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Tuesday 4th March - Frickley Athletic 0-0 Hucknall Town

The Blues gave their best performance for quite a while as they threw everything at Hucknall but were unable to make the all important breakthrough with Hucknall goalkeeper Ryan Young being in outstanding form to deny the Blues.

Frickley stated their intent right from the kick off as they forced Hucknall onto the back foot. Steve Woolford went close after just 4 minutes but his 20 yard shot went wide of the left hand post. Lee Morris and Curtis Bernard in particular where causing Hucknall problems but full back Gary Reece was the next to go close when he picked up a square pass from Mark Hancock to hit a thunderous shot from 30 yards that Young pushed over the bar. Hucknall had their first chance on 23 minutes when Danny Mayman volleyed Carl Adam's swirling cross into Mark Samways' arms at his near post. The Blues were soon back on the attack with Paul Marquis meeting Hancock's right wing free-kick with a powerful header that Young again palmed over after 28 minutes. A minute later Gary Hatto saw his close range overhead kick punched away by Young before Hucknall broke away but after Mark Nangle got clear he  drilled his angled shot wide of Samways' right hand post. The Blues were denied a penalty on 37 minutes when Reece got away down the right to send over a great cross which Hatto looked odds on to head in from 6 yards but he was pushed and missed the ball completely, with Referee Mr Margetson waving away penalty claims. Things got worst worse for the official minutes later as he failed to penalise a clear elbow offence on Hancock who had to receive off-the field  treatment on a cut head wound. Another foul on Morris also went unchecked and almost immediately Antony Jackson committed a reckless challenge on a Hucknall player out of frustration. A melee then ensued  which eventually resulted in a booking for Jackson and a Hucknall player, along with a straight red card for manager Phil Sharpe who had also become involved in the scuffle. In truth several players from both sides could, and should have been sent off as numerous fists were flying. After play resumed Samways had to be alert to save a header from Marquis who almost scored an unfortunate own goal.

The second half didn't quite live up to the first in goal mouth action but more than made up for it in strange refereeing decisions. Hancock saw his deep free-kick from the right palmed from under the bay by Young on 65 minutes and then, from the corner, Hancock sent in a rocket-like shot from 25 yards which Young palmed over. Just minutes later Hancock spotted Woolford's run into the box but his floated pass was headed wide by an overstretching Woolford. Mr Margetson then went through a spell of continually over-ruling his Assistant Referee's, even when they were much better placed than himself. On 84 minutes Hancock volleyed wide of the left hand post from a half cleared corner as the Blues tried desperately to get a richly deserved winner. A minute later Reece suffered an injury as  Hucknall's Michael Savage took the ball from him and turned inside Jackson who made a great block as Savage tried to shoot. Mr Margetson then seemed completely oblivious to a clear foul on Phil Lindley in the last minute who was pulled back by the neck as he tried to break down the left. As the ball eventually went out of play for a throw-in Hancock threw the ball into the ground in disgust and rather unsurprisingly found himself booked.

Frickley Athletic : Samways, Reece (Richards 85), O'Brien, Woolford, Jackson, Marquis, Hancock, Morris, Bernard (Newton 77), Lindley, Hatto. Unused sub. Sharpe.

Attendance : 138

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