Lee Bullock and Jason Kennedy made two changes to the side that impressed in the 2-0 victory at Warrington Town, with Jarrett Rivers coming in for the injured Elias Lenz and Aaron Haswell replacing Adam Gell. However, any hopes of building on that momentum were quickly dented by a disastrous start.

FC United struck after just 90 seconds when Harley Dawson was caught in possession in midfield. The visitors reacted sharply, and Jay Fitzmartin punished the mistake clinically to give his side an immediate advantage. It was the worst possible opening for the hosts, who were forced to regroup early on.

Whitby struggled to settle as FC United continued to press, with Fitzmartin again threatening on 17 minutes. Picked out on the edge of the area, he managed to get a shot away under pressure from Alex Nelson, but this time his effort drifted wide.

The Seasiders were dealt another blow just before half-time when Jarrett Rivers was forced off through injury. Charlie Dinsdale was introduced for his Town debut in the 44th minute, adding a fresh attacking option as Whitby looked to find a way back into the game.

The second half began with renewed intent from the hosts, and they almost found an equaliser within three minutes of the restart. Aaron Haswell unleashed a powerful effort from the edge of the area that rattled the crossbar, signalling a much brighter spell for Whitby.

That pressure soon told. In the 52nd minute, Layton Watts delivered a dangerous corner which was met by Jake Charles. His header caused chaos in the six-yard box, and the ball appeared to be forced over the line by Frankie Whelan to bring Whitby level and lift the home crowd.

With momentum on their side, Whitby pushed forward in search of a second goal. However, FC United remained dangerous from set pieces, and in the 74th minute Jan Palinkas directed a header into the hands of Shane Bland following a Fitzmartin free-kick.

Whitby continued to threaten, and Lewis Hawkins came close to giving them the lead in the 78th minute with a first-time strike from the edge of the area that flashed narrowly wide.

As the game entered its final stages, it looked finely poised, but a costly defensive mix-up in the 86th minute proved decisive. Miscommunication between Nelson and Bland allowed Jordan Buckley to capitalise, slotting into an empty net despite Finlay Holcroft’s desperate attempt to recover.

There was still time for a proud moment as local youngster Jack Kilpatrick made his debut, replacing Nathan McGinley in the 87th minute. However, any hopes of a late comeback were extinguished in stoppage time when Andre Wisdom struck via the post to seal the victory for FC United.

Despite a spirited second-half response, Whitby were ultimately undone by early and late lapses, leaving them with plenty to reflect on ahead of their next fixture at Morpeth Town on Easter Monday (3pm kick-off).