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Monday 3rd January - Bishop Auckland 2-1 Frickley Athletic

Gary Marrow was forced to make one change to the side due to the unavailability of Steve Woolford, with Steve Robinson returning after suspension to replace Woolford in midfield.

After a scrappy opening to the game in which neither side really threatened the home side took the lead after 17 minutes when a through ball saw Kraig Wilkinson catch Adam Russell unaware to take the ball around Gary Ingham and roll it into the empty net. Frickley responded only sporadically, although Richard Tracey saw his 25 yard shot go just wide of the left hand post whilst on 28 minutes Leroy Chambers headed over from 6 yards folllowing Neil Ashley's free-kick from the left. As half time neared Frickley suddenly upped the tempo and started to unsettle the home defence. On 35 minutes Frickley were rather unfortunate not to gain  a penalty when Lee Pugh was fouled a couple of yards outside the box but the Referee waved 'play on', only for Wael Nazha to then be fouled a yard inside the box. However, the Referee decided to bring play back and award the free-kick for the foul on Pugh! Robinson took the free-kick which grazed the outside of the right hand post. Minutes later Nazha used his strength to dispossess Mark Taylor just 6 yards from goal  and was about to shoot when the Referee harshly decided Nazha had used his elbows. Amazingly, on the stroke of half time NAZHA did appear to pull back a Bishop's defender as he won the ball inside the box and cut inside to fire a low shot into the bottom left hand corner, but this time the Referee allowed the goal to stand!

Barely had the two teams settled down in the second half when Bishops retook the lead. A free-kick from mid-way inside the Frickley half was played to the far post where Stephen Salvin headed in. Five minutes later Frickley went close when a corner was played back to Lee Pugh whose first time angled shot was too strong for Roberts to hold on the line but a defender cleared the danger before Chambers could pounce. Frickley pushed forward during the last 15 minutes and twice went agonisingly close to an equaliser. On 74 minutes Roberts came out to clear as Nazha and David Morgan chased a through ball, only for Roberts to smash the ball against Morgan with the ball bouncing out for a corner. The resulting corner was met by the head of Chambers but came back off the face of the crossbar. Five minutes later Chambers' right wing cross was met by the head of Tracey, only for Roberts to brilliantly tip the bar over the bar. Tracey took the corner which Roberts dropped and a scramble ensued with Frickley's players twice claiming the ball had crossed the line before it was hacked to safety.

In the end, a big performance was lacking when it was really needed but, despite not playing as well as they can, Frickley still created several chances and could easily have come away with at least a point.