After a thrilling first half which saw the action come thick and fast at both ends the game turned dramatically in the second period following some totally unbelievable decisions by the referee, Mr Cooke, which not only killed the game as a spectacle but also handed a considerable advantage to Altrincham. After having a fairly decent first half Mr Cooke then proceded to produce a yellow card for virtually every tackle made by a Frickley player and sent off Phil Brown for reasons known only to himself.

Steve Richards had been forced to make a couple of changes with Steve Price missing through the injury sustained on Saturday but Leroy Chambers was fit to return up front. Frickley got the best possible start when after just 23 seconds CHAMBERS intercepted a weak back pass and coolly slotted the ball under the advancing Coburn. Altrincham threatened at the other end with Phil Brown denying Gallagher with a well timed tackle. A minute later Graham Lewis turned his man on half way, beating him for speed down the left, and forced a corner which ended in Wilkinson bundling the ball in but Mr Cooke had already blown for an infringement. Then, on 13 minutes the Blues increased their lead. Lewis was brought down by Glendenning as he cut into the box from the right and CHRIS HURST confidently converted the spot kick. Andy Gregory then let fly with a 25 yarder which went just wide of the right hand post, although Coburn looked to have it covered but out of the blue Altrincham equalised with a brilliant individual goal. Ian Craney picked up a loose ball just over half way and rode several half hearted challenges before breaking into the box and firing past Andy Carney. Gallagher was then booked when he handled as he and Lewis chased a through ball by Chris Hilton and two minutes later Lewis was instrumental in creating the Blues' third goal. He ran onto a clearance from Lee Stratford down the left and managed to keep his footing after being challenged by Scott before cutting the ball across the face of goal for CHAMBERS to tap into an empty net. On 28 minutes Altrincham were awarded a penalty when Matt Wilkinson was adjudged to have fouled Leonard just inside the box and Finney stepped up to score from the resulting penalty. The visitors pushed forward towards the end of the half but the nearest they came was when Ward put a 30 yard free kick over the bar on 45 minutes.

The game turned on virtually the first incident of the second half in the 52nd minute. Rob Hanby was harshly booked for a foul on half way and as Steve Richards was about to replace Phil Brown with Ian Edge before Alty took the free kick Mr Cooke called Brown over and produced the red card. At this moment only he knows why! This prompted some rearranging with Lewis dropping deeper on the left with Stratford covering more in the centre of the defence and leaving Chambers as the lone striker. Alty took full advantage of the situation, keeping possession well and swing the ball about and almost equalised on 56 minutes when Murphy got to the ball just before Hilton but he shot straight at Carney. Scott was then forced to head a cross by Lewis almost off the line only for Hilton to send the ball back into the danger area but Coburn comfortably saved Lewis' header. Chambers then almost seized on a poor back header but the ball wouldn't drop quickly enough for him, allowing the defender to recover and get a foot to the ball but Chambers still managed a prodded shot which Coburn saved but to the amazement of everyone no corner was awarded. On 65 minutes Lewis ran at the Alty defence before having a low 18 yards shot saved as the Blues continued to look dangerous on the break but it looked as though another goal would be needed to see off the Robins challenge. Murphy then headed just wide of the left hand post for the visitors before Chambers and Hurst combined to set up Lewis but his shot from 15 yards went inches over the bar. Wilkinson then missed his tackle on Murphy, allowing the Alty player a clear run at goal but he stumbled just 8 yards out allowing Mark Ogley to get in a telling tackle. On 83 minutes Coburn was forced to punch a corner by Gregory from under the bar and Lewis' follow up was cleared off the line but Alty soon regained the initiative and a minute later substitute Schueber turned in the box and fired into the top right hand corner leaving Carney no chance. Shortly afterwards possibly the nastiest tackle of the game by Hawes on Hanby on resulted in a yellow card but Altrincham finished the game on a high as Carney was forced to turn a 25 yard free kick by Ward round the post.

Frickley Athletic : Carney, Hilton, Matt. Wilkinson, Brown, Ogley, Hanby, Lewis, Gregory, Chambers (Duffty 88), Hurst, Stratford. Unused subs. Edge, Smith.

Altrincham : Coburn, Farley (Scott 19), Glendenning, Ward, Maddox, Hawes, Gallagher, Craney, Finney, Leonard (Schueber 68), Murphy. Unused sub. Porter.

Attendance : 223