A strong second-half display gives the Lang Jacks all three points

Whickham produced a brilliant second-half display to come from behind and take all three points against Northallerton Town in an impressive 3-1 victory.

In a game where conditions were tough, the home team took the lead through Dale Hopson after just 15 minutes. 

Whickham responded in the second half thanks to two-headed finishes from Zak Atkinson and Scott Robson. 

The visitors put the icing on the cake with only minutes remaining when Man of the Match Danny Barlow tapped home a third for the Lang Jacks. 

The visitors had the first opportunity of the match, Callum Elliott coming inches from giving Whickham the lead after heading Kaleb Young’s free-kick onto the post. 

However, the home team went in front through Dale Hopson after 15 minutes. 

The Northallerton striker picked the ball up out on the right before cutting inside and dancing past two or three Whickham players. 

Hopson then laced the ball hard and low into Anderson’s bottom right-hand corner. 

Scott Robson almost got in behind the defence after latching onto a long ball over the top. The Northallerton goalkeeper Aleks Petrovic was quick off his line to clear the danger. 

The home team almost had a second on the half-hour mark, Hopson again causing problems down the right. 

The striker’s pass found an on running Town player in the box, but his side-footed shot hit Anderson’s far post. 

Town thought they were going into the halftime break two goals up. 

However, a brilliant full-stretch save by James Anderson from a free kick on the edge of Whickham’s box denied the home team what looked like a certain goal.

The visitors came out in the second half the sharper of the two teams, Ross Peareth, Young and Barlow combining well in midfield to create openings for the away team. 

Northallerton was reduced to ten men just five minutes into the second half, Scott Robson was brought down on the edge of the box as he was racing through on goal. 

Moments later Scott Robson thought he had won a penalty after being tripped in the box by Petrovic, but the linesman flag was already raised for offside. 

The visitors deserved equaliser finally came when substitute Jamie Dunn floated an inch-perfect cross finding Atkinson at the back post to head home. 

The Lang Jacks took the lead only a few minutes later, this time Scott Robson getting on the end of Danny Barlow’s dinked cross to head the visitors in front. 

Whickham was making the extra man count, Young squared a ball to Greenwood out on the far left, and the winger cut inside but his effort was tipped over by Petrovic.  

The referee produced a second red card of the evening this time to Whickham striker Atkinson. 

The Lang Jacks talisman needlessly jumped in front of Petrovic while he was taking a free kick to receive a second yellow of the evening. 

The home team almost got an equaliser in the last 10 minutes. A fizzing ball across Anderson’s goal evaded every Town player before being cleared by the visitors. 

Whickham wrapped the victory up on 90 minutes, Scott Jasper chased a long ball over the top before taking his time to pick out Barlow at the back post for a tap in.   

Whickham manager Tony Fawcett was thrilled with his team’s second-half display.

He said: “I’m really pleased with the result in the end, especially with the performance in the second half. 

“I thought we were outbattled a bit in the first half, they were playing for their lives, and I thought Northallerton played really well first half which made it difficult for us. 

“In the second half we have asked the players to play a different sort of style and we changed the shape to something we’ve not played at all this season. 

“The lads keep delivering over and over again, this place isn’t an easy place to come and the form they have been on has been a really good patch for them.

“For us to get a result here after the way we played in the first half I’m overjoyed really.”

Whickham Team: Anderson, Elliott, Agnew, Galbraith, Moody (Dunn 45’), Peareth ©, Young (Bisset 88’), Barlow, Greenwood, Scott Robson (Jasper 84’), Atkinson. 

Subs not used: Below. 

Goals: Atkinson 60’, S. Robson 68’, Barlow 90’. 

Red Card: Zak Atkinson 74’.

Man of the Match: Danny Barlow.