Hosts Whitby Town crush Redcar Athletic 9-0 to end pre-season on a high note

It was a goal-fest at the Towbar Express Stadium @ The Turnbull Ground on Tuesday night as the Blues strolled to victory in what was arguably their most comfortable performance of pre-season against an error-ridden Redcar Athletic, writes Will Berwick.

The scoring started early with Jos Storr opening the floodgates in the fifth minute before the Blues added a quick second through an error by Redcar Athletic goalkeeper Jack Norton who had a night in goal he would much rather forget.

The error-strewn performance defensively for the away team was only just beginning as Whitby pressed from the front forcing their opponents into mistake after mistake and not long after that Whitby’s trialist for the evening got on the scoresheet before Connor Simpson grabbed the first of his two goals for the evening.

Local lad Storr grabbed a brace for the evening after rounding the away team’s keeper who was left in ‘no man’s land’ sending the Seasiders into half time 5-0 up.

It was business as usual for Whitby in the second half as the always-dangerous Harrison Beeden got yet another goal from centre-half showing a true striker’s instinct.

The action dried up for about 20 minutes before Simpson rolled the ball across the box to Brad Fewster who got his customary goal after coming on from the bench.

Jacob Gratton’s second-half performance was deserving of a goal as he controlled the midfield and had Redcar Athletic’s players chasing shadows before Beeden hoofed a long ball up the pitch and found Gratton in acres before he placed the ball past the helpless keeper to finish the scoring for the day.

Blues manager Nathan Haslam reflected on the performance, saying: ‘’The way we set up was good to see, it wasn’t just what we did with the ball, but we were heavily concentrated without the ball.

"The shape was good, our press was good, and it was a pleasure to watch.”