Lancaster City bow out of FA Cup after Whitby Town defeat

Lancaster City exited the FA Cup at the first qualifying round stage after being beaten by fellow Northern Premier League side Whitby at the Giant Axe.

Lancaster City had no time to settle into the game as, 20 seconds in, James Harrison tested Brad Kelly in the Dolly Blue goal. The keeper made a solid block but the flag was up.

The Seasiders were on the front foot in the opening 10, piling on the pressure with a number of corners and balls into the box, the majority well defended by the City backline.

On 12 minutes, Sam Bailey launched a long ball forward in search of Lewis Mansell, who controlled it well under the pressure of Frankie Whelan, but his effort at a tight angle opposite the far post trickled wide.

Skipper Bailey forced Bland into a comfortable save four minutes later, Whitby’s number one gathering the ball after a low, direct free kick.

The captain attempted to catch Bland out again, aiming for the far corner from the edge of the box but Whelan cleared the ball away before it found its destination.

Dylan Moonan and Steven Yawson linked up well just before half an hour, working a one-two before the former took a shot on, but was denied by Bland. From the resulting corner, after a half-clearance, the ball fell Nathan Caine who fired just over.

Mansell and Yawson had further off-target efforts later in the half, as did Moonan and Joe Amison who saw their respective header and long-range punt go over the crossbar.

After soaking up pressure for a good 20-minute spell, Whitby went down the other end and forced a corner, from which the opener came.

Harley Dawson unleashed a fierce effort into the corner on the volley to give the away side the lead on the stroke of half time.

That advantage was increased in the second half, again from a dead ball situation.

Donald Chimalilo had the beating of the defenders as a free kick delivery found him and he finished calmly into the bottom corner.

City came agonisingly close to getting one back: after a cross towards the back post, Lewis Mansell nodded the ball back for Charlie Bailey to tee up Yawson, just yards away from goal, but the forward couldn’t steer it goalwards.

Both sides were a man down just before the hour, both for two bookable offences: Alex Nelson brought down Lewis Mansell on the edge of the box and, as he was the last man, the referee had no choice but to send him off, while Mansell was also dismissed for dissent.

That didn’t stop City from posing an attacking threat, though, as on 63 minutes, Caine picked out Yawson who forced a tremendous save from Bland at close quarters, the Whitby number one tipping the ball over the bar.

For all their huffing and puffing at the top end of the pitch, City finally got a reward.

Jim Craig entered the fray on 71 minutes and 60 seconds later he was on the scoresheet, as Sam Bailey sent in an inch perfect cross that Craig powerfully headed into the roof of the net.

Charlie Cox was another substitute for Lancaster, returning after a spell on the sidelines and making his second competitive Dolly Blue debut, and he thought he’d got the equaliser after bursting down the pitch and letting fly, but the offside flag was up.

That was the final noteworthy chance in a game that, on another day, could’ve had a very different outcome.

The focus for Lancaster City in the next few weeks will be back on league football. They take on Rushall Olympic away from home next Saturday (September 6) at 3pm.