Official Frickley Athletic Website 

After taking the lead in this UniBond League Cup Group match through Graham Lewis on 76 minutes Frickley conceded an equaliser on 83 minutes but then just two minutes later goalkeeper Mark Wilkinson dropped a clanger of Barthez proportions as he tried to palm away a high cross from the right but succeeded only it pushing it into the path of Gainsborough substitute Ellington who gratefully scored his and Trinity's second goal.

Frickley had started the match well as they forced a series of corners as they applied early pressure to the home side, although it was Trinity who came close to snatching the lead in the 22nd minute when a through ball bisected the Frickley defence but Wilkinson reacted quickly to brilliantly block the Gainsborough forward's shot. Three minutes later Sinisa Svic was on the receiving end of questionable refereeing decision as he latched on to a long ball and flicked it past Ingham in the Trinity goal. Unfortunately, he also pushed the ball wide across goal, allowing a defender to get back and challenge him and then the referee promptly penalised Savic by awarding a free-kick against him. Towards the end of the first half Andy Evans was brought down as he tried to get on the end of a long kick up field by Wilkinson but Chris Gowan hit the resulting 25 yard free-kick into the wall. Then, on the stroke of half time Gary Duffty found himself in space on the right. He played the ball inside to Evans whose first time 30 yard shot was deflected just wide of the left hand post.

If chances were few and far between in the first half they were even more at a premium in the second, although the home team enjoyed more possession than they had done in the first period. On 52 minutes Phil brown replaced Gary Duffty to play on the right of a three-man midfield with Graham Lewis joining Evans and Savic up front. The first chance of the second half for either side fell to Frickley on 64 minutes when Gowan played the ball in from the left to Evans who flicked it on to Simon Collins who had made a good run from midfield but, at full stretch, he could only lift the ball over Ingham and the crossbar. Then , on 76 minutes Frickley made the break-through when a cross from the right found its way to GRAHAM LEWIS at the far post who spun and hit a low 8 yard shot which Ingham could only palm into the corner of the net. However, the lead was to last only seven minutes as on 83 minutes Jon Wordsworth was harshly punished by the awarding of a free-kick some 25 yards out which Wilkinson did well to block but Trinity sub Ellington knocked in the rebound. At that stage a draw would probably have been a fair reflection of play but two minutes later Wilkinson's howler gifted the home side the winner. Right at the death a great ball by Simon Collins picked out a run by Lewis between two defenders but he was closed down as he rounded Ingham and the chance was gone.

The result, coupled with North Ferriby's 2-1 win over Lincoln United and Worksop's 1-1 draw with Stocksbridge leaves the Blues now in fifth position in the group on 3 points from 3 games but, with home games against Worksop and Lincoln United to come, there is still a good chance of progressing in one of the three competitions.

Frickley Athletic : Mark Wilkinson, Simon Collins, Gowan (Scott Collins 88), Hanby, Wordsworth, Jones, Lewis, Price, Evans, Savic, Duffty (Brown 52). Unused sub. Tittley

Attendance : 307

Referee : A. Page (Ilkeston)