Official Frickley Athletic Website 

www.frickleyafc.co.uk

Saturday 29th March - Frickley Athletic 1-0 Prescot Cables

A second half header from Jonathan Groome was enough to earn the Blues a deserved three points against Prescot Cables this afternoon. The win moves the Blues up to 12th place in the table - but still only three points above the relegation places.

Playing into a strong wind and rain the Blues found the first half tough going with Jon Hood being forced into a save from Darren Byers' 20 yard shot after just 2 minutes. However, minutes later Scott Turner took advantage of a mistake by Lee Smith to fire in a shot from the edge of the box which Zak Hibbert saved with his legs. Hood then repeated Hibbert's save at the other end by blocking James Croxton's angled 12 yard shot with his legs. Byers fired wide from 20 yards when Liam Kennedy was unmarked in a better position before Ryan Wade got away down the right and sent over a cross which found Kennedy in space 8 yards out but he slipped before he could get a shot in allowing Hood to clear with his legs. Hood then had to tip a curling 30 yard free-kick from Eddie Taylor over the bar at full stretch. As half time neared Turner had another chance for the Blues as he collected a cross from Neil Towler to turn his marker before firing in a shot from 15 yards that struck Karl Bell and rebounded clear.

Having done well to get to half time goalless the Blues had the elements at their backs in the second half and they started strongly, forcing a series of corners. From the second of these Dean Jones stretched to volley just wide of the far post. Chris White had a curling 20 yard shot saved by Hibbert and Lee Morris had a snap-shot from 10 yards deflected just wide with Hibbert stranded. Another series of Frickley corners followed with Phil Lindley finding the net from close range but the goal was disallowed for an earlier infringement. Towler and Danny Walsh combined on the edge of the box for Walsh to curl a shot which looked destined for the top right hand corner until Hibbert flung himself to his left to push the ball away for a corner. White's flag-kick was only cleared as far as Turner on the edge of the box and he chipped the ball to the far post where Groome rose to head in. A rare Prescot attack saw Croxton go close but his low 18 yard drive flew just wide with Hood at full stretch. White had a 25 yard shot comfortably saved and both Walsh and Towler had efforts fly just wide. On 78 minutes Lindley had a close range shot saved on the line following a corner whilst three minutes later Morris looped a header over Hibbert from a Chris Gowen cross but it also just cleared the bar. Morris went even closer on 87 minutes when Groome played a half cleared free-kick back into the box and Morris met it on the volley 8 yards out but his shot clipped the crossbar.

 

Frickley Athletic		Prescot Cables
Jon Hood	1	Zak Hibbert
Scott Turner	2	Peter Murphy
Chris Gowen	3	Lee Smith
Danny Walsh	4	Phil Cooney
Phil Lindley	5	Karl Bell
Dean Jones	6	Jay Bell
Chris Hilton	7	Ryan Wade
Jonathan Groome  59	8	Eddie Taylor
Lee Morris	9	Liam Kennedy
Neil Towler	10	Darren Byers
Chris White	11	James Croxton
Chris Davies	12	Eamon Price (2, 77)
Adam Pollock	14	Steve McEwan (6, 45)
Rob Pell (2, 79)	15	Ian McCauley (11, 68)
Attendance : 240
Referee : Mr. P. Cook