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Saturday 21st February - Bradford Park Avenue 0-0 Frickley Athletic

After last week's exciting 0-0 draw with Harrogate Town, this game was more of a 'typical' goalless draw with chances very much at a premium, although both sides had chances to win the game in the last ten minutes with Lee Morris having a penalty saved for the Blues and Andy Hayward striking the bar with a free-kick for Bradford Park Avenue.

Phil Sharpe had his plans upset on Friday night when Paul Marquis decided to give up playing due to work commitments. This saw Wayne Benn dropped back into the five man defence, along with Duncan Richards, Phil Lindley, Nick Richardson and Gary Hatto.

A lackluster start to the game saw very little in the way of goalmouth action except for the odd corner until the 25th minute when Marc Shackleton did well to push a header from former Frickley forward Hayward around the post. Two minutes later a dangerous looking cross from Carl Serrant flew across the face of Shackleton's goal but luckily there were no Avenue players on hand to get the vital touch. Hayward had another chance on the half hour but his shot on the turn from 18 yards was easily dealt with by Shackleton. Bradford's short spell of pressure saw them come close to taking the lead on 36 minutes when Serrant's left wing cross was headed just over the bar by Jason Maxwell at the near post. Two minutes later Dan Sheriffe threatened to break clear to latch onto a long pass from Lindley but Avenue 'keeper Matthew Boswell was out quickly to clear.

Playing against the wind in the second half the Blues had a half chance on 51 minutes when Lee Pugh's cross from the left was dropped by Boswell but Steve Robinson's attempted shot from the loose ball was blocked as defenders quickly swarmed around him. The blues were starting to dictate more of the play but clear chances were still strangely missing. The Blues then had two reasonable shouts for a penalty waved away as first former Blues' centre half Dean Jones handled in the box but the Referee presumably considered as not deliberate and minutes later Lee Morris was pulled down from behind in the box as he tried to control a throw-in but again Mr Stott was not impressed. Phil Sharpe then replaced Dominique Krief with Mark Vickerage as he played 3 up front. Almost immediately Morris flicked the ball on to Vickerage who got clear in the box but Boswell came out to punch the ball off his head. Then, on 81 minutes, Sheriffe was brought down in the box by Ryan Crossley and this time the Blues were awarded the penalty, with Crossley rather lucky not to receive a booking for his trouble. Morris stepped up to take the spot-kick but Boswell turned his shot around the post. From the corner Jones cleared off the line from Richardson as a goalmouth scramble ensued but Avenue managed to clear their lines. As the game was about to enter stoppage time Maxwell got half a yard on Lindley at the other end only for Lindley to bring Maxwell down outside the box. This time Lindley was lucky not to receive a booking. Hayward struck a powerful free-kick which struck the top of the crossbar. In the dying seconds of stoppage time Maxwell headed wide of the near post when left unmarked.

Frickley Athletic : Shackleton, Richards, Lindley, Benn, Richardson, Pugh, Robinson, Krief (Vickerage 74), Morris, Sheriffe, Hatto. Unused subs. Rimmington, Fawcus 

Att: 288

Ref : Mr  G Stott

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