Recap

Redcar Athletic 1-1 Whitley Bay

Steelmen: Liam Jarvie (90’)

Whitley: Josh Gilchrist (30’)

Liam Jarvie’s debut goal salvaged a late point, as a first league win continued to elude Redcar Athletic.

The Steelmen trailed to an opportunistic finish from Josh Gilchrist at the interval, despite sporting the majority of the ball.

A more broken second period seemed to benefit Whitley Bay, who sought to slow the game down, before debutant Liam Jarvie’s late stab snatched a share of the spoils for an ambivalent Redcar side.

The former Newton Aycliffe man was thrust straight into the action by his new boss, Gary Forster, and almost to instant effect.

A long throw from the returning Liam O’Sullivan fashioned the opportunity, from which the forward glanced Wheatley’s headed knockdown narrowly wide.

At the other end, Redcar proved fortunate not to be behind, as a spontaneous poke from Lewis Suddick rattled the underside of the bar.

Liam Jarvie felt left out on the action, and decided to strike the woodwork himself, shaking off two players in the middle of the park, before reverberating the frame of the goal from distance.

As half an hour of Athletic dominance came and went, the door was open for the Bay to snatch the opener, and as Jos Storr flashed the ball across goal, Josh Gilchrist obliged.

Trailing against the run of play, the Steelmen’s incisive play began to collapse, turning to ambitious drives from deep, which caused Harrison Bond no trouble.

Fletcher was the first to take aim, whistling an effort passed the post, before his second strike fell kindly to Liam Jarvie, who again found Bond in his way.

Despite all of Redcar’s chances and aggression, only the crossbar could prevent a second for the visitors before half time, as Josh Gilchrist’s curling free-kick proved a whisker too high.

Whitley looked a more composed outfit as the game got back underway, with Anthony Bell called into action to shield the ball behind, as Marc Ellison broke through against Jack Norton.

Gilchrist and Suddick both sought to wrap the affair up with early sighters, finding the returning number one equal to each of their low efforts.

In attack, Redcar again found the end product lacking, after delightful build up play.

Jarvie twice picked out Walker across the byline, with the forward’s instinctive back-heel denied by Bond, before he failed to make a connection moments later.

As the travelling fans began to think it was all over, a headed flick on from Danny Boyle dropped in the centre of the box, with none other than Liam Jarvie on hand to control it, and turn it passed an otherwise impenetrable Harrison Bond.

With the wind in their sails, the Steelmen proved unlucky not to complete the turnaround, as Sonni Coleman’s bullet header was tipped onto the bar by a sprawling Harrison Bond, and the spoils were shared in the seaside sun.

Attendance: 187

Line-Up: Norton, McNeill, O’Sullivan, Bell, Guru, Wheatley, Conway (Watts 65’), Boyle (Hall 90+6’), Jarvie (Tymon 90+2’), Fletcher (Coleman 65’), Walker

Next Match: Guisborough Town (a) | Wednesday 6th September