Official Frickley Athletic Website 

www.frickleyafc.co.uk

Monday 29th August - Gateshead  2-2  Frickley Athletic

The Blues continued their unbeaten start to the season as they drew 2-2 at Gateshead yesterday afternoon. The home side took the lead with a Paul Thompson penalty after 28 minutes but two second half penalties from Alex Callery saw the Blues take the lead, only for Gateshead to draw level on 76 minutes with a headed goal from James Curtis.

Gary Marrow again named the same starting eleven and substitutes as for the previous three games and the players came within fourteen minutes of making it three wins in a row and taking top spot in the league table.

On a pitch of long grass and containing evidence of recent athletics field events taking place on it the Blues struggled at times to get to grips with the pitch early on in the game. The home side carved out a decent opening for themselves with barely 2 minutes on the clock but Kevin Henderson fire high and wide with just Gary Ingham to beat. Four minutes later Calum Selby swung in a right wing corner for the Blues which Matt Daly met at the near post but he flicked the ball inches wide. Gateshead soon threatened again but Ingham comfortably saved Paul Thompson's 20 yard shot. However, the home side took the lead with 28 minutes gone when Thompson beat Ingham from the penalty spot after Daly was harshly adjudged to have committed a foul in the box. The Blues responded almost immediately, with Leroy Chambers heading inches wide of the far post from another Selby corner whilst the Blues went even closer on 32 minutes when Steve Robinson's cross was poorly headed away by a defender for Lee Pugh to meet it on the volley from 12 yards but his shot was at just the right height for Keen to push the ball around the post. Just before half time Ingham again denied Gateshead when a clever move following s throw-in saw Steve Richardson in space inside the box but Ingham got down well to save the low shot from 8 yards.

The Blues found themselves level within 2 minutes of the second half kicking off. Selby's high cross from the right was missed by Keen and fell to Martyn Woolford whose angled shot was blocked on the line but, as Alex Callery went to meet the loose ball he was clumsily pushed to the ground with the referee immediately awarding the penalty which CALLERY comfortably despached into the bottom left hand corner. two minutes later Woolford ran at the home defence before playing the ball into the path of the overlapping Ashley Scothern but his low shot was straight at Keen. The Blues were now enjoying the better of the play and went close again when Pugh won the ball in midfield and let fly from 20 yards but Keen saved at full stretch. The home side had a rare second half attach minutes later but Ingham was again equal to Chris Feasey's shot. Pugh then won the ball well again in midfield to run at the home, defence, riding two challenges before being brought down by the third inside the box. Again the referee pointed to the spot and again CALLERY scored in the bottom left hand corner despite Keen's efforts in diving the right way after 75 minutes. Scothern then had the opportunity to provide the Bloues with a virtually unassailable lead as he dispossessed Sonny Parker just outside his own box, down the Blues left. Scothern cut into the box but fired straight at Keen from a tight angle with Chambers totally unmarked in front of goal. This was to prove costly as on 76 minutes Gateshead captain James Curtis rose to meet a right wing cross and send a looping header into the top left hand corner. Still the Blues had a chance to take all three point with just two minutes remaining as Selby played the ball inside the right full-back for Woolford to cut into the box from the left but he fired well over the bar as Keen came out.