Official Frickley Athletic Website 

www.frickleyafc.co.uk

Saturday 15th January - Prescot Cables  0-2  Frickley Athletic

The Blues gained a comprehensive victory over Prescot Cables after being in almost total control of the game from start to finish. Chances came and went from first minute to last and it looked like it was going to be "one of those days" until Andy Evans opened the scoring with a trademark header following a free-kick. Wael Nazha wrapped the game up with five minutes to play.

Steve Woolford returned to the side due to the absence of Neil Ashley whilst Dean Foley was passed fit to play and Adam Russell came in to take a place on the substitute's bench.

Attacking with a breeze behind them the Blues had a good chance to open the scoring within the first two minutes when Leroy Chambers found himself clear of the defence as he cut in from the left but his weak shot was too close to the 'keeper who saved comfortably. Minutes later Chambers was the provider as he laid the ball off to Wael Nazha on the right who cut inside before firing in a powerful angled 25 yard shot which Andy Paxton did well to push past the post for a corner. Calum Selby's flag-kick was half cleared as far as Steve Kennedy some 20 yards out who controlled the ball before shooting low through the crowded Penalty area but Paxton was equal to his effort. Prescot managed their first attempt at goal after 11 minutes but Mark Peer's 20 yard shot was comfortably collected by Gary Ingham. Matt Daly was forced off after 18 minutes with an injury and was replaced by Richard Tracey, with Kennedy dropping back into the defence. The Blues thought they had taken the lead on 23 minutes when Steve Robinson's long cross from the right was headed past his own keeper by David Chadwick from just inside the box as Paxton came out but with Nazha and Paxton both trying to reach the ball as it bounced into the goal the goal was disallowed as 

Dean Foley's 1st half header from a corner is deflected off a defender's head and out for another corner.

Nazha was adjudged to have fouled Paxton. Almost immediately Prescot responded with Ingham having to be alert to tip the ball onto the crossbar as a cross from the left deflected goalwards off Kennedy. However, the Blues were soon back on the attack with Evans shooting from 15 yards but his low shot hit the side netting. The Blues then forced a series of corners, one of which saw Dean Foley power a header goalwards but the ball deflected wide off a defender's head. Nazha then turned and volleyed just over the bar from 18 yards as the Blues finished the half on top

The Blues started the second half in much the same way as they left off in the first. After 49 minutes Chambers did well to beat Simon garner down the right before sending over a cross which Pugh flicked on to Evans but his first time shot was deflected wide for a corner. Evans saw his 20 yard shot drop just wide of the right hand post on 53 minutes before the Blues finally took the lead on 71 minutes. Robinson lofted the ball into the box from a free-kick just over half way and EVANS rose to power in an angled header from 12 yards via the right hand post. The Blues' defence had to endure a nervy ten minutes as the home side pushed forward looking for an equaliser but the defence coped competently with everything that Prescot could throw at them whilst the Blues continued to look dangerous on the break. On 85 minutes the Blues wrapped the game up as a contest when Chambers broke down the left and played the ball over the defence for NAZHA to burst into the box and drill a low shot past Paxton from 15 yards. There was still time for the Blues to go close to adding to the scoreline when in stoppage time Chambers found himself clear in the box bu8t Paxton blocked his shot with his legs and substitute Stuart Preston put the rebound over the bar from 20 yards.