With 6 new signings in the squad of fourteen for today's game the team had a different look to that of last season. Chris Hilton, who has replaced the departed Gary Hatto as club captain, was the only remaining member of last season's back four.

The new look blues, sporting their new home kit of blue and white stripes, started confidently and almost took the lead after 12 minutes when a long ball forward evaded the Bamber defence and Gary Duffty nipped in just before the advancing keeper but his lob bounced agonisingly wide of the left hand post. A few minutes later the Blues went close again, this time Rob Hanby headed wide from 6 yards after Chris Hilton had sent over a cross from the right.

The visitors first attack of any note came after 23 minutes when Whittaker got away down the right and his cross caused havoc in the Blues defence before the ball was finally cleared for a corner. On 27 minutes Lin took a corner on the right for Bridge and Whittaker glanced his header just wide of the far post with the Blues defence nowhere in sight.

The Blues began to show a little more presence up front as half time approached and on 39 minutes good play between Hanby and Nicky Cranston saw Hanby unlucky to have his 20 yard shot have the power taken out of with a timely block. Six minutes later Hanby sent Hayward away down the right. He played the ball back to Hilton who sent over an inviting cross which was just inches too high with the Bamber defence wide open. Immediately Whittaker and Burton broke for Bamber and combined for Burton to have an 18n yard drive tipped around the post. Then, almost 5 minutes into injury time the visitors broke the deadlock when Whittaker latched onto a long ball and fired home.

The second half saw Bamber Bridge extend their lead with their first worthy attack on 52 minutes, with Cliff heading in from a corner. The Blues started to look a little ragged until Chris Hurst had a header cleared off the line on 61 minutes following a corner on the left. Ian Edge came on the replace Paul Haywood down the left and immediately gave the Blues more options going forward.

On 64 minutes Cliff turned and fired over from 18 yards for the visitors and then, 3 minutes later, Cranston fed Chilton down the right and his cross clipped the top of the far post. Hurst then shot over from 20 yards before the same player looked certain to score as he fired goalwards from the centre of the area after a goalmouth scramble but somehow Stewart in the Bridge goal flung his body in the way to block the effort.

Mark Lafferty came on to replace Martin Fox at left back on 69 minutes. The visitors struck back and Cliff was completely unmarked in the centre of goal as a cross came over but he failed to get a clean head to the ball but Mark Wilkinson still needed to pull off a fantastic one handed save to prevent him scoring. As a last throw of the dice Matthew Wilkinson came on to replace Cranston as the Blues pushed forward. On 78 minutes Hurst again looked to have scored but his bullet-like header has brilliantly palmed away by Stewart. However, two minutes later, the Blues finally got some reward when some neat football in midfield by Hayward and Hurst saw JAMES WATSON burst through the defence and curl a delicate chip into the right hand side of the net.

This signalled more pressure from the Blues and 2 minutes into injury time Hurst again saw a header cleared off the line, this time with Stewart well beaten and then less than a minute later a Bridge defender was forced to head just over his own bar under pressure following a free-kick by Matt Wilkinson. However, with that went the Blues last hopes of salvaging a point but, with a little more luck in front of goal it might have been a different story.

Frickley Athletic : Mark Wilkinson, Hilton, Fox (Lafferty 69), J. Watson, A. Watson, Hanby, Cranston (Matthew Wilkinson 76), Hurst, Hayward, Haywood (Edge 62), Duffty.

Bamber Bridge : Stewart, Farley, Lin, Jones, Mick Noblett, Robinson, Cliff, Aspinall (Marc Noblett 84), Burton (Willoughby 67), Whittaker, Mayes. Unused Sub. Greenwood.

Attendance : 174