Whitby Town NPL Premier Division survival hopes dented by 4-3 loss at Mickleover

Gary Liddle's side came into the match on the back of three promising performances against Worksop, Hyde and Basford, albeit with only four points to show for their efforts, writes Liam Ryder.

It was a good thing they'd put a four-point cushion between themselves and the NPL Premier Division's relegation zone with that win against Basford too given Matlock's triumph against Blyth, a result which now sees Town outside the bottom four by a solitary point.

Were it not for that win on home soil in the previous outing, the Seasiders would be in an even more perilous position.

Whitby - who actually started the match brightly at the Don Amott Arena - took the lead when Jassem Sukar drilled home his first goal of the season, beating Yusuf Mersin. But Mickleover replied with a quick double - Andy Dales and George Wilkinson's strike from close range firing the Derbyshire outfit in front.

But there was more drama to come in the first half. With three minutes of normal time to play, Dylan Edwards hammered home a Mickleover third which went in via the post to increase their advantage before the break.

The second half continued in the same topsy-turvy vein. Whitby registered a second goal just before the hour and it was striker Matthew Tymon who cannoned home a towering header after being picked out with a superb cross from Sam Collins.

But just as Whitby were starting to get themselves on top in the game, they shot themselves in the foot, allowing Joshua Maskell to add a fourth for the hosts on the back of a careless throw-in routine of their own meaning Michael Woods' stoppage-time effort was mere consolation.

It was a third successive away game without victory for Whitby Town, and a seventh defeat of 2025 which has ultimately seen the Blues sit precariously above the drop zone.

Victory kept Mickleover second bottom in the table, but reduced the gap to Whitby in 18th to to nine points, however the Seasiders do have a game in hand on Tuesday night when they travel to Gainsborough.

After taking an early lead, Whitby had further sights on goal when the confidence was running high. Layton Watts sent a curling effort on target which Mersin had to deal with, before he struck over the crossbar with an acrobatic overhead attempt.

But poor defensive play gifted Mickleover chances to respond, Dales' goal coming from a straight low ball which went under Kasper Williams' foot, allowing the home sides' number nine to run in on goal.

This gave Mickleover a leg-up, however both their second and third goals also came about on the back of sloppy defending; the duo of Wilkinson and Edwards finding space too easily at the back post to net their respective goals.

There was a positive response from Whitby at the start of the second half and Tymon's emphatic header gave Mersin no chance. It was a fantastic delivery from out wide from Collins too; the left-back being a standout performer in recent weeks.

There was a chance just before that too, with half-time substitute Mitchell Curry's, low ball from a wide position taking a deflection and striking the post.

But defensive woes came back to haunt Whitby once more for Mickleover's fourth which was a disaster all round. A quick throw-in was intercepted, allowing Maskell to run in on goal and then find the net, with the ball going under a frustrated Shane Bland in the Town net.

Connor Smith called Mersin into action with a stinging strike from the edge of the area as Whitby looked to mount late comeback, but by the time Woods was able to get his name on the scoresheet, it was simply too little, too late, with his goal arriving in the fourth minute of five added at the end of the second half.

Whitby boss Gary Liddle: "We weren't good enough really. We did alright for the first 15/20 minutes and got ourselves a goal ahead, and looked comfortable.

"The first Mickleover goal went in and we capitulated a bit. We find ourselves coming in 3-1 down at half-time and you question how that happened.

"It's where we're at at the moment and in this season. We seem to pick up a bit of form, and then it's one step forward, two steps back. That's why we find ourselves in the position we are.

"It feels like people don't want it enough, and it shouldn't be like that with the position we're in.

"When you put in a defensive performance like we did, it's hard to take. It shouldn't be like that with the start to the game we had where we were feeling really confident.

"We got ourselves back into the game in the second half with a great goal from Tymon, but then a stupid decision in the far corner where we take a throw-in to nobody, and their lad just slotted it in.

"It's too easy and we've been too easy to score against all season."​