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Saturday 4th September - Bamber Bridge 2-0 Frickley Athletic

Frickley were again punished for not turning possession into goals as they went down to two second half goals after dominating the first half at Irongate.

The Blues were without both Steve Robinson (Holidays) and Graeme Severn (injured) but Craig Fisher came in and played well at right full-back whilst Dale Rimmington also performed admirably as left full-back.

After a fairly even start the Blues started to impose themselves on the game and could easily have taken the lead on 19 minutes. Wayne Benn fed Richard Tracey down the right and he sent over good low cross which Mark Vickerage diverted inches over the bar from 6 yards after darting in front of the last defender. Gary Hatto then fired over from 18 yards after Phil Lindley had retrieved an over-hit corner as the Blues continued to look dangerous. Just before the half hour Benn put a 25 yard free-kick narrowly over the bar whilst two minutes later Benn touched another free-kick to Tracey who saw his powerful low 22 yard shot zip into the 'keeper's arms. Bamber Bridge briefly responded with Danny Mills putting a 25 yard free-kick over the bar. On 34 minutes Rimmington fouled James Locke on the edge of the box. Jamie Squires took the free-kick which was well blocked by the Blues' wall but Squires followed through and lunged into Lee Pugh and was rather fortunate to only receive a yellow card.

The home side gave notice of things to come early in the second half when Stewart Clitheroe sent over a cross from the right which Jimmy King headed down at the far post, only for the ball to bounce over the bar. On 62 minutes the home side broke quickly following the breakdown of a Frickley attack and James Locke struck an angled shot past Marc Shackelton from just inside the box. Four minutes later the Blues were almost level but Tracey's angled 20 yard shot flew just wide of the left hand post. But, on 68 minutes, the game was all but over. The Blues' defence failed to clear a high ball into the box and Danny Mills was left to stab the ball in from close range. To their credit, the Blues kept plugging away with Tracey heading wide at the far post on 70 minutes whilst a minute later Steve Woolford saw his 10 yard shot beat goalkeeper Andy Banks and then come back off the post only for Banks to deny substitute James Walker with the follow-up from close range. With fourteen minutes left Matthew Plant rose at the back post to meet a Lee Pugh corner with a powerful header but Banks was well placed to save easily.

Immediately after the end of the game Phil Sharpe made Club officials aware of his intention to resign as Manager after the match against Guiseley next Saturday. Click here

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