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Saturday 31st August 2002 - Frickley Athletic 1-2 Barrow

After looking set to get their first point on the board the Blues suffered heartbreak at the death as 5 minutes into stoppage time Barrow snatched all three points with a Steve Gaughan penalty.

The Blues started with former Doncaster Rovers and Scunthorpe United goalkeeper Mark Samways wearing the no.1 shirt whilst Duncan Milligan ,from Harrogate Town, started at right full back. Andy Evans made his first start of the season up front alongside Paul Burke and Craig Elkin returned after injury.

The early stages were pretty even with both sides sending over testing crosses which came to nothing but Samways then had to be alert to come out of his box to clear from the advancing Neil Tarrant. On 17 minutes Paul marquis fouled Chris Ward some 25 yards out but Graham Antony's free-kick hit the Blues' wall. The Blues responded two minutes later when Mark Hine sent over a teasing right wing cross which Neil Bennett could only just tip away. Burke picked up the loose ball and found Chris Gowen whose cross to Evans was blocked by a last ditch challenge. From the corner Evans headed narrowly over the bar. Mark Hancock then sent in a 22 yard free-kick which clipped the bar. At the other end Alex Nesovic got clear down the left, despite looking offside, and sent over a dangerous cross which Craig Marsh did well to cut out. Nesovic then got on the end of a long cross-field ball out of defence and lifted the ball over the advancing Samways but his effort cleared the crossbar. On 36 minutes Nesovic turned well on the edge of the box before shooting over.

At half time the Blues were forced to replace the injured Duncan Milligan with Pete Myers. The first goalmouth action of the half resulted in the opening goal as on 58 minutes Evans sent Burke clear and as he tried to go around Bennett he was brought down from behind by Mark Salmon who was lucky to only receive a yellow card. HANCOCK stepped up to score from the resulting penalty. Less then two minutes later Samways fumbled an acrobatic effort from Nesovic but Gowen got back to clear off the line but on 63 minutes Nesovic was instrumental in creating the Barrow equaliser. he beat Myers and Marsh as he cut into the box from the left along the byline but his close range shot was blocked for a corner by Smaways. From the resulting corner Mark Hume headed in from close range following a near post flick on. This spurred the visitors on with Gaughan's cross from the right deflecting goalwards off Hine but Samways dived to his left to save. Hume then powered a header wide of the right hand post from a long free-kick. Substitute Remo Nesa broke well for the Blues on 77 minutes before finding Hancock on the left but his cross was headed wide by Evans. Barrow again went forward with Samways pulling off a good reaction save to deny Ward whilst the rebound was blasted over from 6 yards. On 89 minutes a cross deflected off a Blues defender into the path of Ward inside the box but Samways pulled off a great save to deny him. A long range shot from Nesovic then came back off the underside of the bar with Samways beaten but the drama was yet to come. Four minutes into added time Samways failed to claim the ball on the edge of the box and as he challenged with a Barrow forward the forward went down with the Assistant Referee signalling for a penalty. The referee, who had seemed unimpressed, then decided to point to the spot with Craig Marsh receiving a red card for something he said to the officials. Gaughan then duly despatched the penalty.

A disappointing end to a game which promised so much.

Frickley Athletic : Samways, Milligan (Myers45), Gowen, Hine, Marsh, Marquis, Hancock, Elkin, Evans, Burke (Morris 80), Jones (Nesa 71). 

Barrow : Bennett, Rogers, Maxfield, Salmon, Hume, Antony, Gaughan, Warren, Ward, Nesovic, Tarrant (Hopper 60)

Attendance : 208   

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