Hosts Whitby Town sink Macclesfield to end NPL Premier Division season on a high note

Stephen Walker (No 9) opens the scoring for Whitby Town as they defeated a young Macclesfield side 2-0 on the final day of the season. PHOTOS BY BRIAN MURFIELD

Aiming to end the league season in positive style ahead of the WOODSmith Construction North Riding Football Association Senior Cup final at Middlesbrough FC’s Riverside Stadium, Stephen Walker's close-range strike sent the Seasiders in front shortly after the half-time break at the Towbar Express Stadium, writes Liam Ryder.

Skipper Daniel Rowe's header extended the hosts’ advantage with just over 10 minutes to play before Nathan Haslam's side held firm to secure three points on the final day.

Junior Mondal, Whitby's top goalscorer, almost sent the hosts into an early lead after capitalising on a defensive mix-up but his attempt at goal was too high and went over the crossbar.

Max Howells congratulates Dan Rowe after his goal in his 200th Town game.

Whitby goalkeeper Shane Bland produced a routine stop to prevent Nathan Beca from opening the scoring for the visitors as the shot-stopper got right behind the attacker's effort at goal.

Town, targeting a first final day victory since 2017, created an opportunity to break the deadlock after Priestley Griffiths' cross from the right flank found Walker who appeared to be tripped, but with the referee playing on, Jacob Gratton then struck the woodwork with a low curling effort.

Beca continued to cause a threat to the Town backline as he collected the ball in a wide position before drilling a dangerous low ball across the face of goal for the Silkmen.

Walker almost put the ball in the net on the half hour mark after latching on to a cross from the left.

Stephen Walker is sent aerial after a Macclesfield challenge.

He switched the ball onto his left foot but was denied by Conor O'Keefe in the visitors’ goal.

In the 49th minute, Whitby took the lead through Walker's tap-in, the striker's fifth goal of the season since arriving at the club from West Auckland Town in December.

After Lewis Hawkins' exquisite cross-field pass found Nathan Thomas, he drove at the Macclesfield defence before picking out Walker at the back post who couldn't miss.

As the second half developed, the game turned into something of a low-key affair, but Max Howells brought some excitement back to the match in the 78th minute as he hit a powerful strike towards goal which was well saved by O'Keefe.

Coleby Shepherd pushes on for the Blues.

But from the resulting corner, Whitby got their second goal to double the Seasiders' advantage. After Griffiths' corner was aimed towards the near post, the Town captain, making his 200th club appearance, was on hand to head the ball home from close-range.

Macclesfield went close to halving as the troublesome Beca found space in the centre of the box with Bland committed elsewhere, but the visitor's number ten lofted his right-footed effort over the crossbar.

Backed by over 1,000 supporters, the hosts preserved their clean sheet in the final stages and head into the North Riding FA Senior Cup final on Monday May 13 in good spirits.