Official Frickley Athletic Website 

www.frickleyafc.co.uk

Wednesday 4th August - Frickley Athletic 3-3 Halifax Town

The Blues could count themselves unfortunate not to earn their second pre-season win of the summer following a good performance against a Halifax Town side which comprised of a mixture of first teamers, juniors and triallists.

The visitors were the first to threaten when after just 4 minutes Chris Fawcus was forced to head a deep cross from the left by Antony Limbrick behind for a corner. From the resulting flag-kick Marc Shackleton was forced to tip Paul Stoneman's goalbound header over the bar. The Blues took the lead with their first real attack on 8 minutes. Former Bradford Park Avenue and Gainsborough Trinity striker Jason Maxwell fed Mark Vickerage in the centre of the Halifax half. He in turn fed the overlapping Lee Pugh down the right but his cross was cleared as far as Wayne Benn who exchanged passes with Maxwell as he surged into the box. BENN's first attempt to shoot was blocked but fortunately the ball fell kindly for him to score from 6 yards. 

Shackleton was then called into action as he pushed an Antony Limbrick 22 yard free-kick around the post following a foul by Fawcus on Ryan Toulson. Minutes later Ryan Mallon tried his luck but Shackleton again defied him. For the Blues, Benn went close but his 20 yard shot cleared the bar.

The Blues started the second half strongly, taking the game to their higher ranked opponents. Within five minutes of the break Nathan Hood shot just over the bar from 20 yards but six minutes later the Blues increased their lead. VICKERAGE did well to flick the ball past the last defender and then made not mistake from 18 yards. However, within sixty seconds Halifax pulled a goal back when Matt Hoyle headed in a left wing cross. Vickerage had the ball in the net again on 69 minutes but his effort was ruled out for offside in the build-up. With Phil Sharpe on holiday, Gary Hatto was taking charge of team affairs and he started to introduce most of his substitutes with the experienced Phil Lindley and Wayne Benn the first to depart the field. Limbrick went agonisingly close to levelling the scores on 76 minutes when he connected brilliantly with a right wing cross to volley inches over the bar as the visitors started to look threatening. On 82 minutes Ryan Mallon rattled Shackleton's right hand post and the follow-up was put over the bar but a minute later Hoyle rammed in the equaliser. 

It seemed the Blues would still claim the win as on 85 minutes VICKERAGE beat the onrushing Halifax 'keeper Craig Parry to a through ball and deftly chipped the ball over him and into the net from 18 yards. However, with just a minute left to play Andy Hoskins fed substitute Ryan Goulden who made no mistake as he slotted the ball past Shackleton from 15 yards.

Click on the 'vote' banner to vote for this site in Yorkshire's Top 100 Football Sites...