Official Frickley Athletic Website 

The Blues dominated most of this Sheffield & Hallamshire Senior Cup tie but struggled to turn their possession into goals which almost cost them the tie. Twice the Blues were forced to come from behind to edge past a battling Mexborough Main Street side and progress to the Quarter Finals of the competition.

Right from the start the Blues attacked with Simon Collins heading wide of the left hand post on 2 minutes whilst a minute later Paul Tittley fired just wide of the same post from 20 yards after some good work from Graham Lewis. On 8 minutes Carl Fothergill and Lewis combined inside the box for the latter to blast and angled shot wide from 12 yards and Andy Evans then headed down a free-kick by Steve Price to Fothergill who turned and shot over the bar from 8 yards. However, the misses were to prove costly as the visitors took the lead against the run of play through Brannagan on 15 minutes when he cut into the box from the left before firing in an angled shot which Martin Kearney let go straight through his hands. The Blues were soon back on the offensive with Collins putting a 20 yard free-kick just over the bar whilst a corner from the left by the same player went agonisingly across the face of goal with on-one to apply the vital touch on the half hour. On 36 minutes Tittley had a low shot spilled by keeper Hancock and two defenders managed to hack the ball away before Fothergill could apply the finishing touch. With all this pressing at one end the Blues were left wide open at the back on 38 minutes when L. Newey shot over the bar from 6 yards with a clear sight of goal. Two minutes later the Blues finally drew level as Fothergill and Evans combined 25 yards out for EVANS to break clear and slot past Hancock into the bottom right hand corner. Less than a minute later Evans beat Hancock to a long ball out to the right of the box and immediately lifted the ball towards goal only for the ball to hit the top of the crossbar.

The Blues suffered a set-back just two minutes into the second half when Mexborough scored their second as Watkinson beat Kearney to a through ball and calmly slotted the ball past two covering defenders on the goal line from the left of the box. At the other end the Blues still struggled to turn possession into goals as first Gary Duffty's dangerous looking cross from the left bounced off a defender straight into Hancock's arms and then Tittley shot over from 25 yards. On 62 minutes Duffty had the ball in the net but this was disallowed for offside. Two minutes later substitute Pete Myers and Collins both had shots charged down before the Blues' other sub, Steve Oleksewycz, shot over from 10 yards. Oleksewycz then forced a great save from Hancock after a poor back header set him up on the edge of the box and Price was then just inches away from scoring a memorable goal as he picked the ball up in his own half and took it down the right before cutting in to the edge of the box and unleashing a thunderous shot which flew just wide of the left hand post. Oleksewycz then rounded Hancock before squaring across goal only for a defender to clear the danger but in the 75th minute the Blues finally got their reward as DUFFTY headed in at the back post from Myers' cross from the right. Five minutes later the Blues were in front for the first time as OLEKSEWYCZ stumbled through a couple of challenges in the box before slotting past Hancock from 15 yards. The last ten minutes saw the Blues go close to adding a fourth on several occasions with the pick of the chances being Lewis running on to a pass from Collins but Hancock blocked his shot from the edge of the box whilst Oleksewycz missed a great chance as he dragged the ball wide from 10 yards after a long ball from Mark Ogley fell to him via a defender's head.

In other Second Round ties played on Tuesday Doncaster Rovers beat Hallam 2-0 whilst Emley beat Parramore Sports 1-0 with a late winner from Wilson.

Frickley Athletic : Kearney, Simon Collins, Gowan, Tittley (Jones 77), Wordsworth, Ogley, Lewis, Price, Evans (Myers 48), Fothergil (Oleksewycz 58), Duffty.

Attendance : 80

Referee : Steve Wilman (Sheffield)