Whaley Bridge suffered only their second league defeat of the season on Saturday, losing 3-2 away at Pilkington in an action packed game which boasted two red cards and a penalty as well as five goals.

James Gemmell’s first goal for the club and a close range finish from Ray Dwolitka were not enough to earn anything from the game as Whaley conceded three goals in a game for the first time in over a year.

Without five regular first team players Jon Brogden was forced to draft a number of youngsters into his squad of whom Liam Prophett and Sam Melville were included in the starting eleven.

Despite the lack of experience within their side, Whaley started the game the brighter of the two teams with Dan Christie and Dwolitka causing problems for the Pilkington defence whilst being unable to find a clear opening.

Whaley’s hard work was undone after 20 minutes when they failed to react to a quickly taken corner and Kane Gerald headed in his first of an eventual hat-trick, unmarked.

Whaley were wasteful in their endeavours in the final third; a telling touch or killer final ball often missing but a moment of magic drew them level on the half-hour mark.

In the absence of the injured Bill Sutton, it was left to full-back Gemmell to take over free-kick duties and he did so to great effect, bending the ball over the wall and into the bottom corner leaving the ‘keeper rooted to the spot.

Parity was short-lived as Gerald added his second when the visitor’s frailty from corners showed once again and he guided the ball into the bottom corner.

As the first half drew to a close Mark Baker’s second yellow card for a reckless challenge on Dwolitka provided Whaley with a golden opportunity to get back into the game.

Whaley started the second half in much the same vain as the first; after firing over a good chance early on in the half, Dwolitka atoned for his error shortly afterwards when he followed up to tap-in after Christie saw his effort come back off the post.

With the scores level and a one man advantage the visitor’s looked to force home the initiative but Dan Whelan’s trip on Lloyd Dean meant the player’s dismissal and the opportunity for Gerald to complete his hat-trick from the spot, which he took.

At 3-2 Whaley were guilty of squandering a number of good opportunities to level as the game opened up; Tom Streets, making his debut, stabbed the ball towards goal but his shot was saved, whilst teenager Ben Naden couldn’t find a telling touch from Gemmell’s teasing cross.

Luck wasn’t with Bridge either as Dwolitka and Broome both had goals ruled out for offside whilst Dean missed a number of chances to add to his side’s tally at the other end.

Defeat means Whaley sit sixth after eleven games but goalkeeper James Tattersall was full of praise for those who deputised on Saturday:

‘The lads that came in did a cracking job. Liam Prophet and Sam Melville on the right-hand side were superb.

‘The two goals we conceded in the first-half were disappointing from a defensive perspective so it could have looked a lot different going into half-time’, he explained.

‘We got the game back to 2-2 and at that point you could only see one winner but unfortunately it wasn’t to be’, he added.

The reserve team advanced to the second round of the Derbyshire Cup with a shoot-out victory over Tintwistle Athletic.  The game was 1-1 AET, with Tom Scorer on target for Whaley, before Lomas, Heggerty, Mellor and Scorer scored their spot-kicks as Whaley won 4-3.

After the game Manager Dan Turner voiced his pleasure with his side’s victory:

‘It was hard graft, it’s always tough in the cup and we are playing above ourselves against first teams. We just edged it’.

TEAM:

Tattersall, Gemmell, R Newton, Whelan, Prophet, Brown (Sircar), M Newton (Streets), Broome, Melville (Naden), Christie, Dwolitka