Whitley Bay 0

FLIXTON entertained lowly Whitley Bay last Saturday in an encounter which saw both teams driving hard to secure 3 points which would ensure their first division survival.

Whitley Bay were very much in-form coming into the match, having beaten Matlock Town on the previous Wednesday and Flixton had lost their previous four games.

Nevertheless it was the home team that started the game brightest and with a strong wind behind them created enough first half chances to have a comfortable first half lead.

Without the suspended Leishman, Banim and Hogan and the injured Bates a makeshift Flixton team dominated the first half with good controlled football and driving.

In the 25 minute Flixton carved out the best move of the half when good interplay between Moloney and Holt set up Coyne who squandered a one on one with the keeper.

Then, within 2 minutes, McIntosh delivered a perfect cross which Garvey headed over the bar.

The Flixton keeper was virtually redundant throughout the half with defenders Carroll, Martin, and Anthony controlling the Whitley Bay forwards well.

Despite all their possession the first half ended goalless.

Flixton overcame early second half pressure from the Whitley Bay attack and were beginning to play some very effective counter attack football.

They were looking threatening whenever the midfield and forwards got the ball down and passed around the burly Whitley Bay players.

A fine move in the 75th minute set up the opening goal of the game.

An accurate long ball out on defence by Anthony was controlled by Moloney and landed into the path of the full back McIntosh who had made a thirty yard run to support the move.

McIntosh made a superb 25 yard shot into the bottom corner giving the keeper no chance.

Within minutes Holt had the ball in the net again only to see his effort disallowed for a very strange handball decision.

Flixton however continued to push forward and were rewarded in the 80th minute when full back Burley latched onto a loose ball on the edge of the bar and drilled home his second goal in two games.

That's the way it stayed and Flixton were very content with the three points which secures their status in the Unibond league next year.

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.