Former Town man Jake Hackett had given Bishop Auckland the lead with a stunning free-kick, but Ban Walker inadvertently applied the final touch to a low ball across the face of goal to get the Seasiders level before half-time.

Charles' pair of finishes put Nathan Haslam's side into a comfortable position in the second half to give his side their eventual victory at the Towbar Express Stadium.

As a slow opening, typical of the first pre-season encounter, meant early chances were something of a premium early on but it was the Two Blues who looked to seize the upper hand first.

JJ Bartliff pounced on a loose ball on the edge of the area and struck for goal, but couldn't find a way past Shane Bland in the hosts' goal.

When a Whitby trialist was unfortunate to concede a free-kick around 25-yards out, Hackett was presented with the chance to cause problems for the Town backline. In the end, it was Bland who had the worry as he was unable to prevent the ball going over the line after it bounced down off the crossbar onto his hand.

Hackett - who pushed forwards from left-back - called Bland into action with a low save as the visitors kept the pressure on.

It took a free-kick on the edge of the area from Josef Wheatley to rattle the crossbar before Whitby really started to get themselves on top in this pre-season clash.

Stephen Walker could have levelled matters after twisting and turning, but he could only find the hands of Ryan Catterick in the Bishop Auckland goal.

Three minutes before half-time, Bishops gifted Whitby a leveller when Connor Smith charged down the right and cut the ball back, only for defender Walker to get his feet in a twist as the ball rolled across the goal-line beyond Catterick.

Bland made a key save 11 minutes into the second half when he denied Donny Holdsworth from point-blank range following a Hackett free-kick routine.

It was summer signing Charles who gave his new side the lead just a minute later, though, when Nathan Thomas rolled the ball square for the striker to tap home his first goal in Whitby blue.

Charles would later grab himself a second as Adam Gell, recently departed from the Towbar Express Stadium, gifted possession to the Town forward before he raced forwards to blast the ball past Catterick.

Moments later, Thomas nearly grabbed his sides' fourth when he curled the ball over the bar after cutting in from the left. Aaron Haswell then looked to score a spectacular solo effort but he was eventually denied by Catterick, who was starting to find himself a busy man in the Bishops' goal.

Nick Cranston, substituted on in place of Bland, made two superb saves late in the game to keep Whitby with their two-goal lead. First, he denied Hackett with another free-kick, before instinctively saving with his legs to keep out another former Seasider, Matthew Tymon.