Looking to notch up their first win of the new season the Blues got off to a disastrous start when they found themselves behind after just 4 minutes. The Blues defence hesitated as a loose ball bounced in front of Andrew Watson and Matthew Wilkinson, allowing Hucknall to win the ball and subsequently force a corner. From the corner Hucknall forced the ball in to take the lead. Sensing the Blues were none too comfortable with high balls into the box the home side pressed forward sending in crosses which caused the Blues defence problems but after 15 minutes or so the Blues began to haul themselves back into the game. On 22 minutes Andy Hayward and Chris Hurst combined down the left for Hurst to send over a pin-point cross which found the head of Mark Lafferty six yards out but his header was straight at the keeper when he really ought to have scored.

Then on 32 minutes, just as Frickley were starting to look like forcing an equaliser disaster struck again, this time keeper Mark Wilkinson let a tame effort slip through his hands and he could only watch helplessly as the ball trickled into the net.

At half time Andy Watson was replaced by Brendan West and Lafferty by James Watson but it was the home side who came close to extending their lead on 55 minutes but the final shot was dragged wide. Two minutes later Ian Edge cut in from the left and unleashed a 20 yard shot which was well saved only for Hucknall to break and have the ball in the back of the net for a third time but, thankfully, it was disallowed.

On 68 minutes it looked like Frickley were going to get the bit of luck they so desperately needed when james Watson's ball into the box was headed past his own keeper by a defender but a team-mate spared his blushes by clearing off the line. Watson then saw a 25 yard effort fly narrowly over the bar before Hucknall added a third on 80 minutes with a brilliant 25 yard effort which flew into the top right hand corner with Wilkinson given no chance.

The Blues kept plugging away and managed a consolation goal through Hurst following a scramble in the box with 5 minutes left to play and their was still time for Gary Duffty to scoop the ball over an empty net from a tight angle following another goalmouth scramble.

All in all it wasn't a good performance by any stretch of the imagination but we were always struggling against a side which loves to hoof the ball into the box where as we showed on Tuesday we can mix it with the best of them that play the game on the ground.

Frickley Athletic : Mark Wilkinson, Hilton, Fox, A. Watson (West 45), Matt. Wilkinson, Hanby, Duffty, Lafferty (J. Watson 45), Hayward, Hurst, Edge. Unused sub. Bashforth