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Chris Gowan was brought back in as left wing-back after missing the game against Whitby whilst Gary Duffty continued as right wing-back. Paul Foot came back into the defence with Savic relegated to the subs. bench as Steve Richards opted to play with 2 forwards.

The Blues started brightly with Graham Lewis sending a header goalwards from Curtis Bernard's cross from the right but unfortunately it was straight at Gilmore. Lewis injured his head as he attacked the ball and looked uncomfortable for the rest of the half. On 13 minutes Gowan got away down the left and sent over a great cross which went just over Lewis but Duffty came in to meet it with a 1st time angled volley which flew inches wide from around 15 yards. The visitors started to threaten as Robson got away from Gowan, cut inside and shot straight at Wilkinson from the edge of the box. A minute later, on 18 minutes, Spartans took the lead with Innes scoring from 12 yards following a cross from the right. Six minutes later the Blues found themselves two down as Pepper seized on a loose ball on the edge of the box to drive a low shot past Wilkinson. Most of the chances were now coming at wrong end of the field as Blyth looked to add to their tally. On the half hour Wilkinson pulled off a great one handed save to deny Little but the Blues ought to have reduced the arrears on 32 minutes. Gowan sent a long ball forward which just cleared the Blyth defence. Bernard anticipated this and ran onto it before attempting to lob Gilmore from just outside the box but his lob also cleared the crossbar. The last chance of the half fell to Blyth's Skelton but Wilkinson saved well.

At half time Carl Fothergill replaced the struggling Lewis and he helped to create the Blues goal almost immediately after the restart. Perseverance by both Fothergill and Simon Collins down the right saw Collins play a good ball in to BERNARD whose strength saw him shrug off a challenge to slot the ball past Gilmore from 15 yards. The Blues were now pushing forward, looking for an equaliser which almost came on 53 minutes when Rob Hanby met Price's corner with a thumping header which bounced down off the underside of the crossbar and was cleared to safety. However, 5 minutes later a rush of blood by Wilkinson gifted Blyth a third goal which virtually killed off the Blues hopes of getting anything from the game. Wilkinson went for a loose ball with a Blyth player but instead of just clearing it he tried to dive on it but he didn't get the ball, allowing the Blyth player to get in a cross for Robson to head into an empty net. Ten minutes later Duffty was adjudged to have felled Stewart in the box and Robson stepped up to convert the penalty. Things got worse still on 73 minutes after a good run from deep by Skelton had carved open the Blues defence Radigan scored at the far post. Duffty, who was limping, was then replaced by Bashforth who flashed a header just wide of the left hand post on 77 minutes. On 79 minutes Fothergill was brought down just outside the box. Price stepped up to take the free-kick but his effort was blocked by and arm in the wall which wasn't spotted. Collins had a low 25 yarder well held by Gilmore on 81 minutes but right at the death Robson ought to have added another for Blyth as he rounded Wilkinson but shot into the side netting.

Frickley Athletic : Mark Wilkinson, Duffty (Bashforth 69), Gowan, Foot, Ogley, Jones, Lewis (Fothergill 45), Price, Bernard, Hanby, Collins. Unused sub. Savic

Blyth Spartans : Gilmore, Little, Morton, Innes (Stewart 44), Forster (Williams 70), Keegan, Radigan (Scroggins 73), Pepper, Robson, Skelton, Hutton.

Attendance : 168