Official Frickley Athletic Website 

Frickley were dealt a blow when Pete Myers was considered unfit to play after being the victim of an attempted mugging, having damaged his right hand (see News). Things then got steadily worse as the Blues contrived to give one of their poorest displays for a while to suffer a heavy defeat at the hands of a mediocre Marine side.

Playing into a string wind in the first half the Blues found themselves a goal down after just 52 seconds when Neil Black controlled the ball well inside the box to fire past Mark Wilkinson. Just three minutes later the same player added a second for the home side as he chased a long clearance which Dean Jones missed, leaving Black to advance on goal and score past Wilkinson from the edge of the box. The Blues slowly started to string a few passes together and were unfortunate not to pull a goal back on 20 minutes when Simon Collins volleyed just wide of the left hand post from 18 yards with goalkeeper Chris Clarke beaten. Nine minutes later Andy Evans hit an angled 12 yard drive into the side netting as the Blues enjoyed more possession. However, just as it seemed as though the Blues had weathered the storm the home side pushed forward just before the break. First a Black shot from 18 yards hit the side netting then, on 43 minutes, Black got goal side of Mark Place before seeing his low shot well blocked by Wilkinson before a corner was conceded. The corner was played to the back post where John Gautrey headed un past Wilkinson and Place on the line.

At half time Scott Collins and Mark Ogley replaced Chris Gowan (who had picked up a knock) and Gary Duffty with the defence switching to a back three with Rob Hanby and Scott Collins playing down the wings whilst Graham Lewis moved up front alongside Leroy Chambers and Evans. After 13 minutes of the second half this change around had brought no reward and Evans was replaced by Russ White who, with virtually his first touch, hit a well struck 25 yard drive which flew fractionally wide of the left hand upright. At the other end Wilkinson was forced to save with his legs after Place had been outpaced down the Blues' left. Just after the hour mark the Blues managed to force a series of corners, the second of which saw Simon Collins' left wing kick headed off the line by a Marine defender with Clarke well beaten but that was about as good as it got for the Blues. A minute later, in the 66th minute, Marine wrapped the game up when a break down the left saw Wilkinson push away an angled drive but Rick Bainbridge followed up to score into an empty net for Marine's fourth. The Blues offered little by means of a reply until the dying minutes when Steve Price saw a low 20 yard shot well smothered by Clarke and then Simon Collins saw his 25 yard effort pushed round the post by Clarke but it was too little, too late.

Frickley Athletic : Wilkinson, Simon Collins, Gowan (Scott Collins 45), Hanby, Place, Jones, Lewis, Price, Evans (White 58), Chambers, Duffty (Ogley 45).

Referee : Allan Rawcliffe (Failsworth)