A game must be played! With our scheduled opponents Winsford Colts unable to gather a team. Whitegate were staring at a second week with no game. But with 21 players and 1 referee who can do a job in goal now and again available, each one eager to play all was not lost.

 The players were divided into two different teams and an intraclub game would be played! For technical purposes Whitegate A, the home side who had the luxury of wearing the kit, were lead by club captain Martin Boaler. Whilst Whitegate B team included a return to action from Whitegate legend Nigel Durose and even our Club Manager Gary Yeoster dusted off the boots to show everyone how it’s done.

With two very strong sides set out it was Whitegate B who started off the better of the two sides creating opportunity after opportunity but lacked the end product. They were left to rue their missed chances when on their first attack a cross from Mitchell Bailey was headed out to the edge of the box and there was Olli Emmerson to hit a superb volley into the corner to give Whitegate A the lead.

The pattern of the game continued as it began with Whitegate B unlucky not to equalise with a left footed effort from Tom Carney from outside the area hitting the frame of the goal. On the very next attack the ball fell nicely to Jack Lanceley who played a one two with Kev Beresford and then hit a rocket into the bottom corner to double the lead.

Whitegate B hit back through Sam Ellwood who kept his calm and slotted the ball past the keeper to make it 2-1. Whitegate A restored their 2 goal lead within minutes after a well worked corner found Lanceley who curled an effort into the far corner. Jack Lanceley thought he had a first half hat-trick after Emmerson had forced an excellent save from the referee/keeper and Lanceley tapped home at the far post but he was offside, meaning the sides went into the break with Whitegate A leading 3-1.

In the opening minutes of the second half, 2 quick fire goals for Whitegate B brought the sides level at 3-3. Elwood grabbed his second of the game before a bit of individual brilliance from Craig Nicholson curling the ball into the top corner from outside the area. It got even better for Whitegate B after a corner was spilt and Chris Bevan was on hand to poke the ball home to put the away side in the lead for the first time.

On his return, club legend Nigel Durose was a leader at the back bossing the defence and crashing into tackles. Manager Gary Yeoster was influential in the middle of midfield building attacks from the back and showing he’s still got it!

Both were involved in the next goal of the game with Durose making a vital interception before giving the ball to Yeoster who started the next attack which lead to Carney smashing the ball past the keeper to extend the lead.

After conceding 5 goals with no reply, the home side managed to create some opportunities of their own forcing the keeper into multiple saves at close range. They managed to take one of their chances after a corner fell to Emmerson whose long range shot was deflected by club captain Boaler who looked to be offside into the bottom corner wrong footing the goalkeeper, the goal was checked by VAR and the lines were drawn and after a short wait the goal was awarded, 5-4 game on!

The set back of conceding the 4th goal didn’t affect Whitegate B who should of extended their lead but Ben Purdue was unable to find the back of the net with Micky Beamon pulling off a great reflex save at close range. Purdue finally got his goal when Bevan was brought down in the box and up stepped Purdue who is clinical from the spot.

Whilst extending Whitegate B lead Purdue pulled up with an injury and left Whitegate B with 10 men for the remaining 20 minutes. With  a man advantage, the home side kept the pressure on and it finally told with Beresford pulling a goal back with 5 minutes left setting up a frantic finish!

What a 5 minutes it was! Chances! Controversy! Was it or wasn’t it!

Whitegate B managed to get out of their own half for the first time and nearly clinched victory but it wasn’t to be. On the very next attack and the last attack of the game, the ball was played out wide to Jonathan Bownes who crossed in a ball screaming to be put in the back of the net. The defenders and attackers unable to get anything on the cross until it made its way to the back post and bounced up onto Paul Baylis! Was it his hand? Was it his hip? We will never know! The penalty was awarded and with the last kick of the game, up stepped Ben Duffy for the most crucial penalty of his footballing career!

Duffy held his nerve and hit the ball into the top corner levelling the game at 6–6 and that was it the Whitegate intraclub derby finished 6-6.

A credit to all that played in highly competitive game!