What was baffling to Whitley supporters was how the defence that performed so well during the Pickering game just a week earlier was breached four times and looked increasingly vulnerable as the game progressed.
Two uncharacteristic goalkeeping er
rors by Terry Burke in the first half put Whitley on the back foot and they never recovered.
The game was played in warm sunshine with Whitley making just one change from the starting line up at Pickering, Craig McFarlane replacing Mark Minto on the left side of midfield, while Chris Moore was completing his three match ban and had to sit out the game.
The Synners side meanwhile showed several changes from the team that earned a draw at Hillheads a month ago.
Billingham took the lead after 12 minutes when Terry Burke dropped a cross shot from Guy and Colin Iley smashed the loose ball into the roof of the net from close range.
Whitley responded well and McFarlane immediately broke down the left and when his cross was only half cleared, Robbie Livermore hit the ball high over the bar from 20 yards when with a little more composure he could at least have tested keeper Ben Escritt.
Whitley kept up the pressure and with 19 minutes played, Lee Kerr fired in a shot that crashed off the underside of the bar.
As Whitley pegged the home side in their own half a Livermore cross was headed behind for a corner.
The ball was not cleared and when Livermore again crossed from the right, Leon Ryan rose above the home defence to head the ball firmly past Escritt into the corner of the net.
The equaliser was no more than Whitley deserved and at this stage they were looking the better side.
However, the Synners regained their composure and shortly before the half hour, Michael Jameson took advantage of a mistake by Ryan and drove in a shot that hit the angle of post and bar.
Three minutes later Burke was at fault for a second time when he hesitated as a high ball bounced a few yards in front of him.
Instead of racing out to gather or block the ball he allowed Jameson to nip in and lob the ball over his head into the net to put the Teessiders back in front.
This was a setback from which Whitley never really recovered.
Billingham were in the ascendancy and deservedly retained their advantage at half-time.
The full article contains 455 words and appears in News Guardian newspaper.
