Witton Albion 3 Whitby Town 0

12:00pm Sunday 24th February 2008

WITTON strolled to victory against woeful Whitby.

That they scored three times without having to raise their to much more than mediocre says everything about their lamentable opponents.

This really was an Albion amble.

Points weren't the only positive - Tony Evans scored his first goal for the club and Ian Kearney was impressive in place of Cavell Coo at right back - but the ends justified the means.

Even shorn of their usual fluidity Witton were still far too good for the Blues.

Brian Pritchard should have headed them ahead on 17 minutes from Rob Lloyd's corner but, unmarked, he failed to make sufficient contact to diver the ball goalwards.

For all their anaemic attacking, Whitby should have scored four minutes later.

Ant Ormerod danced past Tony Barras down the right but Andy Thompson took an age to make his mind up before teeing up Tom Claisse to drive his shot against Pritchard.

They didn't get another sniff after that.

Rod Thornley ended an impressive move he started with a shot straight at the keeper and Adam Warlow forced a second save from Liam Brownhill's cross before Albion finally broke the deadlock.

There was some doubt about its validity.

Steve Brodie - seemingly offside - deflected Alex Brown's wayward shot past Whitby keeper David Cambpell to hand Jim Vince's men the lead four minutes before half time.

And they doubled their advantage within two minutes of the restart.

Warlow's shot was parried feebly by Campbell straight to Mark Peers, who steered the loose ball home from close range.

Albion's top scorer then submitted his entry for the miss of the season competition.

Lloyd's deep set piece was headed back across goal by Pritchard and, not expecting Campbell to make a hash of intercepting, Warlow could only stab wide from two yards with the goal at his mercy.

Sub Evans, on for Warlow, scored his first goal for the club in the final quarter, drilling home from the edge of the box with Campbell again found wanting, this time at his near post.

The former Skelmersdale striker was then denied twice in the same move by Campbell following Brodie's brilliant pass, but by then the game was long up for the visitors.

Whitby sub Tony Raw forced Albion keeper Jon Kennedy to make his only save of the game in the closing stages but his shot from an acute angle lacked the power to trouble the hosts' shot stopper.

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Star Man: Rod Thornley - The main creative spark on in a largely colourless Albion performance. His vision and movement illuminated a dull encounter.

Albion: Kennedy (GK), Kearney, Barras, Pritchard, Brownhill (Coo 75), Brodie, Brown, Lloyd, Peers (Morning 62), Thornley, Warlow (Evans 59)
Goals: Brodie 41, Peers 47, Evans 77

Whitby: Campbell (GK), Brumwell, Forster, Tobin, Charlton, Burton, Claisse, Newby (Bell 75), Thompson, Ormerod (Gildea 61), Rhodes (Raw 61)
Booked: Charlton (foul)

Referee: Douglas Stewart
Attendance: 442