Crook Town 1-0 Whickham
It was another disappointing outing in the Northern League for the Lang Jacks as they lost 1-0 on the road at Crook Town on Saturday afternoon.
Corey Nicholson gave the hosts a late first-half lead which would be enough for all three points.
Nathan Stephenson was dismissed late in the second period for a second bookable offence.
The start of the encounter was positive by the visitors who looked to get forwards, with the first three chances all coming the way of Stephenson from distance – with the pick of the bunch hitting the bar.
Crook then looked to hurt from wide areas and caused problems with some dangerous deliveries but they failed to find the target.
That was until on the stroke of half-time when a ball in caused confusion and ran past Matty Wilkinson, which Corey Nicholson picked up and curled into the far corner.
The second 45 saw Lee Haldane make early changes and the arrivals of Tom Howard, Adam Lennox and Harvey Smith gave Whickham a foothold into the match.
There was a lack of cutting edge though which proved costly and Crook had the better of the chances in the half – two of which were smartly saved by Wilksinon.
Nathan Stephenson was shown a second yellow card deep into the 90 for a comment the referee deemed punishable.
A home fixture against West Auckland Town in the league awaits on Tuesday at the First Mortgage Glebe – your support is as necessary as ever.
Whickham XI: Wilkinson, Munro, Agnew (Errington), Nelson, Lynn, Peareth (Smith), Moan (Howard), Stephenson, Lowery, Hardy (Lennox), Geliher.
Unused sub: Wardle.
Man of the Match: Max Nelson
Referee: David Mitchell
