, smashing a great shot into the top corner. The goal was just what was needed for the half time talk and Whitley came out confident that they could score more and restrict Hull's territorial advantage. Within 5 minutes of the re-start they were on level terms when Kay released Kerry Davison, overlapping from full back and she crossed low into the box for Kirsty Hunter to finish with style. Whitley's tails were up and within another 5 minutes they were ahead. This time Nikki Smith advanced from midfield and played a pass to Sarah Coleman who struck a low drive from the edge of the box into the corner of the net. On 67 minutes they were 4-2 up when Mel Carr hit a free kick from 40 yards that flew over the keepers head into the net. Virtually from the re-start Hull gained a corner and when it wasn't cleared Sian Bentley calmly nodded the ball over everyone and it dropped into the net. Whitley restored their advantage on 75 minutes when Lisa Coleman made a run from midfield and found the feet of Hunter who hit a great shot from distance that gave the keeper no chance. Overall, Manager Colin Phillips was pleased with the win 'Once again, we were caught cold on this pitch in the wind and I was more than happy just to be 2-1 down at half time. I told the girls we could score 4 or 5 in the second half if we got our game going and so it proved' | |||||
| Sunday 20th | League | Home | OSSETT ALBION | 5-1 | Coleman S 2, Hunter, St Louis, Carr |
| Whitley Bay Women continued their high scoring start to the season with a 5-1 win against Ossett Albion. The Bay dominated early possession with Ossett rarely venturing out of their own half, yet were unable to put the finishing touches to some great approach play. Time and time again the final ball didn't find the target or the finish was wayward On 20 minutes, totally against the run of play, Ossett drove a hole straight through the middle of the Whitley defence and Rachel Barber slotted a great finish past the Whitley keeper. The game continued with Whitley having all of the ball and it took until the 36 minute for Kate St Louis to progress down the left, find the feet of Sarah Coleman who hit a low drive into the bottom corner. At half time with the score at 1-1, the Whitley camp were disappointed that their play hadn't yielded more goals. After the interval, the game continued with Whitley on the offensive and a tactical change that saw Nikki Smith moved to wide right paid immediate dividends as she crossed for Kirsty Hunter to head home. On the hour, Smith once again beat her marker on the right and her pull back was calmly dispatched by Sarah Coleman for her second of the game. Smith was now running riot and on 75 minutes, she crossed again for Kate St Louis to fire home, despite the best efforts of an Ossett defender. It was now a question of how many Whitley would score and they added another with 5 minutes on the clock as St Louis shot across the keeper who spilled the ball to give Mel Carr the easy task of tapping home for a final score of 5-1. Whitley Manager Colin Phillips was pleased with the win ' I thought we should have had more goals, particularly in the first half when we totally dominated the game. Once we got some quality play in the final third the goals came and we were comfortable winners' | |||||
| Sunday 27th | FA Cup | Home | TEESSIDE ATHLETIC | 7-0 | Twaddle, Coleman S 3, Davison, St Louis, Hunter |
| Whitley Bay eased into the second Qualifying Round of the FA Womens Cup with a comprehensive win against Teesside Athletic. Whitley started well and enjoyed the majority of the early possession and on 10 Minutes forced a corner that Julie Twaddle scored directly from as her inswinger found the net. Sarah Coleman then scored two goals in quick succession as firstly on 13 minutes Whitley's keeper Catherine Clough made a long clearance that Coleman seized on and ran towards goal, finishing smartly in the bottom corner. Then on 15 minutes from a Kerry Davison cross Coleman planted a great looping header over the keeper. Just before the interval, Davison dispossessed a defender and ran through to slot into the far corner for a 4-0 half time lead. After the break, it took only 2 minutes for Whitley to extend their lead as Rachel Mellor released Kate St Louis who charged down the left wing to crash a great shot into the roof of the net. Whitley were again enjoying all the territory and possession and on the hour they made it 6-0 and Sarah Coleman claimed her hat-trick as St Louis crossed for Coleman to tap in from close range. The scoring was complete on 72 minutes when a Twaddle corner was headed home by Kirsty Hunter. This was Hunter's 150 goal for Whitley in all competitions from only 97 appearances. Whitley Manager Colin Phillips was happy with the win ' We played well in parts today and some great Teesside defending prevented the score from being even more. We are looking forward to see who we get in the next round' | |||||
| October | |||||
| Sunday 4th | League | Home | SHEFFIELD FC | 1-1 | Coleman S |
| Whitley Bay faced unbeaten Sheffield FC at Hillheads and knew that this would be their most difficult game so far. The opening exchanges were even as both sides tested each other but it was Whitley who made the breakthrough on 10 minutes when Kirsty Hunter laid a ball off to Sarah Coleman who curled a great shot into the net for her 10th of the season. Sheffield then started to dominate the game and their movement and passing was causing Whitley all kinds of problems, but without the Whitley keeper being tested. In fact Whitley almost made it 2-0 as a low drive from Julie Twaddle crashed against the post and ran to safety. However, Sheffield pressure started to tell and they scored a deserved equaliser on 40 minutes when Lynne Grainger seized on a loose ball in the box and fired home. After the interval, Sheffield started to dominate the game and spurned chance after chance as Whitley were being run ragged. Twice the Sheffield forward had a simple tap in that she managed to hit wide whilst Whitley were unable to create anything themselves. In fact they sacrificed a forward to bolster the midfield and battle for a draw. To their credit, they held on for a final score of 1-1 and manager Colin Phillips was happy to hear the final whistle 'A draw is a good result today when in fact it could have been 3 or 4 to Sheffield. I haven't seen so many of my players be off form at the same time so a point is welcome' | |||||
| Wednesday 7th | Friendly | Away | Newcastle University | 6-1 | Potron, Davidson 2, o.g., Luther 2 |
| Whitley fielded a young side against Newcastle University with mostly Reserves and Development players taking the field. With lots of new players, the Uni side were outplayed by the more organised Whitley side. Late in the game, Newcastle fielded their first choice eleven and the game was more even, but by then, the coast side were well in front. Manager Colin Phillips was pleased with the performance 'It was good to see the number of 16 and 17 year old players we have coming through, some of whom will be knocking on the first team door in the not too distant future' | |||||
| Sunday 11th | FA Cup | Away | Birtley | 10-2 | Hunter 4, Twaddle 3, Coleman S, Davison, Suddes |
| Whitley Bay cruised through to the next round of the FA Women's Cup despite an early scare of going two down in the first 15 minutes. Birtley set about their higher League opponents with great determination and capitalised on some early direct play and pressure, going 2-0 up in the first quarter of an hour with 2 breakaway goals by Christine Murray. This seemed to sting Whitley into action and they started to show their quality with some great possession football that had Birtley chasing shadows. Whitley's passing game eventually paid dividends when on 35 minutes, Julie Twaddle gained possession and played a pass to Kirsty Hunter who controlled and volleyed home. Twaddle was again to the fore 5 minutes later when from far out on the left she crossed on target and the ball flew over the keepers head. Whitley were now in total charge and they went into the break in front with a great team goal. Hunter controlled and turned, played the ball wide to Kate St Louis who played a low pass across the face of goal for Twaddle to sidefoot in. After the interval, it became a question of how many Whitley would score as Birtley were visibly tiring. Whitley hit Birtley with 4 goals in 10 minutes when firstly on 57 minutes a Kerry Davison shot was blocked and Twaddle fired in from the edge of the box for her hat-trick. On 61 Minutes, Nikki Smith played the ball to Sarah Coleman who hit her 11th of the season with a great left foot curling shot. A minute later Twaddle played an angled ball to Davison who crossed for Hunter to score a great diving header and on 64 minutes Hunter claimed her hat-trick with another header from a Twaddle cross. Whitley's eighth was Hunter's fourth on 80 minutes as Lisa Coleman unselfishly squared a pass to her in the box and Hunter made no mistake. Coleman was again involved in the ninth on 85 minutes when she passed to Davison who fired a brilliant shot into the top corner from fully 25 yards. The scoring was complete at 10-2 to Whitley Bay on 87 minutes when Smith found Jo Suddes who sprinted past the Birtley defence and lashed a great shot to the near post that beat the keeper. Whitley Manager Colin Phillips ' I feared the worst after 15 minutes, but taking an early lead was probably the worst thing that Birtley could have done as it seemed to give us a wake up call. Once we scored and started to pass the ball, there was only one winner' | |||||
| Sunday 18th | League | Home | HARTLEPOOL ST FRANCIS | 2-1 | Coleman L, Hunter |
| Whitley Bay faced a St Francis side that have had mixed results so far this season and didn't know what to expect. Whitley made a confident start and were passing the ball around very comfortably without troubling the St Francis back line. They were having the majority of possession and it just took until the 15th minute to make the breakthrough. Julie Twaddle played a great ball out to the right for Lisa Coleman. She crossed dangerously to the near post which deceived the St Francis keeper who was unable to keep the ball from crossing the line. Whitley continued to play some good possession football, but were always aware of the swift counter-attack and the pacey St Francis forwards. Just before half time, Whitley struck again as Twaddle from wide right, sent over an inch perfect cross for Kirsty Hunter to nod home. After the interval, some tactical changes from Whitley had an adverse effect on their attacking shape and they failed to build on their superiority. In fact St Francis had some chances of their own, but failed to test the Whitley keeper. The game became scrappy as neither side was able to stamp their authority and some wayward finishing meant that neither keeper made a save. Just as Whitley were comfortably seeing the game out, St Francis scored a late consolation when Leonie Kennedy flashed a great strike into the Whitley net. It was no more than St Francis deserved but Whitley ended the game as 2-1 winners. Manager Colin Phillips 'In the first half we played some good football and should have had more goals. I made some changes at half time that changed our pattern of play and didn't really work. In fairness, we never looked like losing the game but credit to St Francis for a spirited display' | |||||
| Sunday 25th | FA Cup | Away | Sheffield FC | 2-1 | Hunter, Coleman L |
| Whitley Bay have made it through to the First Round Proper of the FA Women's Cup after a great win at Sheffield FC The recent League game between the two had been a 1-1 draw with Sheffield having the upper hand so Whitley made tactical changes to stifle the midfield and were prepared to defend. They soaked up constant Sheffield pressure in the first 20 minutes, making only rare excursions into the opposition half. Whitley tackled, blocked and closed down to frustrate the Sheffield attack, who were restricted to half chances and shots from distance. Whitley were playing on the break and looked dangerous down the flanks, forcing a number of corners that came to nothing. After the interval, Whitley were coming more into the game as an attacking force and were springing counter attacks as Sheffield moves broke down. From such an attack on the 55 minute, Whitley won a corner that was taken by Donna Brown. Sheffield failed to clear the danger and the ball fell to the feet of Kirsty Hunter who lashed it into the net from 10 yards. Whitley knew that Sheffield would have to open up and commit players forward so Whitley pushed Lisa Coleman into an advanced position to take advantage of the gaps. This took only 10 minutes to pay off as on 70 minutes, Mel Carr found space and played a great angled ball down the channel for Coleman to spring the offside trap and in one touch, steered the ball past the onrushing keeper. In the last 15 minutes, Sheffield threw players forward in an attempt to salvage something from the game and they forced a great save from Catherine Clough the Whitley keeper, who dived low to her right to push away a goalbound effort. In the dying seconds of normal time, Sheffield did gain some consolation with a great volley from just inside the box, but it was too little too late as Whitley comfortably saw out injury time in the Sheffield half. Manager Colin Phillips said 'The girls stuck to the game plan and we were prepared to go to penalties if necessary. In the end, we took our two chances and defended brilliantly for a very hard fought win' | |||||
| November | |||||
| Sunday 1st | League | Away | Barnsley | P-P | Pitch waterlogged |
| Sunday 8th | FA Cup | Home | BLACKPOOL WREN ROVERS | P-P | Pitch waterlogged |
| Sunday 15th | FA Cup | Home | BLACKPOOL WRENS | 7-1 | Hunter, Coleman S 3, Suddes, Carr, Mellor |
| Whitley dispatched their higher League opponents in a blistering first half that saw them lead 5-0 Whitley had a re-shuffled pack as 5 first choice players were unavailable due to holiday and work commitments, with a totally changed midfield that saw Reserves captain Janine Fagan make her first start of the season for the senior squad. They knew that a good start would be important and poured forward from the first whistle. There was only 3 minutes on the clock when early pressure saw a Donna Brown corner bulleted home by a Kirsty Hunter header. Within 2 minutes of the re-start Whitley were 2-0 up when a great ball from Brown saw Sarah Coleman race clear of the defence and slot into the corner of the net. The another blow to Whitley on 7 minutes, as top scorer Kirsty Hunter limped off with a foot injury forcing an early substitution. However, Whitley were playing some great attacking football and on 17 minutes Emma Philipson found Sarah Coleman with a great cut-back and Coleman deceived the close attentions of the Blackpool defender and fired into the top corner. 5 minutes later and Coleman claimed her hat-trick as another dangerous Brown corner was helped on by Jo Suddes and Coleman headed the loose ball past the diving keeper. Just before half time, it was 5-0 as Brown's corners were causing panic in the Blackpool box and Suddes forced the ball over the line despite the best attempts of the keeper. After the interval, Blackpool understandably started to defend in numbers and Whitley were finding it hard to re-discover the fluency of the first half. In fact, Blackpool were mounting attacks of their own and Catherine Clough in the Whitley goal was called into action on more than one occasion and made a couple of great saves. Blackpool deservedly pulled one back on the 55 minutes from a corner that was headed past the diving Clough. Whitley re-grouped and slowly got themselves back on the offensive and on 72 minutes a great passing move saw Jen Fairhurst release Mel Carr who hit a stunning left foot shot from outside the box, giving the keeper no chance. The scoring was complete at 7-1 to the bay when stand-in striker Rachel Mellor was found by Suddes and Mellor hit a great shot from the edge of the box past the startled keeper. Whitley Manager Colin Phillips was pleased to see his side into the 2nd Round 'We had half a team away today and great credit must be given to the players who stepped in and did a great job, it really shows the strength of our squad' | |||||
| Sunday 22nd | League | Home | GUISELEY | 1-0 | Coleman S |
| Whitley Bay kept their unbeaten League run going against a much improved Guiseley side at a windy Hillheads on Sunday. Whitley had beaten Guisely 6-1 in the first game of the season, but recent Guiseley results indicated that this would be a much tougher afternoon for the Seasiders. Whitley last dropped League points back in March of last season and for the second consecutive week, it was a much changed side that took the park due to injury and unavailability. However, they took the game to Guiseley, without being able to deliver the final ball to cause the well organised defence any problems. Things got worse on the 20 minute as Mel Carr limped off with an ankle injury and the pack was shuffled again. Guiseley were proving to be dangerous on the break and Catherine Clough in the Whitley goal made a great block as the Guiseley striker was through on goal. The strong swirling wind was making it difficult for Whitley to play their their normal passing game and they struggled to have any strikes on goal. It remained 0-0 at half time and Whitley knew they were in a game. After the interval, Whitley gradually got on top and were starting to breach the Guiseley rearguard, with the pace of Jo Suddes causing problems. On 65 minutes they gained the advantage as determined play from Suddes saw her force the ball to Sarah Coleman who hit a great curling strike from 20 yards over the keeper and into the back of the net. Whitley were well on top and squandered a couple of decent chances and were forcing numerous corners, with Guiseley rarely breaking out of their own half and when they did, not troubling the Whitley keeper. It was still an anxious finish for Whitley but the one goal was enough to win the match and put Whitley back at the top of the table. Whitley manager Colin Phillips was relieved to have won 'This was a tricky game for us with Guiseley on such good form and my team having so many absences, and another injury today. However, we battled for the win and the whole squad can be proud of themselves for a real team performance' | |||||
| Sunday 29th | FA Cup | Home | ROCHDALE | ABANDONED | |
| December | |||||
| Sunday 6th | FA Cup | Home | ROCHDALE | 2-3 | St Louis, Carr |
| Whitley Bay are out of the FA Women's Cup, beaten by Rochdale at Hillheads in a thrilling encounter. Whitley matched their higher League opponents from the off as the opening exchanges were equal. Both sides attacked and defended with great determination but it was Rochdale that made the breakthrough on 20 minutes as the left winger broke free and crashed a great shot into the roof of the net. Whitley fought back and the sides cancelled each other out and only a great Emma Philipson strike that hit the post provided the scoring chances. On the half hour Whitley did level the match as Mel Carr played a great ball through the Rochdale defence for the pace of Kate St Louis to reach before the keeper and slide it into the back of the net. At 1-1 at half time, it was an evenly balanced match. After the interval, Rochdale pressed forward and on 56 minutes, a cross from the right was headed home to give the away side the advantage. Two minutes later, the entire Rochdale defence stood still and watched as Mel Carr beat the offside trap and calmly side footed home for the equalising goal. Again, the tie was evenly balanced and it took a controversial penalty to put Rochdale ahead. On 75 minutes, it was only the referee that saw a foul in the box to the bemusement of both sides but Rochdale accepted the spot-kick and went 3-2 in front. Whitley refused to lie down and mounted waves of attacks and had at least 3 good opportunities to equalise, but a mixture of good defending and wayward finishing kept the score the same and Rochdale were through. Whitley Manager Colin Phillips was disappointed in defeat ' We maybe deserved at least extra time but overall I am pleased with our display against a really good Rochdale side that are top of the League above us, we wish them the best of luck in the next round' | |||||
| Sunday 13th | League | Away | Ossett Albion | 2-1 | Turnbull, Coleman S |
| Whitley Bay made their first ever visit to the Warehouse Systems Stadium to face lowly Ossett Albion, a side they had beaten 5-1 at Hillheads back in September. It was a changed Whitley line up that took the field with Roisin Turnbull making her first start since October and Rachel Kay back in the squad following a long lay off through injury. Whitley found a very determined Ossett side and realised from the off that this would be a keenly contested match. Whitley enjoyed the majority of possession but were unable to breach a competitive Ossett rearguard, apart from two dangerous balls into the box that were headed straight to the keeper. However, on 20 minutes Whitley forced a corner and Donna Brown's delivery caused problems in the box and Roisin Turnbull was on hand to smash the ball into the roof of the net from close range. It was no more than Whitley deserved but they failed to build on their continued dominance and on 38 minutes Ossett broke clear with a simple ball through the middle of the Whitley defence for Nicola Swift to fire a great drive into the corner of the Whitley net. Whitley were forced into a substitution when Charlotte Rowley was injured in a tackle with an Ossett forward who unfortunately faired worse and was taken to hospital with a suspected broken leg. Wasted passes typified the half for Whitley and with a half time score of 1-1, Ossett would be delighted with their efforts. After the interval Whitley were back on the offensive and the Ossett keeper was called into action on more than one occasion, but they couldn't find a winner until 70 minutes when Rachel Kay switched to the right wing and fired a great cross to the edge of the box for Sarah Coleman to hit a stunning volley that gave the keeper no chance. It was a strike worthy of winning the match and so it proved, but not before Ossett broke forward and forced Catherine Clough into two great saves. Whitley finished the match with ten players as Donna Brown limped off and all substitutes had been used, creating more pressure on the Whitley defence. However, Whitley finished in the ascendancy for a hard fought victory that keeps them top of the table. Whitley manager Colin Phillips was pleased to win 'This wasn't our best performance against a vastly improved Ossett side and I take responsibility for leaving us short handed at the end, but to not play well and still win is a credit to the players efforts and resilience' | |||||
| Sunday 20th | |||||
| Sunday 27th | |||||
| January 2010 | |||||
| Sunday 3rd | |||||
| Sunday 10th | |||||
| Sunday 17th | League | Away | Hartlepool St Francis | P-P | |
| Sunday 24th | League | Away | York City | 2-3 | Fagan 2 |
| Whitley Bay fell to their first League defeat of the season when a below par performance saw York take all three points in Whitley's first match since 13 December. Injuries kept out 4 Whitley centre backs so Janine Fagan was drafted in from the Reserves and Rachel Mellor switched from left back. Debutant Kim Pye made up the much changed Whitley back four. On their least favoured 3G surface, Whitley started like a team that hadn't played for 6 weeks and were soon two goals behind as Abi Webster and then Kelly Chesterton scored uncontested headers from close range. Whitley were finding it difficult to get into the game but on the half hour Janine Fagan saw a clearance fall at her feet and from outside the box she lashed a great drive into the far corner of the net to give Whitley a tow hold in the game. Just before half time she struck again as she scored a bullet header from a Julie Twaddle corner. At 2-2 at half time, Whitley were confident they would get better and score more goals. However, York had other ideas and chased and harried in all areas of the pitch to frustrate the Whitley team. Additionally, Whitley's passing and ball retention was dreadful and when they did create a chance, their finishing was way off the mark. It got worse on 70 minutes when a corner wasn't cleared, the Whitley keeper appeared to be floored and the loose ball was flicked in by a Whitley defender. Whitley tried their best to fight back but it wasn't happening for them Whitley manager Colin Phillips 'At 2-2 I thought we would be happy with the draw based on the way we played, it was the worst of the season. We don't like that surface and took a while to settle, particularly with the changes I had to make. No excuses though, we were poor and deserved nothing' | |||||
| Sunday 31st | League | Home | BARNSLEY | P-P | Snow |
| February | |||||
| Sunday 7th | |||||
| Sunday 14th | League | Away | Hartlepool St Francis | 2-1 | Suddes, Kay |
| Whitley Bay made the short journey down the A19 to face Hartlepool St Francis and looked to get back to winning ways after their recent defeat at York. Again, a re-shuffled back four saw Mel Carr make a come-back after injury and Janine Fagan retain her pace alongside her. St Francis started the better of the two sides and adapted better to the rough pitch, playing direct and getting the ball forward as quickly as possible. Indeed, Whitley could have conceded on three occasions as a simple ball over the defence saw Gemma Dinning blast high some good chances. However, Dinning didn't need any further invitations, as possession was lost in midfield and a straight ball to her saw her beat the retreating Whitley defence and fire a smart shot past the diving Whitley keeper. There were some strong words at half time and the defensive frailties were addressed and Jo Suddes was brought on to add some pace to the Whitley attack. Within a minute of the restart, Whitley's tactical change paid off as Rachel Mellor crossed to the far post for Suddes to lose her marker and head home for a great goal. Whitley then began to take hold of the game, with Suddes running well down the right wing and delivering some good balls into the St Francis box. Now it was Whitley's turn to put the pressure on and Amy Phillips in the St Francis goal was at last called into action. She made some good saves to turn goalward bound shots over the bar and made one exceptional block at the feet of Emma Philipson after she had ran through the entire St Francis defence. Endless pressure resulted on 77 minutes when St Francis couldn't clear the ball from a succession of Whitley corners and it dropped to Rachel Kay who struck a spectacular first time volley from the edge of the box that flew past the helpless St Francis keeper. It was Kay's first of the season - and what a way to open her account. Whitley saw out the final 13 minutes camped in the St Francis half and ran out worthy winners at 2-1. Whitley manager Colin Phillips was pleased to win 'That was a classic game of two halves and St Francis could easily have been 4-0 up at half time. In the second half there was only one winner as we played much better to the conditions and stopped trying to play intricate short passes' | |||||
| Sunday 21st | County Cup | Away | Prudhoe | 12-0 | Coleman S.3, O'Brien 2, Philipson, Hunter 3, Turnbull, Mellor, Davidson |
| Whitley Bay eased into the semi finals of the Northumberland FA women's Cup with a comprehensive victory against Prudhoe YPC. Whitley were always favourites to beat their lower League opponents and it took only 7 minutes to get on the scoresheet as Rachel Kay crossed for Sarah Coleman to fire home. Further goals from Emma Philipson, Roisin Turnbull, another from Coleman, two from Steph O Brien - her first goals in Whitley colours and two from Kirsty Hunter gave Whitley a 8-0 half time lead. Whitley slowed the tempo in the second half and used their substitutes to the full, giving their young County League opponents some respite However, Coleman and Hunter both bagged their hat-tricks and Rachel Mellor and Laurel Davidson completed the scoring for a 12-0 win to Whitley. Manager Colin Phillips was satisfied with the performance 'Great credit to Prudhoe who kept going all game and never let their heads drop, but the difference in experience and quality gave us the upper hand' | |||||
| Sunday 28th | |||||
| March | |||||
| Sunday 7th | League | Home | BARNSLEY | 3-0 | Coleman S, Suddes, Hunter |
| Whitley Bay won the top of the table clash with Barnsley after an enthralling game that was closer than the score suggested. Top played second in this eagerly awaited clash at Hillheads.. Both teams fielded strong sides and the glorious spring weather made conditions ideal for a pulsating game. The opening minutes were played at break-neck pace as each side battled for supremacy but it was Whitley that shaded possession and territorial advantage. Whitley gained a succession of corners and the delivery of Donna Brown caused problems, with Mel Carr and Sarah Coleman going close. Whitley pressed forward and on 40 minutes made the break through with another Brown corner. This time, Coleman timed her run to perfection and bulleted a great header into the Barnsley net. Whitley held out until the interval despite a number of swift Barnsley attacks that put the Bay defence under real pressure. A tactical half time change saw Whitley back on the offensive but the Barnsley defence held firm without any real chances being created. Indeed, Barnsley had chances of their own but were unable to convert. The decisive moment came on 78 minutes when the impressive Nikki Smith found herself wide right and she crossed perfectly to the back post for Jo Suddes to head home. This was Suddes 3rd headed goal in as many games and she wheeled away in celebration. Barnsley were deflated after being in the game for so long. The best was left until last as on 89 minutes, Kirsty Hunter started a move in her own half that saw great interplay between her, Kate St Louis and Steph O Brien. O Brien eventually laid the ball off for Hunter who rocketed an unstoppable shot into the roof of the net, giving the keeper no chance. The 3-0 scoreline was unfortunate for Barnsley, but Whitley had scored some great goals and taken their chances with aplomb. Manager Colin Phillips said ' We played really well today and so did Barnsley. On the balance of play we deserved the win and I am delighted with the result' | |||||
| Sunday 14th | League | Home | PETERLEE | ||
| Thursday 18th | League | Away | Peterlee | ||
| 1.30pm Sunday 21st | County Cup | Home | TYNEDALE | ||
| Sunday 28th | League | Home | SHEFFIELD UNITED | ||
| April | |||||
| Sunday 4th | League | Home | HULL | ||
| Sunday 11th | League | Away | Sheffield United | ||
| Sunday 18th | League | Home | YORK | ||
| Sunday 25th | League | Away | Sheffield FC | ||
| May | |||||
| Sunday 2nd | League | Away | Barnsley | ||