Official Frickley Athletic Website 

www.frickleyafc.co.uk

Saturday 18th February - Frickley Athletic  2-2  Ashton United

This match is available on DVD/Video - See Club Shop

Manager Gary Marrow kept faith with the same line-up that comfortably defeated Radcliffe Borough on Saturday with Nicky Heinemann starting his final game before starting a three-match suspension for his sending off against Runcorn FC Halton.

The Blues never really got to grips with a lively Ashton United side on a freezing cold night. Rob Pell played a great ball through for Martyn Woolford after just 5 minutes but Woolford failed to control the ball, leaving the visiting defence to crowds him out before he could break clear. Pell then blazed wide with an angled shot from 15 yards before Ashton cam close to snatching the lead. Andreas Bjork headed on to Tony Naylor who fired past Gary Ingham from 8 yards only for Matt Daly to block the ball on the line and then clear. The Blues took the lead on 26 minutes when Steve Kennedy powered a header goalwards from an Alex Callery corner and DALY forced the ball in from almost on the line. Woolford then volleyed wide of the left hand post from 18 yards before on 28 minutes Lee Pugh sent Callery away down the left and he sent over a low cross which CHRIS ADAM tucked away at the far post. However, nine minutes later Heinemann pulled down Bjork inside the box and Tony Taylor stepped up to score from the spot. Within minutes the Blues had their own claim for a penalty waved away as Woolford looked to be pushed over by Jan Ahlvik and shortly afterwards Woolford latched onto a long clearance from Daly to fire in an angled shot from the edge of the box that Ashley Connor was thankful to see bobble inches wide after making no attempt to save.

Ashton started the second half well with Cooney forcing Ingham into an early save whilst they gained a second penalty on 54 minutes. Steve Smith took a quick free-kick down the left to send Scott Green cutting into the box and he theatrically went down after the slightest of challenges from Heinemann. However, the referee was suitably impressed and Naylor stepped up to score his second penalty of the game. Andy Evans replaced Adam with half an hour left to play but it was the visitors who came the closest to adding to the scoreline when Cooney chipped a ball into the box for Bjork who looked certain to score with his header from 6 yards but Ingham somehow pushed the ball against the bar before it was hacked clear. Evans had a good chance to win the game in stoppage time as he received a pass from Steve Robinson to turn and fire ion a shot from 12 yards which Connor did brilliantly to block for a corner.