Whickham dominate to clinch deserved victory against Redcar

Whickham produced an all-round perfect team performance to bounce back from a mid-week defeat and take all three points against Redcar Athletic at a wet First Mortgage Glebe. WRITES ADAM TONES.

Jamie Dunn opened the scoring from close range before Sam Dibb-Fuller doubled the home team’s advantage five minutes before half time. 

The hosts started on the front foot and forced Bulmer into a save within the first 10 minutes when striker Scott Robson’s snapshot was pushed wide for a corner. 

Whickham thought they had opened the scoring five minutes later, but Bulmer was alert to save Dibb-Fuller’s initial attempt and Harry Yoxall’s follow-up strike from inside the box. 

The Lang Jacks deservedly broke the deadlock after 35 minutes when Joey Smith neatly skipped past two Redcar players and set Dibb-Fuller away down the left-hand side. 

The striker outpaced his man and delivered a perfectly placed pass for Dunn to control and hammer low and hard into Bulmer’s far corner.

It wasn’t long after and provider Dibb-Fuller turned goalscorer after brilliantly controlling a Tom Howard cross before flicking the ball over his man and firing into Bulmer’s right-hand corner.

Whickham took a well-deserved two goal advantage into half-time and started the second half in the mood to extend their lead. 

Dibb-Fuller, who was at the heart of everything all afternoon for the Lang Jacks skipped past his man on the byline but his low cross agonisingly evaded everyone before rolling out for a goal kick. 

Scott Robson had a great opportunity to all but seal victory on the hour mark when he was sent through on goal, but Bulmer’s outstretched arm saved what looked like a certain goal.

Dibb-Fuller almost scored directly from the resulting corner but Bulmer was well positioned to get fingertips to the ball, pushing it over his crossbar for another corner. 

Whickham almost added gloss to a solid team performance when defender Dale Burrell headed Dunn’s cross inches wide of Bulmer’s far post. 

The visitor missed a guilt-edged chance in the final few minutes to grab a consolation goal when Conway blazed his shot over Harker’s crossbar from just three yards out. 

The home team comfortably saw the final few minutes out to claim victory and record their second clean sheet in their last three matches. 

Whickham team | Harker, Howard, Garside, Burrell, Agnew, Dunn, Smith (Maughan 87’), Yoxall (Below 79’), Richardson, Dibb-Fuller (Priest 80’), Robson (Page 69’)

Subs not used | W. Buchanan

Goalscorers | Dunn 35’, Dibb-Fuller 40’

Referee | Matthew Morton

Man of the Match | Sam Dibb-Fuller