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Tuesday 5th April - Radcliffe Borough 0-0 Frickley Athletic

A greatly improved performance saw Frickley unfortunate not to take all three points from this evening's trip to Radcliffe Borough as they kept the home side side in check for most of the game, especially during the first half when Radcliffe weren't allowed even a sniff of Gary Ingham's goal. 

Gary Marrow was without the unavailable Steve Woolford and the injured Phil Lindley whilst Simon Collins was dropped to the subs. bench with Steve Kennedy moving into midfield and Dean Foley replacing him in the defence. Wael Nazha returned to the side as Marrow opted to return to playing three strikers and Calum Selby came in at left back.

Playing down the slope Frickley started the game in much more determined fashion than had showed in their two more recent matches and had a half chance after just 3 minutes when a poor defensive header saw Wael Nazha head the ball across goal for Neil Ashley whose lunge saw him knock the ball past 'keeper Andy Johnston but the ball was scrambled off the line. Frickley were hardly letting Radcliffe out fo their own half but they had to wait until the 20th minute before they tested Johnston again. This time Nazha held the ball up well down the left before laying it back to Selby who in turn picked out Lee Pugh on the edge of the box. Pugh immediately fired in a great shot which looked destined for the top right hand corner only for Johnston to push the ball around the post. Four minutes later Nazha received the ball to the right of the Radcliffe box and swivelled to fire an angled shot into the side netting. Nazha then ought to have given Frickley the lead when Steve Robinson's throw-in from the right found its way to the onrushing Nazha on the edge of the box but with a a clear sight of goal he fired over the bar from 18 yards.

Frickley found the opening stages of the second half more difficult than the first half as they played up the slope but it was a quick break down the right from Gary Sampson which led to their first attempt at goal on 55 minutes but he fired his shot wide of the right hand post. A minute later Ciaran Kilheeney turned and volleyed straight at Gary Ingham from 20 yards but this was the extent of Radcliffe's assault on Ingham's goal. As the game wore on it was Frickley who looked the more likely side to score as on 72 minutes Robinson's throw from the right found Leroy Chambers, who was being pulled and tugged by two Radcliffe defenders just inside the box. However, Chambers did brilliantly to turn between them and fire a powerful angled shot inches over the bar from 16 yards. Ten minutes later Kennedy picked out Chambers on the left with a great cross-field ball. He cut inside before finding Ashley's run from midfield, with the blond midfielder immediately releasing the unmarked Andy Evans who cut into the box from the left but shot well over the bar. Then, as the game entered stopped time Selby sent over a good cross from the left which picked out Chambers only for his header goalwards to be clearly blocked by a defender's outstretched arm but amazingly the referee waved away claims for a penalty.