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Saturday 1st September - Frickley Athletic 0-1 Fleetwood Town

An injury-ravaged Frickley side could count themselves unfortunate not to take at least a point from the visit of Fleetwood Town to Westfield Lane on Saturday. Fleetwood are one of the favourites for promotion, and had won their first three matches of the season, but they were second best for long periods in this match and, but for a mistake from Nathan Hotte which led to Town’s winner, they would undoubtedly have dropped their first points of the season.

Frickley manager Billy Heath was without both inspirational centre half Steve Heath and striker Lee Morris with both suffering from groin injuries, although winger Scott Turner was fit to return to the side.

Danny Davidson had Frickley’s first chance after 14 minutes but he headed Chris White’s free kick just beyond the far post. Minutes later a good move saw Danny Walsh have his 18 yard shot deflected wide for a corner. The flag-kick was played shot to Steve Ball who hit a 22 yard shot which just cleared the crossbar. Fleetwood then broke at pace down their left but Nathan Pond couldn’t direct his header goalwards from 8 yards. White and Carl Wood combined down the left for the latter to cross to the far post when Turner headed just wide after 25 minutes. Nathan Hotte had an 18 yard snap-shot well held by Danny Hurst before Hotte carelessly conceded possession to Ciaran Donnelly who ran at the heart of the Blues defence before picking out the run  of Phil Denney down the left of the box. He sent over a low cross to the near post that Andrew Bell stabbed past Jon Hood at the second attempt from close range after 41 minutes.

Frickley started the second half positively. Within minutes of the restart White sent over a corner which Wood met on the volley 15 yards out but his effort flew inches wide of the left hand post. Minutes later Hotte played in Turner but his low angled shot was brilliantly tipped past the post by Danny Hurst. On 52 minutes Steve Ball’s over-hit ball into the box got caught in the wind and looked to be destined for the top corner but Hurst did well to back-pedal  and push the ball over the bar. Fleetwood were rarely threatening but Bell did go close on 69 minutes but he turned and curled a shot just wide of the right hand post from 18 yards. Ryan Morton replaced Turner with nine minutes to play but Frickley’s last real chance of the match fell to White on 85 minutes but his angled shot from 12 yards was deflected wide of the right hand post.