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Saturday 28th October - Hednesford Town 1-2 Frickley Athletic

The Blues suffered a 2-1 defeat at Hednesford Town this afternoon, although manager Billy Heath was left wondering how his team failed to take anything from the game. Hednesford took a 2-0 half time lead before Rob Pell took advantage of some bizarre defending to pull a goal back. However, Town 'keeper Ryan Young pulled off several fine saves to deny the Blues an equaliser.

With Steve Kennedy still injured Billy Heath kept faith with the same side that performed so well on Tuesday evening against Guiseley.

The home side almost snatched the lead within the first three minutes as Darren Alexander rose unmarked to meet a right wing corner but his effort came back off the far post. Two minutes later Pell has a great chance to give the Blues the lead as he siezed on a knock-down from Paul Palmer but fired over the bar from 12 yards. The Blues were made to pay for the miss four minutes later as Mario Pedro cut in unchallenged from the right to fire an angled shot just inside the far post from 18 yards. Within minutes Pell sent Paul Palmer bursting clear but he was dragged back by Tom Marshall who was perhaps a little fortunate to only receive a yellow card. Pell then fed Palmer again who broke clear but his shot from 25 yards went over the bar. The home side extended their lead on 21 minutes when when Chad Sheppard curled a low 25 yard free-kick inside the right hand post. Three minutes later it seemed the Blues' day was going to go from bad to worse when Jon Hood was penalised for handling the ball outside the box. Strangely, the assistant referee who was in the better position didn't flag but the referee, who was some 20 yards away, decided Hood had carried the ball outside this area and awarded the free-kick. However, he decided to only caution Hood when most Frickley fans expected a red card. On 36 minutes Danny Moore sent Alex Callery clean through on goal but he pushed the ball too far ahead, allowing Ryan Young to smother at his feet. A minute later Callery went closer when he siezed on Young's poor clearance to volley the ball back goalwards from 25 yards but it flew inches wide of the right hand post.

The Blues started the second half positively with Danny Walsh putting a low 22 yard shot just wide of the right hand post after 53 minutes but, minutes later, Phil Hadland turned to fire over the bar from 6 yards. Heath made a double substitution on 59 minutes replacing the injured Palmer with Mark Ward and Callery with Paul Rickers. The Blues gained a foot-hold back into the game after 62 minutes. Ward had just fired wide when Young took a short goal kick to Marshall on the edge of the box. However, he was dispossessed by PELL who drove the ball past Young from 15 yards. With 12 minutes to go Pell sent Ward clear but, as he reached the edge of the box he was brought down from behind by Iain Screaton who undoubtedly should have been sent off but received just a yellow card. Unfortunately, Pell's free-kick was blocked by the defensive wall. As the game entered the final minutes the Blues threw everything at the home side as they looked for an equaliser with Steve Heath  moving up front. On 90 minutes the Blues forced a series of corners and, from the second of these, Chris Hilton fired in a scuffed shot from 18 yards which fell to Moore 6 yards out. He turned and hit a goal-bound shot which Young did brilliantly to tip over the bar. Two minutes into stoppage time Moore sent over a great cross from the right which Ward met with a diving header at the near post but Young grasped the ball on the line.