Whitehaven made it two wins in two consecutive West Lancashire League games with a 2-1 victory at Hurst Green – their second away win of the season.
The Cumbrians opened the scoring on 14 minutes when 18-year-old Shane Tyson reacted quickest to a short back pass and calmly slotted the ball into the bottom corner.
Hurst Green had a few opportunities to level but couldn’t find the target. Coach Carl Short’s game plan from training was working well, as Haven looked defensively solid and well organised going in at the break with that goal advantage.
However, Hurst Green equalised midway through the second half when Whitehaven failed to deal with a corner or the second ball and Cuan Bradley scored with a free header.
The game looked destined for a draw but Andrew Sinclair had other ideas when he climbed highest to meet a corner and powered a brilliant header into the top corner.
Both teams had chance after this – Whitehaven to kill the game and the home side to find another equaliser – but it would be the Amateurs who would take all three points in the end.
That took them to 33 points with five games remaining and moved them past last year’s total tally of 31. That is clear evidence that their young team is moving in the right direction.
All three of Haven’s coaching staff were delighted with the performance.
Chris Rourke said: “We’ve travelled with eight players missing and quite a few with sore heads after Gold Cup day.
“But that’s how it is sometimes and going on about who’s missing takes a bit away from the result and from the lads who played. I don’t want to do that because I thought they were all brilliant.
“Special mention firstly to 18-year-old Shane Tyson who has been out of the side for a while and might not have even been in the squad had we been at full strength.
“But he grabbed his opportunity with both hands and put in a performance far beyond his years and scored a really good goal.
“Also a special word to our first team coach Carl Short who dusted off the boots for the first time in probably five or six years to come off the bench to help see out the game”
Whitehaven now have two weeks off before they resume with back-to-back away games at Wyre Villa and CMB – contrasting fixtures against second bottom and then second top.
- Cleator Moor Celtic’s West Lancashire League game at Poulton was postponed because of a waterlogged pitch.
