Evo-Stik Northern Premier League

Saturday 10 February 2018

Rangers threw away a two goal lead as Whitby Town salvaged a point with a penalty and a stoppage time equaliser in a game that saw three players sent off. But this wasn’t the thriller that such a catalogue of events portrays and there was an inevitably about Whitby’ eventual equaliser.

Both sides struggled to settle on a difficult surface and neither goal was threatened during the initial exchanges. That all changed with the first glimpse of quality on 23 mins when Rangers’ midfielder Robert Thompson – Brown struck his 25 yard free kick to perfection after Kyle Perry had been fouled. Whitby keeper Jack Norton got his finger tips to the ball but was unable to keep it out.

A free kick from Lewis Maloney almost presented the visitors with an instant reply but Kieren Weledji failed to make contact and Matthew Tymon couldn’t convert at the back post. Tymon put another header into the side netting before Rangers extended their lead a minute before the break when Joe Thomas cut inside Weledji and fired past Nixon from the edge of the area. The second half also got off to a slow start but then Whitby were given a route back in to the game on the hour when referee Wayne Barrett penalised Levi Reid, a half time sub for Sam Griffiths, for a push as Stafford defender a corner and Maloney netted from the spot.

The key incidents of the next 15 minutes saw the three dismissals. First to go was Whitby skipper Steve Snaith on 67 mins for a hand in the face of Perry after the two had tangled on the ground. Eight minutes later, Andrew Monkhouse became the second Whitby player dismissed when he collected a second yellow for a foul although, in the same incident, Thompson -Brown also received a second yellow for simulation.

Despite being at a numerical disadvantage, Whitby kept searching for an equaliser and Weledji went within inches of converting a deep centre while it needed the combined efforts of Jordaan Brown and Dan Vann to deny Junior Mondal. Thomas and Josh Craddock both went close for Stafford but as the clock ticked towards the 90, the home side found themselves defending deeper into their own half. Whitby sensed a point and they got it in the 92nd minute when Callum Patton’s shot looped up off a Boro defender and over Whitehouse.

Rangers: 1 Adam Whitehouse, 2 Sam Griffiths (12 Levi Reid 46m), 3 Kieren Westwood, 4 Dan Vann, 5 Jordaan Brown, 6 Josh Craddock, 7 Joe Thomas, 8 Jack Sherratt, 9 Kyle Perry, 10 Izak Reid, 11 Robert Thompson-Brown. Unused subs: 14 Osebi Abadaki, 15 Dan Westwood, 16 Richard Platt, 17 Brad Caswell

Whitby: 1 Jack Norton, 2 Kieren Weledji, 3 Daniel McWilliams, 4 Kevin Burgess, 5 Andrew May, 6 Steven Snaith, 7 Andrew Monkhouse, 8 Junior Mondal, 9 Matthew Tymon (16 Anthony Hume 90+4m), 10 Lewis Maloney (14 Kyle Fryatt 86m), 11 Callum Martin (12 Callum Patton 76m) Unused Subs: 15 Jamie Poole, 17 Daniel Dixon

Cautions: L Reid (Boro), Burgess (Whitby)

Sent Off: Thompson-Brown (Boro) 2 x cautions

Monkhouse (Whitby) 2 x cautions, Snaith (Whitby) straight red

Referee: Wayne Barrett

Att: 413

Report: Chris Elsley