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Thursday 22nd July - Frickley Athletic 2-3 Leeds United XI

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The Blues gave Leeds United’s Reserve team a fright before the professional outfit finally came through to earn the victory. Phil Sharpe started with arguably his strongest side yet of pre-season, with Phil Lindley back from holiday and returning to the defence whilst last season’s long term injury victim Antony Jackson was fit enough for a place on the bench. 

Frickley started brightly and got off to a flying start with Troy Bennett putting them ahead within 3 minutes. Steve Robinson sent over a long throw from the right which found its way through to Bennett who fired a low shot in from 10 yards. Minutes later Mark Vickerage had an angled shot well saved by goalkeeper Mark Wilberforce and the Lindley headed over following a corner.  Leeds threatened themselves with Andy Keogh in particular causing problems for the Blues’ defence. On 8 minutes he broke clear but shot just wide of the right hand post as Marc Shackleton came out but the Blues went close to extending their lead on 10 minutes but Nathan Hood’s volley from a half cleared Robinson throw-in sailed inches over the bar. Leeds grabbed an equaliser on 17 minutes when a long ball out of defence came off the head of Matthew Plant and fell kindly for Keogh to coolly slot the ball passed Shackleton. Sixty second later Keogh again broke into the box but his angled drive was well blocked by goalkeeper Marc Shackleton, only for the ball to ricochet off Phil Lindley and into the net. Frickley equalised on 38 minutes when James Walker challenged Wilberforce for a high ball with the ball bouncing off the face of the crossbar into the path of Neil Gamewell who scored from close range. On 44 minutes a Leeds corner from the left was knocked back across the face of goal by Robbie Constable into the path of James Bowler whose snapshot from 6 yards was straight at Shackleton. 

Three minutes after half time Harpal Singh cut into the box from the right hand side but his low shot was well blocked by Shackleton. Vickerage then played the ball inside McDaid for Walker who did well to get a boot to the ball at full stretch but his shot cleared the bar from 18 yards. Leeds’ winner came on 57 minutes when Martin Woods played the ball inside Lindley and Wayne Benn for Singh to take the ball around Shackleton and then stroke it into the empty net. Keogh missed a golden opportunity to add a fourth when he screwed an 8 yard shot inches wide of the left hand post. At the other end Walker missed a good chance to level the scores when a wayward pass from Leeds in midfield saw Jackson head the ball into the path of Walker who sprinted clear of the Leeds defence, slightly to the right of goal but his angled shot was sliced into the side netting from 15 yards. A minute later a Leeds cross from the right saw Singh play the ball into the path of Keogh who tapped into the net from close range but he had strayed into an offside position and the goal was ruled out. As full time neared substitute Lee Wilkinson was unfortunate to see his glancing header from a Gary Hatto free-kick fly straight at Wilberforce.

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