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Saturday 2nd December - Leek Town 0-1 Frickley Athletic

Neil Ashley scored his first goal for the club to earn the Blues all three points from today's trip to Leek Town. After a poor first half, Ashley met Steve Robinson's right wing cross with a bullet-like header from 12 yards that went in off the underside of the crossbar after 51 minutes. The win moved the Blues up to 12th place in the UniBond Premier Division.

With Martin Thacker available to return to the side Dean Jones was dropped to the substitutes bench whilst Jon Hood returned after serving his one-match suspension last week.

The first half was pretty much a non-event with few serious attempts at goal at either end, although Steve Brannan put an angled shot narrowly over Hood's bar after 13 minutes. The Blues had a good chance after 24 minutes when Mark Ward cut in from the left before firing in a 20 yard shot which Peter Collinge couldn't hold but he did well to deny Chris Hilton as he looked odds-on to fire in the rebound. Eight minutes before half time Hood was called on to get down well to smother a low angled drive from Karl Rendall.

The Blues took the lead with their first real attack of the second half. Ward held the ball up down the right before laying it back to Robinson who swung over a great cross with pace that ASHLEY met with a tremendous header which crashed into the net via the under side of the crossbar. The game opened up for a while with Paul Palmer having a 20 yard shot well saved by Collinge and Steve Heath having his header blocked on the line following Martin Thacker's right wing corner. Ashley also had a low 18 yard shot fly just wide of the right hand post after 68 minutes. Leek threw players forward in search of an equaliser but the nearest they came was in the 89th minute when Hood had to be alert to smother a close range shot through a crowded box at the foot of the right hand post.