Manager Nathan Haslam happy with Whitby Town after hard-earned victory against Stafford Rangers

The game’s only goal came courtesy of Junior Mondal’s thunderbolt in the 72nd minute, writes Paul Connolly.

Haslam made only one change from the weekend win over struggling Atherton Collieries, opting for Brad Fewster to lead the line ahead of Jerome Greaves.

And despite the difficult conditions, Haslam was happy with how his side dug the three points out.

“I don’t think it was ever going to be pretty,” the Blues’ boss admitted.

“We started off with a strong wind. The pitch looked amazing but it’s had some stick in the last few weeks with the weather and it did cut up.

“It was clarty, it wasn’t conducive to playing nice, free-flowing football, but we’ve ground it out.

“We’ve got a clean sheet and it’s a most welcome three points for us.”

The earliest chance of the game went the way of the Staffordshire side, as new signing Sean Cooke struck well wide of Shane Bland’s upright from range.

From there though it became easy to see who were the play-off chasing side, as Whitby gained a foothold in the game and started to create a number of chances.

Their first sight of goal came through Aaron Haswell, though good defensive work from Dave Cooke’s team saw them block the low drive.

It would be the woodwork denying the Seasiders next. Fewster’s attempted cross was deflected onto the crossbar, before Junior Mondal forced Cameron Belford into a save with the second effort.

The crossbar came to Stafford’s rescue again moments later. Good footwork from Mondal saw him burst into the box and square for Fewster, though the striker could only cannon the ball off the woodwork. Jacob Gratton was on hand for the follow-up but couldn’t guide it goalwards, striking wide.

Of the two sides, Whitby looked the most likely to find an opening despite a strong wind against them. This time it was Dan Rowe’s turn to go close, turning Jacob Gratton’s corner wide with his head.

Stafford weren’t without chances however, Sean Cooke again going close for the visitors not long before half-time.

The second half saw fewer in the way of chances in its opening exchanges, the first coming for Whitby on the hour mark. Rowe - at the back post - nodded Mondal’s corner into the path of Harrison Beeden, though the centre half couldn’t wrap his foot around the ball to turn it home.

Fewster also had a chance to open the scoring minutes later, firing over the bar with his shot on the turn.

The breakthrough finally came for the Seasiders on 72 minutes through Mondal.

Rowe nodded Priestley Griffiths’ ball forward into the path of the tricky winger, who fired a venomous shot past into the bottom corner, leaving Belford with no chance.

With a number of changes from either side, the game failed to find much of a rhythm from that point onwards.

Neither side created chances to threaten the other, with Whitby holding on to the three points going into a tough game against Marine at the Towbar Express Stadium at the Turnbull Ground on Saturday (3pm).