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A well taken goal from forward Andy Evans midway through the second half earned the Blues a replay in a game in which they really ought to have been home and dry by half time but a combination of poor finishing and extreme bad luck prevented this.

Gary Marrow was forced to make two changes to the starting line-up, with Rob Hanby picking up a knock in midweek and being replaced by Phil Brown whilst new signing Pete Myers, who was ineligible for the game, was replaced with Gary Duffty.

The Blues started the game well and could have taken the lead with barely a minute on the clock. Simon Collins took a quick free-kick to Duffty on the right whose excellent cross was met by Carl Fothergill but his header from six yards went over the bar. Four minutes later Graham Lewis sent over a cross from the left which Evans headed down towards Fothergill who took it wide of a defender with his first touch before turning and shooting against the inside of the right hand post from 6 yards only for the ball to come back out to safety. Fothergill then saw a header cleared off the line after a goalmouth scramble whilst on 10 minutes Duffty had a great chance to opening the scoring as Fothergill played the ball to him in acres of space midway inside the Droylsden half. He immediately bore down on goal but his poor shot from the edge of the box was blocked by the 'keeper's legs. Droylsden 'keeper Chris Hulley then had a huge amount of luck on his side as he tried to clear following a back pass but pass went straight to Lewis who had closed him down but luckily for Hulley the ball bounced too far in front of Lewis, allowing Hulley to pounce on the loose ball.

The home side managed their first attempt at goal on 16 minutes when an 18 yard shot cleared the crossbar but four minutes later they took a surprise lead when Nigel Evans found himself clear and he rounded Martin Kearney before slotting into an empty net from a tight angle. The Blues responded with Dean Jones meeting a free-kick by Collins with a goalbound header which was blocked with the ball falling to Fothergill some 8 yards out but his snapshot was saved at the second attempt by Hulley. Jones then powered a right wing corner by Collins just wide of the near post with Hulley rooted to the spot whilst Steve Price saw his powerful shot from 20 yards deflected wide for a corner. Then, almost on half time, Fothergill missed a glorious chance when he fired over from 6 yards following a goalmouth scramble.

The second half saw chances much more at a premium and the home side eventually started stringing a few passes together. Duffty, who was carrying a slight hamstring strain was replaced by Scott Collins. On 57 minutes Lewis picked up a poor clearance from Hulley and beat a defender before hitting a low 20 yard shot which Hulley looked to be in a position to save comfortably but somehow he let the ball squirm under his dive only for the ball to roll just wide of the post. However, the Blues finally got the bit of luck they had been needing on 65 minutes when Kearney sent a long clearance up field which Droylsden substitute Glendenning tried to knock back to Hulley but EVANS nipped in between to list the ball over the stranded Hulley and into the net for a richly deserved equaliser. Six minutes later Scott Coliins played a ball over the defence to Fothergill whose angled shot from 25 yards was well blocked by Hulley. Now, Droylsden started to force some pressure and on 77 minutes Brunskill let fly from 30 yards with his effort hitting the top of the crossbar. The last few minutes saw the Blues endure a few heart-stopping moments with the ball flying around the Blues 18 yard box but they held out to force a replay on Tuesday evening.

Frickley Athletic : Kearney, Simon Collins, Gowan, Brown, Wordsworth, Jones, Lewis, Price, Evans, Fothergill, Duffty (Scott Collins 45). Unused subs. Ogley, Hanby, Titley, Mark Wilkinson.

Attendance : 140

Referee : David Margetson (Cleckheaton)