Town's crazy start and penalty woe

HUCKNALL TOWN 1 WHITBY TOWN 2

Hucknall left themselves with too steep a mountain to climb by leaking two goals in the opening three minutes to undo all the good work achieved in Saturday's victory at Hyde United.

And any hope of a recovery was shot when assistant player/manager Steve Prindiville blasted a spot-kick high over the bar and out of the ground half-an-hour later.

Now the pressure is back on Hucknall ahead of a daunting trip to leaders Accrington Stanley tomorrow, followed by a re-arranged home match with fellow strugglers Frickley Athletic next Tuesday night.

An injury to player/manager Phil Starbuck and a one-match suspension for Russell Cooke, after five bookings, necessitated changes in the line-up from Saturday.

Steve Lenagh reverted to midfield to make way for the debut of new signing Gary Jones (SEE BACK PAGE) up front.

And Jamie Williams was also pushed into the middle of the park, allowing Jamie McGowan to return at left wing-back.

But the changes were not even allowed to take effect before Whitby hit them with a killer one-two.

First an unmarked Stefan Zoll tapped home from close range after a fine passing move involving Graham Robinson, Arron Wilford and Alex Gildea.

And then Robinson ran on to beat Ryan Young from 12 yards after an incisive ball through the heart of Hucknall's defence.

With their confidence shattered in front of one of the smallest crowds of the season, the home side badly needed a lift.

And when Jones was tripped as he chased a ball inside the area, they appeared to have got it. Sadly Prindiville could not repeat the spot-kick expertise he showed in the AXA FA Cup tie against Vauxhall Motors.

The first half ended with Williams and Danny Mayman going close from long range but Stuart Hicks coming to the rescue at the other end with a goalline clearance to deny Zoll.

Seven minutes into the second period, Hucknall opted to throw teenager Scott Smalley into the fray, in place of skipper Paul Mitchell.

And midway through the half, they gave themselves a lifeline when the impressive Williams hammered a low drive into the corner of the net from 20 yards.

But despite spending the rest of the game in the Whitby half, despite enjoying most of the possession and despite throwing on a third striker in Scott Huckerby, they couldn't force an equaliser.

Indeed the best clearcut chances fell to the Yorkshire side, who always looked dangerous on the break. Both Zoll and substitute Lee Ure spurned openings to increase the lead.

GOALS Zoll (Whitby) 1, Robinson (Whitby) 3, Williams (Town) 68.

HUCKNALL FORMATION 5-3-2.

HUCKNALL LINE-UP WITH SHIRT-NUMBERS

DEFENCE: 1Young/ 2Mayman 5Hicks 6Griffiths 7Prindiville 3McGowan.

MIDFIELD: 8Mitchell 4Lenagh 11Williams.

ATTACK: 9Jones 10Nangle.

SUBS: 12Huckerby (for McGowan 69), 14Smalley (for Mitchell 52), 15McDermott.

n WHITBY LINE-UP WITH SHIRT-NUMBERS

1Campbell/ 2Reid 3Dunning 4Laws 5Williams 6Dixon 7Swales 8Robinson 9Wilford 10Zoll 11Gildea. Subs: 12Ure (for Zoll 75), 14Reed (for Reid 82), 15Wright.

HUCKNALL MAN-OF-MATCH Williams.

CROWD 196.