Whickham End Winless Streak Away to Thornaby

Matty Pattison recorded his first win as manager after Whickham completed a league double over Thornaby with a 2-0 win at Teesdale Park.

The player-manager delivered a dangerous cross into the box and Jonny Burn opened the scoring with the follow up for the visitors on 22 minutes.

Whickham had the advantage at the break and went close to doubling their advantage when Tom Howard’s effort was cleared off the line.

The Lang Jacks had breathing room when Max Cowburn fired home on 71 minutes and the visitors then saw out the rest of the game.

Those three points ends a run of 105 days without a league victory and Whickham are in cup action at home to Seaham Red Star on Wednesday evening.

Whickham were given a boost as Conor Newton, who had been out injured for almost three months, made his return to the starting line-up.

It was the hosts that went close to going ahead early on. Luke Drummond clipped a brilliant ball over the back line, which released Daniel Chapman, but the striker fired across and wide of the target.

Whickham’s first opening came on 10 minutes. Captain Ross Peareth played the ball up to Pattison, who turned away from his marker before firing wide of the post from around 25-yards out.

The two sides were evenly matched before the visitors went ahead on 22 minutes. Pattison whipped a free-kick, from the right touchline, into the near post, but James Dawson didn’t connect cleanly with his clearance.

The ball dropped kindly in the penalty area and centre-half Burn pounced and lashed the ball into the net to open his goal scoring account for the Lang Jacks.

Whickham debutant Jack Wilson was called into action around the half-hour mark. Firstly, the ‘keeper got down well to turn away Joe Scaife-Wheatley’s effort, which was heading for the bottom corner.

Three minutes later, Wilson then made two tremendous saves, from point-blank range, to deny Adam Preston.

The Lang Jacks closed out the first-half on the front foot. Newton played an exquisite cross into the box for Carl Finnigan, whose header was gathered. The ball was worked back out to the right, crossed back into the box, but Pattison’s overhead-kick went wide.

The former South Africa international went within inches of doubling his sides advantage in the first minute of additional time. His free-kick beat the wall, but evaded the post.

Both sides made a substitution at half-time, with Sam Hedley coming on for Charlie Exley for Whickham. Thornaby started the second-half on the front foot. Preston had two chances, but failed to hit the target.

The Lang Jacks had an effort cleared off the line on 53 minutes. The ball was played back to Howard, who skipped past a challenge before striking at goal. Thornaby has two players on the line, at the back post, and cleared their lines.

Huge appeals for a handball were waved away, three minutes later, as the visitors were adamant that the ball struck the arm of a Thornaby player in the penalty area.

Just before the hour mark, the Lang Jacks had another sight of goal. Newton drove inside from the right, across the edge of the area. Cowburn tried to guide the effort goalward, but the winger was unable to get enough on the ball.

The visitors continued to control the game at Teesdale Park and their patience, going forward, paid off on 71 minutes.

Pattison’s cross wasn’t dealt with by the hosts and Cowburn struck home from inside the area to double Whickham’s lead.

Daniel Cranston and Chad Collins replaced Cowburn and Newton respectively shortly after. The visitors were comfortable and saw the rest of the game through to pick up a crucial three points.

The win lifts the Lang Jacks up one place in the Division One table and ends their winless run in the league. Seaham are the visitors at The First Mortgage Glebe on Wednesday evening, in the Durham Challenge Cup.

Thornaby: Dawson, Drummond, Wilson, Bailey, Guru, Posthill (Ward, 63), Scaife-Wheatley, Rowe (Green, 67), Preston, Chapman, Cooke (Jackson, 46)

Subs Not Used: Johnson, Beblowski

Whickham: Wilson, Howard, Exley (Hedley, 46), Burn, Galbraith, Newton (Collins, 74), Pattison, Peareth, Finnigan, Burrell, Cowburn (Cranston, 74)

Subs Not Used: McAndrew, Scothern

Goals: 0-1, 22 min, Burn; 0-2, 71 min, Cowburn

Referee: Derric Wade

Assistants: Matthew Morton and Mark Bell

Attendance: 90