A combination of poor finishing, bad refereeing and some outstanding saves by Droylsden goalkeeper Paul Philips prevented the Blues from notching up successive league wins for the first time this season. Steve Richards was forced to make two changes to the side with both Matt. Wilkinson and Phil Brown being unavailable. Chris Hilton and Andy Gregory came into the starting eleven, with Steve Price dropping into the centre of the defence.

On a muddy pitch, the Blues had the better of the opening exchanges with Graham Lewis turning a defender on the right hand side of the box and firing a low drive across goal which Leroy Chambers was just unable to reach to divert into the net after 12 minutes. Five minutes later Price's cross from the right was met with a downward header by Chris Hurst but Philips dived to his left to save well. The Assistant Referee with the red flag, Mr Cummins, then adjudged Lewis offside as he broke clear of the defence when he was clearly onside and Chambers was denied a free-kick on the left of the box when hacked down. Droylsden then broke away to be awarded a free-kick just over half way which resulted in Chris Young giving the home side the lead on 26 minutes. Five minutes later the Blues equalised when Lee Stratford was brought down in the box and HURST stepped up to convert the penalty. Just before half time Philips pulled off another good save when Lewis' cross was knocked down by Chambers to Stratford whose 8 yard shot was deflected by a defender but Philips recovered to push the ball over the bar.

Two minutes into the second half Lewis ought to have given Frickley the lead when Chambers sent him clear (amazingly Mr Cummins, who had swapped ends, didn't flag!) but Philips blocked his shot from just inside the box. A minutes later Landon went close at the other end when he headed just wide at the far post but the Blues were soon back on the offensive. On 50 minutes Hanby ran through the Droylsden defence, possibly even from his own half, onto a through ball only for Mr Cummins to again have his flag raised for probably one of the worst decisions anyone will ever see. Price then had a 25 yard free-kick saved at the second attempt by Philips and Lewis saw a 20 yard shot drift just wide of the right hand post. Dean Jones was then forced by injury to be replaced by Ian Edge with Stratford moving into the centre of defence and one of Edge's first jobs was to clear off his own line following a corner on the Droylsden left. Chances began to dry up a little on the tricky pitch until two minutes into injury time when Duffty forced a defender into giving the ball away to Chambers just 6 yards out. Chambers shot first time but somehow Philips managed to divert his goalbound effort wide for a corner.

Frickley Athletic : Carney, Hilton, Gregory, Jones (Edge 67), Ogley, Hanby, Lewis (Duffty 90), Price, Chambers, Hurst, Stratford. Unused sub. Fox.