Official Frickley Athletic Website 

www.frickleyafc.co.uk

Saturday 23rd April - Frickley Athletic  2-4  Farsley Celtic

DVD/Video available of this game - see Club Shop

Despite twice taking the lead, first with a great header from Wael Nazha and then through substitute Richard Tracey, the Blues fell to a 4-2 home defeat against high flying West Yorkshire rivals Farsley Celtic. Both sides were reduced to 10 men on 36 minutes as Steve Wooford and Paul Rickers were sent off was sent off for the Blues whilst Adam Russell was also sent off late on as 'Referee' Mr Keith Lawson more than left his mark on the game

The Blues were without the injured Simon Collins so Steve Kennedy pushed into midfield, with Dean Foley coming into the centre of defence.

It took the Blues just 2 minutes to test Farsley 'keeper but Woolford's 18 yard volley was comfortably dealt with by Paul Cuss. The Blues were enjoying the better of the play, although former Blues' forward Curtis Bernard latched onto a long ball but lobbed tamely into Gary Ingham's arms. Farsley's Paul Vickers then beat Steve Robinson down the wing and cut into the box along the goal line with Robinson missing with an attempted tackle outside the box. Vickers cut the ball back and the Blues eventually scrambled the ball clear with the Farsley players appealing for handball. Strangely the referee brought play back and awarded a free-kick from where Robinson missed with his tackle! Minutes later Andy Evans cut into the box from the left and was cynically brought down by Christopher Stabb who, judging by the referee's later display was lucky to escape with just a yellow card. Pugh's low free-kick was sliced just over his own bar by Stabb. Bernard then seized on a poor header from Dean Foley but shot tamely wide from 15 yards whilst Wael Nazha tested Cuss from 18 yards for the Blues. The Blues took the lead on 33 minutes when Leroy Chambers and Woolford combined down the left for Evans to chip the ball into the box where NAZHA powered a header just inside the near post. However, 3 minutes later both sides were reduced to ten men as Vickers reacted violently to a challenge from Woolford that the referee seemed to have ignored until Vickers took matters into his own hands. The referee then decided to send both players off and, again rather strangely, awarded Farsley the free-kick. Farsley drew level almost on the stroke of half time as Bernard sized on a through ball to burst between three Blues defenders and beat Ingham from 12 yards.

half time saw Richard Tracey replace Nazha as Gary Marrow looked to bolster the left of the midfield. Less than ten minutes into the half Chambers went close as he brilliantly beat his marker just inside the Farsley half and bore down on goal before firing a rising drive just over the bar from 18 yards. The Blues took the lead for the second time with an hour gone as Chambvers and Evans copmbined on the right for Evans to thread the ball through for TRACEY who kept his cool to fire through Cuss' legs from just inside the box. The Blues showed their nerves by conceding a needless corner straight from the restart but, thankfully, that was dealt with. Minutes later Chambers had a great chance to increase the Blues lead when Jonathan Dyson missed a header to leave Chambers clear in the box but he snatched at his shot, allowing Cuss to save easily. Pugh then shot just wide of the right hand post from 20 yards and Chambers had a close range header saved on the line by Cuss before Farsley equalised in fortunate circumstances with Michael Midwood's cross to the far post drifting just inside the post with Ingham stranded. Midwood gave Farsley the lead with a quickly taken free-kick as Ingham was still organising his defensive wall on 78 minutes  and foru minutes later Farsley substitute Mark Bett sealed the win as he shrugged off Foley to beat Ingham with an angled shot. Worst was to come for the Blues as in the last minute substitute Adam Russell was sent off for an apparent off-the-ball incident with a Farsley player which was spotted by an Assistant Referee.