Official Frickley Athletic Website 

www.frickleyafc.co.uk

Saturday 27th March - Frickley Athletic 1-1 Altrincham

[DVD & Video available of this game - see Club Shop]

Without Wayne Benn, Dan Sheriffe (both suspended) and Dominque Krief, Phil Sharpe brought in former Farsley Celtic centre half Simon Brooker to partner Paul Marquis, which enabled Phil Lindley to move into midfield. Gary Hatto replaced Chris Fawcus at left-back whilst Nick Richardson returned to play up front with Lee Morris. Marc Shackleton replaced Jon Hood in goal and Duncan Richards returned at right-back.

Altrincham had a good chance after just 2 minutes when Marcus Hallows got clear of Marquis who recovered well to stick a boot out and divert the ball away from Hallows towards Shackleton who picked the ball up. The referee then awarded a free-kick against Shacklton, adjudging Marquis' tackle to be a back-pass. Ian Craney touched the ball to Steve Aspinall whose 15 yard shot was against the wall and then cleared. Minutes later a quickly taken free-kick by Barry Shuttleworth sent Craney away but as he got into the box and Shackleton came out he blazed his shot well wide of the target from 10 yards. The Blues then started to threaten, with Richardson picking up a pass from Steve Robinson to beat a defender and cross towards Morris but the ball just evaded him, allowing goalkeeper Stuart Coburn to collect. Hallows then curled a 25 yard shot well wide. Richardson then headed over following a Blues' corner and Robinson blazed well over from 20 yards. After 14 minutes Richards played a good ball down the right for Morris, who get there just before the onrushing Coburn but Morris' angled shot drifted just wide of the near post. Hatto's low corner was then turned goalwards by Brooker, with the ball slicing off an Altrincham to Morris whose header from only a yard out was brilliantly blocked by Coburn. The ball fell back to Morris whose shot from point blank range was deflected by Coburn onto the head of an Altrincham defender on the line who headed clear. The ball was returned into the box by Hatto where another scramble ensued before Alty again scrambled clear. At the other end Craney flicked the ball over Marquis and then shot over from 15 yards whilst Hallows headed over from a Bailey free-kick. On 27 minutes Robinson sent over a deep cross from the right which was flicked on by Marquis to Mark Smith who headed past Coburn from 6 yards, only for an acrobatic clearance from Mark Maddox to hack the ball off the line. As half time neared the Blues survived two Alty appeals for handball as first Richards looked to have handled on the edge of the box and then seconds later the ball appeared to bounce up and strike Hatto's arm as he miss-kicked a clearance. On 43 minutes Lindley's shot was deflected to Richardson whose shot on the turn from 15 yards went wide of the right hand post.

The early exchanges of the second half were starngley devoid of goalmouth action until the visitors took the lead on 54 minutes. Craney held off Robinson before threading the ball through for Bailey who turned inside Brooker and the ball ran into the path of Hallows who beat Shackleton from 12 yards. Dale Rimmington then replaced Smith, who had been having a quite game and it was he who grabbed the equaliser on 62 minutes. Hatto played the ball forward over Maddox and Coburn came out to meet it but miss-read the bounce, with the ball bouncing over him for RIMMINGTON to compose himself and fire into an empty net from an acute angle. Two minutes later Shackleton spilled a long ball from Aspinall and Craney seized on the chance but his shot from a tight angle was blocked for a corner by Brooker. On 68 minutes Robinson's long throw was flicked on by Marquis towards Morris, who flung himself at the ball at the back post but he couldn't quite reach it. Richards then tried his luck from 25 yards but his shot was straight at Coburn. Sharpe then replaced Brooker with Blythen who went up front with Richardson dropping into midfield and Lindley in centre defence As the game entered the last ten minutes Ged Kielty's ball forward saw Kieran Lugden race clear of Lindley but Shackleton came out to thwart him 25 yards out. Despite the referee awarding a free-kick and showing Shackleton a yellow card he did win the ball cleanly but seemed to block Lugden with his body as well. In the last minute Craney had a good chance to win the game for Alty when Lugden played the ball inside Robinson for Craney to have just Shackleton to beat from 18 yards but Shackleton knocked Craney's shot into the air and then recovered to catch the ball before it bounced over the line.

Frickley Athletic : Shackleton, Richards, Hatto, Lindley, Brooker (Blythen 76), Marquis, Robinson, Pugh, Morris, Richardson, Smith (Rimmington 59)

Altrincham : Coburn, Aspinall, Shuttleworth, Maddox, Talbot, Kielty, Band, Craney, Hallows (Lugden 76), Bailey (Rose 50), Baguley (Wright 62)

Attendance : 294

Referee : Mr S. G. Cooke

Main Club Sponsor Required for 2003/04. If interested, please contact us...

Click on the 'vote' banner to vote for this site in Yorkshire's Top 100 Football Sites...