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Saturday 14th February - Frickley Athletic 0-0 Harrogate Town

The Blues and Harrogate town fought out a thoroughly entertaining game in muddy conditions with the only thing missing being goals. With Duncan Richards and Steve Robinson having served their suspensions and Lee Pugh having recovered from illness both Richards and Pugh came back into the starting eleven with Robinson having to be content with a place on the bench. Barnsley Academy 'keeper Marc Shackleton was preferred in goal to Jon Hood.

Lee Morris had the first sight of goal when after 3 minutes he volleyed wide of the right hand post following Simon Sturdy's poor headed clearance from Wayne Benn's cross. On 10 minutes for Whitby Town forward Aron Wilford got clear in the Blues' box but Shackleton got down well to block his shot and James Turley then shot wide from the rebound. Minutes later Turley got a away from Gary Hatto to surge into the box but Shackleton pulled off a great save to push away his attempted chip. Harrogate were threatening to tear the Blues' defence apart as shortly afterwards a good long ball from Mark Atkins found Colin Hunter in space down the left of the box, he squared to Turley but he took too long, allowing Hatto to get back quickly to crowd him out. At the other end Dominique Krief headed wide from a Richards cross whilst on 21 minutes the Blues could consider themselves extremely unlucky not to take the lead. Dan Sheriffe sent Krief away down the left and he easily skipped past Nail Aspin to the byeline before cutting the ball back to Nick Richardson whose first time shot was goalbound only for it to strike Morris on the 6 yard line and deflect over the bar. Hunter then got clear again for Harrogate but this time Phil Lindley got back to make a great tackle to prevent him getting a shot in. On 32 minutes Wilford headed over from close range whilst on 35minutes the blues had a let-off when former Leeds United midfielder Mark Ford pushed the ball past Hatto to break into the box and then pushed it past the advancing Shackleton only to lose control and roll the ball past the left hand post. Just before half time Richardson flicked on a Hatto corner but Paul Marquis' lunge saw him just fail to connect with the goal at his mercy.

Half time saw Robinson replace Marquis, with Benn dropping back into defence. The Blues made their intention felt almost immediately with Krief shooting wide from 18 yards on 48 minutes whilst 7 minutes later Morris went even closer. Pugh played the ball up to him and he turned and ran at Aspin before curling a 22 yard shot which Connor did well to push round the post. On 63 minutes Sheriffe had a good run at the defence but after evading several challenges his final shot went tamely to Connor. Sheriffe then had a 20 yard shot shot Connor saved at second attempt as Morris tried to follow-up whilst the last ten minutes really saw the Blues force some pressure. On 85 minutes a corner was only partly cleared to Krief whose low 18 yard shot had Connor at full stretch to tip the ball round the post. Minutes later substitute Mark Vickerage was brought down some 25 yards out. Krief too the free-kick which forced Connor to pull yet another good save to tip the ball around the post. From the resulting corner the ball was half cleared to Lindley who hit a first time shot from 35 yards which again had Connor pulling off a fine save to touch the ball over the bar. Right at the death the visitors had a chance to snatch the three points when the unmarked Robbie Whellans met Richard Dunning's right wing corner with a pwerful header that flew wide of the near post. 

Frickley Athletic : Shackleton, Richards, Hatto, Lindley, Benn, Marquis (Robinson 45), Pugh, Krief, Morris, Richardson (Vickerage 69), Sheriffe. Unused sub. Fawcus 

Harrogate Town :  Connor, Aspin, Barnard, Sturdy, Hudson, Ford, Turley, Atkins, Wilford (McNaughton 77), Naylor (Dunning 61), Hunter (Whellans 61)

Att: 268

Ref : Mr  J Waugh

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