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Following Saturday's F.A. Cup exit at home to Harrogate Railway Blyth had a chance to bounce back in this league encounter with lowly Frickley. Blyth were looking to complete the double over the Yorkshire side having won 5-1 in the reverse fixture in August.

Blyth were on the attack from the start with Glen Robson flicking the ball through past Dean Jones to Craig Skelton. However, Skelton hooked his shot over the bar.

Savic went on a run for the visitors in the eighth minute. Taking the ball to the goal line he pulled it back into the centre of the Blyth penalty area but his team mates hadn't come in to support and Justin Keegan was able to clear for Blyth.

On the quarter hour Blyth put a nice move together with Craig Perry back-heeling the ball into the path of Craig Skelton on the edge of the box. Skelton played the ball back to Perry but his final shot was wide of the left hand post.

Blyth were the stronger of the sides but were unable to create the necessary chance to go ahead. In the 20th minute a shot from Craig Skelton was narrowly defelected for a corner but Blyth couldn't capitalise on the dead ball kick.

Frickley went close to breaking the deadlock in the 25th minute. Paul Gilmore tipped a shot from Graham Lewis over the bar to concede a right wing corner. When the cross came in the ball fell to Gary Duffy who blasted his shot against the bar. The ball rebounded to Lewis whose attempt was blocked on the line by Richard Forster and Blyth were grateful to clear.

Five minutes later and it was Blyth's turn to have an attempt blocked. Graham Pepper played the ball across field from the right back position to the left wing for Craig Perry. Perry's neat centre found Glen Robson on the six yard line but Wilkinson in the visitors goal blocked the striker's attempt and turned the ball away for a corner.

Blyth had a chance from one of Neil Radigan's dead ball kicks with a free kick on the left on 32 minutes. However, he swerved his effort just wide of the right post.

Graham Lewis looked most likely to create chances for the visitors and with five minutes of the half remaining he ran through to shoot but Graham Pepper managed to deflect the ball wide for a corner.

Shortly into the second half Simon Collins caused problems in the Blyth defence from a free kick but Gilmore collected the ball at the second attempt.

In the 62nd minute Frickley substitute Scott Collins played in a cross from the left which Richard Forster was able to hook away but only as far as Lewis. However, the Frickley man wasted his chance and Blyth were able to clear.

Frickley missed a golden opportunity in the 65th minute when Simon Collins took the ball up the wing and crossed it past Gilmore into the centre. Gary Duffy was unable to connect with the ball when it needed only a tap to deflect it goalwards.

Blyth were showing little interest and failed to create many chances. The best of the half came through Glen Robson in the 83rd minute but he put his attempt wide of the post.

During the last five minutes of normal play plus the time added on by referee Wallace tempers were starting to fray and in a couple of incidents fists were raised but the referee limited himself to yellow cards.

Right at the death Frickley had a chance to grab the points through Scott Collins but he chipped his shot over the bar.