WITTON Albion did what they needed to and narrowed further a gap to the promotion play-offs places as a reward.

Carl Macauley’s men also kept a clean-sheet for the first time since early in November.

Their decisive goal came from an unlikely source too when defender Michael Wilson pounced to score after Owen Dale’s powerful striker had been parried by Whitby Town’s goalkeeper Jack Norton.

It ultimately separated the teams.

The hosts recalled goalkeeper Calvin Hare after he recovered from a thigh strain, while Prince Haywood took the place of suspended attacker Will Jones.

Tom Owens looped an effort over the crossbar for the hosts, while Dale also sent a free-kick too high.

At the other end, Lewis Maloney fired straight at Hare.

James Foley tried his luck for Witton too, only to fire narrowly wide, and Haywood was also off-target with his own attempt from a set-piece.

The Seasiders sent on Anthony Hulme for the second-half, in place of Kyle Fryatt, but both sides laboured to create chances.

Haywood’s strike from distance again failed to trouble Norton after he had made space from which to shoot.

Whitby might have drawn level during a frantic few seconds that saw Matthew Tymon’s shot blocked by Albion back-marker River Humphreys before Hume and Keiran Weledji – with a header – saw their attempts smuggled off the goal-line.

“We had to dig deep and defend well in the second-half,” said Macauley afterwards.

“It was great to shut them out, something we don’t seem have done for a long time, and River’s clearance off the line deserves credit because he anticipated the danger and recovered well.”

Witton | Hare (GK), McKenna, Devine, Humphreys, Wilson, Foley, Dale (Ryan 90), Owens, Hopley, Haywood (Williams 83), Tames Subs not used Brown, Gardner, Neild (GK) Goal Wilson 14 Booked Humphreys

Whitby | Norton (GK), Martin, McWilliams, Burgess, May, Weledji, Monkhouse, Mondal, Tymon, Malony, Fryatt (Hulme 46) Subs not used Poole, Bullock, Fairley, Dixon (GK)

Referee Luke Watson

Attendance 229