Official Frickley Athletic Website 

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A weekend Blues side were comfortably beaten by a strong Burton Albion side who will no doubt more than hold their own in the Natiowide Conference next season. The Blues were without the services of Rob Hanby and Rory Prendergast due to suspension along with Steve Price who was injured on Saturday. Dean Jones returned to the defence with Pete Myers coming in down the right whilst Graham Lewis joined Andy Evans and Leroy Chambers in a three pronged attack.

The home side took little time in stamping their authority on the game as they forced a series of early corners but Jones, Jon Wordsworth and Mark Place defended well. On 21 minutes the Blues managed their first sight of the Burton goal when Chambers and Chris Gowen combined down the left for Gowen to cross towards Lewis whose header was comfortably saved by goalkeeper Matt Duke. However, a minute later the home side took the lead. The Blues looked to have cleared the danger in the box before the ball fell to Dale Anderson who brilliantly turned and fired the ball into the top right hand corner to leave Mark Wilkinson stranded. The Blues responded with Chambers teeing up Lewis from 18 yards but his rising shot was punched over the bar by Duke. Burton should have increased their lead on 35 minutes when Stride blasted over an open goal from close range and a minute later Wilkinson was forced to pull off a good save to keep the Blues in the game.

For the opening minutes of the second half the Blues, prompted by Simon Collins, pushed forward a little more but apart from an Evans header wide from a Gowen cross the Blues had little to show for their efforts. On 51 minutes Wilkinson was called upon to save with his legs from Anderson but on 55 minutes Christian Moore got clear in the box to slot past Wilkinson for Burton's second goal. Seven minutes later Anderson broke clear, chased by Gowen who brought him down just inside the box with Gowen promptly being shown the red card. Burton goalkeeper Duke stepped up to blast the penalty past Wilkinson. Wordsworth then headed off the line following a Burton corner whilst on 85 minutes Wilkinson saved a shot by Stride with his legs. The Blues brought on Russ White for Lewis and also Andy Betts for Pete Myers but it was Burton who had the last word in the 90th minute when Anderson's shot was deflected past Wilkinson by Dean Jones.

Frickley Athletic : Wilkinson, Collins, Gowen, Wordsworth, Place, Jones, Russell, Myers (Betts 86), Evans, Chambers, Lewis (White 82). Unused sub. Griffin 

Attendance : 1018

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