TONY Sullivan can be forgiven for cutting a frustrated figure.

Seven days earlier his side had been resolute in the rain at Ashton, only to wilt against Whitby to gift the Seasiders only a second ever win at Wincham Park.

Hope is not lost though.

Witton ended the afternoon the same distance – five points – from the relegation zone as they had started, though that was as good as it got.

It was a scoreline nobody could have predicted beforehand; not least Whitby who had recorded just two league wins in 14 attempts since the turn of the year.

In contrast, Albion would have sat seventh in the table at kick off had the season started on January 1.

Both statistics felt irrelevant by full time.

The margin of victory flattered Whitby, yet the manner in which his players lost will have worried Sullivan much more.

A promising start aside, they never threatened to record a win that would have taken them to their 50-point target.

When Danny Andrews arced an attempt against the crossbar in the fifth minute, after Alex Titchiner had rolled the ball into his path, there was promise in their approach play.

They were served a warning shortly afterwards when goalkeeper Andy Robertson, picked by supporters as the team’s best performer during March, gave a reminder why with a double-save to deny Matthew Waters and then Lee Mason.

Notice not taken, Witton duly fell behind after quarter of an hour.

Kevin Burgess, permitted to bring the ball forward from defence with only token resistance offered by two feeble tackles, drilled low past Robertson from 20 yards out.

The Seasiders’ best move followed, but Mason made a mess of his finish after Waters had cushioned invitingly Liam Shepherd’s clipped pass into his path.

Undeterred, James Brown doubled their lead in any case on 27 minutes after intercepting Robertson’s sloppy pass and sending it back past Witton’s red-faced custodian.

Sullivan reacted swiftly, sending on Josh Hancock and Luke Clark at the start of the second period.

But the hosts conceded again before either had chance to make any impact.

They have reason to be unhappy, for a linesman erred in awarding a corner to Whitby despite Dale Hopson sending an over-hit cross out of play.

He was more accurate from Shepherd’s short flag kick, fizzing a well-struck shot through a crowd while Witton dithered.

The visitors protected their advantage a man down after Shepherd, booked earlier for kicking the ball away, was cautioned a second time as punishment for a lunge at Joe Shaw.

Still Albion ambled towards goal.

Their best, and only, significant attempt arrived with two minutes left when Titchiner’s header hit the inside of an upright.

“We never got going,” rued Sullivan afterwards.

With three of their remaining five fixtures against teams with promotion as an objective, Witton will want to win Monday’s derby duel with Nantwich to make them safe.

They can ill-afford to be as sleepy as this again.

Witton (3-5-2) Robertson (GK), Barnes, Goulding, John Shaw, Parker (Hancock 46), Corbett (Clark 46), Joe Shaw (Simpson 71), Andrews, Dawson, Rainford, Titchiner Subs not used Porter (GK), Chrisokou Booked Parker, Corbett (both fouls)

Whitby (3-5-2) Bland (GK), Pell, Bullock, Burgess, Hassan, Hopson, Mason (Nolan 72), Shepherd, Robinson, James Brown (Matthew Brown 68), Waters Subs not used Williams, Raby, Campbell (GK) Goals Burgess 15, James Brown 27, Hopson 53 Booked Bullock (foul), Shepherd (kicking the ball away) Sent off Shepherd (second caution)

Referee Darren Strain

Attendance 310