After 5 weeks without a game the Saints were finally back in action and they almost went ahead immediately after the kick off as Ryan Ferrier controlled a diagonal ball before firing a shot against the post with only 20 seconds on the clock.
Whitley were looking threatening from set pieces and it was no shock went they went ahead from one, an inswinging corner caused chaos in the box and was first to react to smash the ball past Ellis Burns in the Saints goal.
A minute later the game was all square as the Saints levelled from the penalty spot after Ferrier was hauled down in the box, Saints top scorer Joe Connor stepped up to bury the penalty for his 17th goal of the season.
The parity only lasted 5 minutes as Whitley restored there lead as their right winger broke free down the right before sending across a perfect ball for to tap home from 6 yards
It was 3-1 ten minutes before half time and another goal from a set piece from the home side, A free kick swung in from the left was headed home from 12 yards by leaving Burns no chance and the Quay an uphill task to get anything from the game.
Minutes before half time it looked like the Quay were back in the game but they were denied by an offside flag, Phil Doolan turning the ball home from 6 yards from a deflected free kick had found him unmarked but the flag went up to the frustration of the away side.
Ellis Burns kept his side in the game just after the half time break as he dived one handed to keep the ball out as a powerful header from looked to be heading into the corner
Joe Connor almost grabbed a goal back after being played through by Mark Wilkinson but a last ditch challenge from a Whitley defender deflected the ball wide for a corner, from the resulting corner the ball fell into the path of Saints midfielder Matty Adams but his shot was blocked by a defender who then cleared away.
Glen Johnson and David Smith made a welcome return to the Saints lineup replacing Jack Wearmouth and Phil Doolan as the Quay throw caution to the wind looking for a way back into the game,
With ten minutes remaining the Saints day was summed up as Dale Johnson layed the ball off to Wilkinson who flicked the ball up and volleyed off the post from 25 yards with the goalkeeper stranded the ball falling for Smith who crossed to Connor who headed into the side netting the second strike of the woodwork for the Quay.
Whitley wrapped up the points with five minute to go as a long ball caught out Saints defender Stephen King and Sporting forward ran onto the ball before firing into the corner past burns from 12 yards.
Ferrier grabbed a consolation goal for the Quay with the last kick of the game as he rose highest to meet a floated free kick from Karl Charlton to send a looping header over the keeper into the net for his 3rd goal of the season.
A frustrating day for the Saints as a poor first half display saw a good Whitley side take full advantage moving up to 5th place in the table in the process, the Quay sit 11th and will look to carry on there second half performance into next weeks away game v Spittal Rovers.
