Whitby Town slip into relegation zone after 2-0 home defeat against Morpeth Town
The Seasiders' losing streak continued against Morpeth Town at the Towbar Express Stadium.
Gary Liddle's Whitby Town side had gone into the Pitching In Northern Premier League Premier Division fixture on the back of an enforced two-week break, but they couldn't make their freshness count against a Morpeth side who killed the Seasiders off with a goal in each half, writes Liam Ryder.
Both sides looked to make early breaks towards goal without either goalkeeper being troubled, but that changed after just seven minutes when Whitby's inability to defend set-pieces came back to haunt them once more.
The visitors had the ball in the Whitby net - Nathan Buddle powerfully heading home unmarked following a near-post flick-on from Luke James' corner delivery.
In the ninth minute, Daniel Barlow was allowed time and space to drive forwards for the Highwaymen, however the returning Shane Bland, also making his 450th Town appearance, was behind the effort.
Adam Gell, back from suspension, saw a left-footed strike blocked on the 20-minute mark, then Lewis Hawkins found space on the edge of the area but his low strike went agonisingly wide.
Nic Bollado shot a tame effort into the hands of Bland as the Highwaymen continued to threaten and, after Sam Hodgson's shot beat Bland, Bollado thought he'd tapped home a second only to be denied by the offside flag.
Barlow was denied from long range by Bland on the stroke of half-time to cap off a disappointing first half from Liddle's men.
Alfie Doherty, who had just returned from a month-long loan spell at Blyth Spartans, was also introduced from the substitutes' bench in the first half, replacing Hawkins who was a red card waiting to happen.
It was the visitors who started the brightest to the second half, playing on the front foot and having a second goal disallowed following an adjudged foul inside the Whitby box.
Bollado then had chance to score when he capitalised on Connor Smith's slip, but he could only fire high and wide with Bland untroubled.
Whitby couldn't score themselves, however they almost did it for Morpeth in the 53rd minute when Matthew Tymon met a corner delivery from the away side which forced Bland into a superb save.
But the visitors did strike a second hammer blow when Bollado was allowed far too much time and space to charge forwards, riding a couple of tame challenges before slotting the ball into Bland's bottom left-hand corner.
Gell struck over from distance with a first-time effort following a loose clearance but with Whitby struggling to find a way through, Liddle brought on Sam Collins in place of Jassem Sukar who, like the defence as a whole, had a rough afternoon.
Fellow sub Doherty, who’d only scored once since his arrival from Middlesbrough in 2023, picked up the ball following a lay-off from Smith, but like those before him, he shot off target as Whitby dropped into the Premier Division relegation zone.