Official Frickley Athletic Website 

For 75 minutes of this match the Blues were much the better side despite having goalkeeper Mark Wilkinson sent off after just 7 minutes of his return to the club. They were then forced to hang in as the home side pushed forward for a late winner and were further handicapped on 88 minutes when Rob Hanby was harshly sent off for a second bookable offence. Russ White, a midfielder who played in several of the club's pre-season friendlies under Steve Richards, was given a place on the subs bench.

The Blues started well and went close through Simon Collins who headed narrowly over a cross from Chris Gowan on 6 minutes but a minute later disaster struck when Andrew Shaw was put clean through and was brought down by Wilkinson right on the edge of the penalty area. The referee immediately awarded a penalty, although it was debatable whether it was inside the box or out, and sent off Wilkinson. Steve Price took over in goal for the spot-kick which was duly converted by Shaw. Gary Marrow then brought on Mark Ogley to play in goal for the second game running with Chris Gowan being the unlucky player to make way for him.

Despite the handicap of being a man down the Blues continued to dictate the play with Pete Myers having a low shot from 18 yards gathered at the second attempt by the Bishop's 'keeper Dave Campbell. At the other end Ogley was forced to push and angled drive around the post just after the half hour mark.

The Blues went close almost immediately after the break when Leroy Chambers was fouled outside the box and Collins put the resulting free-kick narrowly over the bar. On 52 minutes Collins was involved again as he broke down the right and sent over a great cross which took out the keeper but was cleared off the head of Andy Evans by what looked suspiciously like and a hand but play was waved on. Gary Duffty then replaced Pete Myers and as involved straight away when his cross from the right was dropped by Campbell but the ball fell kindly to a defender to clear from danger before Chambers could react. Chambers then had a header from a Collins free-kick saved by Campbell. On 68 minutes Collins beat three players down the left and cut in towards the Bishop's box before squaring to the onrushing Rob Hanby whose rising drive from the edge of the box clipped the top of the crossbar. Two minutes later the Blues finally got their reward when a Collins corner from the left was headed in at the near post by ANDY EVANS. On 75 minutes a long ball from the back by Dean Jones found Evans in space on the right hand edge of the box but Campbell did well to rush out and knock the ball away as Evans tried to go round him.

As the Blues started to tire and the extra man started to show the home side weathered the storm and had a final push to get a winner. They put the Blues defence under a fair amount of pressure without really testing Mark Ogley until the final few minutes. On 88 minutes Rob Hanby, who had already been booked, slipped in the mud as he tried to clear from a Bishop's attack but only succeeded in missing the ball and catching the Bishop's player. The referee considered this a bookable offence and the Blues were forced to see out the remaining minutes with nine men. From the resulting fee-kick, from some 30 yards out, Ogley was forced to make a great save to push the ball over the bar. The Blues were then forced to endure an agonising six minutes of injury time before claiming a richly deserved point against all the odds.

Frickley Athletic : Wilkinson, Simon Collins, Gowan (Ogley 10), Hanby, Place, Jones, Lewis, Price, Evans, Chambers (White 90), Myers (Duffty 60).

Referee : S.D. Rowntree (Scarborough)