Five-star Whitby Town see off Boro Rangers to win North Riding FA Senior Cup

Whitby came into the game off the back of a 2-0 victory against Macclesfield on the final day of the league season two weeks earlier, writes Will Berwick.

Nathan Haslam named an eleven with two changes; Connor Smith and Nathan Thomas coming into the line-up with Junior Mondal and Jacob Gratton missing out, dropping down to the bench.

The action got underway at the Riverside Stadium with the Seasiders starting off with an aggressive attacking approach towards Boro Rangers’ low block.

Three minutes in, Stephen Walker would break the offside trap, leading to him being one-on-one with Daniel Horner before he calmly slotted the ball past the ‘keeper to fire Whitby into the lead.

Whitby would go on to control the majority of possession which led to them doubling their lead in the 31st minute as Walker got himself a second of the evening.

This came from Nathan Thomas’ initial hard work; his shot was parried away by the legs of the keeper however, Walker was alert and slid the ball home for a 2-0 lead.

Soon after, Boro Rangers would get one goal back to cut the deficit in half as Nico Weatherald found the bottom corner following a set piece.

The two-goal lead would soon be restored shortly after the break as Alfie Doherty finally got his first competitive goal for Whitby.

The former Middlesbrough Academy player couldn’t have picked a better place to get his first goal for the Blues.

Rangers did not really lay a glove on Whitby after that as Nathan Thomas made it 4-1, firing home from close range on the re-bound after Horner parried Jacob Gratton’s low ball into the box after a fantastic run down the left wing from the substitute.

However, Whitby still had another goal in them as Walker made it 5-1.

His brilliant low driven strike bolted past the keeper to nestle in the back of the net via the post. This was his third of the evening and a hat-trick on his old stomping ground.

Whitby would comfortably see out the game and win the North Riding Senior Cup for the first time since 2017.

Manager Haslam spoke on his side’s dominant performance following the game.

‘’That was for the fans, I would like to dedicate it to one of our super fans who sadly passed away recently in Tiff Pearson,” he said.

‘’It was a dominant performance, tonight was about us going in with the right attitude and mentality.

“The first goal was taken great by Stephen Walker, and it set the tone for the game.”

Central midfielder Lewis Hawkins has extended his contract at the Towbar Express Stadium.

Hawkins, who turns 31 next month, has made 128 appearances for the club since signing permanently from Guisborough Town in summer 2020.

"I'm eager to get back out there and hopefully build on the season just gone," said Hawkins.

"We missed out on the play-offs this season but we want to try and go that one step further next year.

"I spoke to a few of the lads who have already signed on as it's good to know who else will still be around.

"Everyone's got the same ambition which was a big help in my decision."

Boss Haslam said: "Lewis has been excellent for us. He's been a model of consistency and I believe he played a big part in our success this season.

"He's hugely talented with the ball, as we saw particularly towards the back end of the season, so we're delighted that he's extended his time here."