Layton Watts’ fifth-minute strike from twenty yards set the tone for a dominant first half from the Seasiders, with Jake Charles smashing the second home half an hour later.

Charles rounded off a perfect first-half for the Seasiders, winning and then converting a penalty seconds before the break. A sturdy second half defensive performance ensured a first three points for joint-managers Lee Bullock and Jason Kennedy.

Whitby made just one change from the side that drew with Warrington Rylands, with Sam Collins returning to the starting line-up in place of Jarrett Rivers.

As starts go, Bullock and Kennedy couldn’t have asked for a better one. Connor Smith’s beautifully-weighted ball from deep was headed into the path of Watts by Matty Tymon, with the midfielder’s first-time effort from 20 yards finding the net via the left hand post.

Whitby could have had a second just six minutes later. Watts slipped Aaron Haswell through, with the winger finding Charles who saw his effort cleared off the line by Connor O’Grady.

The heavy emphasis placed on attacking moves by Bullock in training since his return to club is visibly paying dividends for Whitby, with an upturn in the number of chances created. Watts went close again on twenty minutes after good work from Lewis Hawkins in the middle, though saw his shot blocked.

It was Charles who would eventually break down the door for Whitby’s second, on 34 minutes. Cleethorpes’ back line failed to deal with Haswell’s cross, with the ball breaking loose for Charles to crash home with maximum power from the edge of the box, leaving Oliver Battersby helpless.

The Owls attempted to muster a response to Whitby’s two goals, by moving to a three at the back. Former Blues man Aaron Braithwaite saw an effort cleared off the line before Hawkins cleared, while Liam Hughes saw an attempt skim the bar, with another comfortably held by Shane Bland.

But Whitby inflicted further damage on their hosts on the stroke of half-time, despite them growing into the contest. Charles’ run was halted by a clumsy challenge by Owls captain Brad Abbott inside the box, leaving referee Mathew Wright no choice but to point to the penalty spot. Charles stepped up and stroked the ball home from 12 yards, sending Battersby the wrong way.

Craig Rouse’s team talk in the Cleethorpes dressing room was possibly the shortest seeing to a team has had, with the Owls’ men sent back out after barely five minutes of the break. Rouse also made three changes in a bid to find a route back into the game, changing two of this three centre-halves and dragging Abbott off after his penalty mistake.

The hosts did react after a poor first half, and tried to regain some semblance of control in the game against a determined and dogged Whitby defensive unit. Braithwaite saw an effort blocked by Nathan McGinley.

Despite this, Whitby didn’t look as though they’d finished scoring just yet. Just a minute after Braithwaite’s effort, Harley Dawson curled a left-footed effort marginally wide from twenty yards.

Former Whitby midfielder Braithwaite continued to try and find an opening for his side, with Bland saving one of his efforts, while McGinley put his body on the line again to block an effort from range.

On the hour mark, Cleethorpes’ new signing Leon Gibson-Booth spun a first-time effort round the post, though the Owls continued to find any breakthrough elusive.

It would continue to prove so as the game wore on, with the hosts huffing and puffing, struggling to break down a resolute Whitby backline, with a visibly frustrated Hughes kicking an advertising hoarding late on as another attack broke down in second-half injury time.

The win moves Whitby seven points above the Pitching In Northern Premier League Premier Division drop zone, with ten games remaining.

Cleethorpes Town: Battersby, Gallimore, Boateng (Gibson-Booth ‘46), Conway (Ackroyd ‘68), O’Grady (Vann ‘46), Foster, Braithwaite, Abbott (C) (Phuthi ‘46), Hughes, Walker, Ainley (Whitehouse ‘68).

Subs not used: -

Whitby Town: Bland, Smith, Collins, McGinley, Whelan, Dawson, Haswell, Hawkins (C) (Harrison ‘75), Tymon (Rivers ‘88), Watts (Gell ‘70), Charles (Farrar ‘81).

Subs not used: Cranston