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Saturday 19th October - Runcorn FC Halton 0-1 Frickley Athletic

Phil Sharpe started with largely the same side that lined up against Gainsborough Trinity last Tuesday with the exception of Curtis Bernard partnering Andy Evans up front.

The home side went close in the opening minutes but Chris Lightfoot's header from a free-kick went wide of the right hand post. The Blues responded with Bernard forcing Tony McMillan to tip over his header following a good cross from Nigel Hemstock but in the fifth minute Mark Samways had to be alert to save from Kevin Leadbetter. Leadbetter, who was causing the Blues problems down the left, then popped up on the right to pick out Dave Gamble but his miss-hit shot was cleared for a corner. After 23 minutes the Blues broke down the right with Hemstock sending over a great cross which Craig Elkin headed over at the near post. On the half hour Leadbetter headed well over from Steve Carragher's right wing cross for the home side whilst on 36 minutes Andy Evans was fouled to the right of the penalty area. The free-kick was tapped to Chris Gowen who saw his 20 yard shot fly just over the bar. Dominic Morley then dragged a low 18 yard shot wide of the left hand post for Runcorn. Just before half time the Blues played some nice one touch football down the left with Mark Hancock flicking the ball on to Bernard who in turn fed Evans whose first time lob from 30 yards dropped just over the bar. Runcorn should have taken the lead on the stroke of half time when a long clearance out of defence saw Matty McNeil sprint clear of the Blues defence only for him to shoot wide of the left hand post as Samways came out to meet him.

The home side started the second half the stronger and had a golden opportunity on 51 minutes when Lightfoot seized on a weak back header but, from 12 yards out, he blasted his angled shot wide of the right hand post. Sharpe was then forced into a reshuffle as Marquis hobbled off with a hamstring injury and was replaced by Mark Hine who went into midfield. Evans and Hancock both dropped back into the defence, no doubt to combat the threat of Runcorn's tall forward McNeil. On 58 minutes the Blues had a lucky escape as they failed to deal with a free-kick, with the ball dropping kindly to Lee Parle but he shot wide from 6 yards. The Blues then had a great chance to take the lead as substitute lee Morris chased a lost cause to keep the ball in when a Runcorn defender tried to let it run out for a goal-kick. Morris immediately cut in towards goal and laid the ball into the path of Barnard who had made a great run into space but he shot over from 10 yards. However, a minute later the Blues took the lead. Bernard sent Morris clear down the left and he sent over a cross which was flicked on to ELKIN who made no mistake from 10 yards. Almost immediately Runcorn came close to snatching an equaliser when a powerful header from a right wing corner was headed off the line by Gowen. Chris Price then scuffed an 18 yard shot wide of the left hand post as Runcorn pushed for an equaliser in the closing minutes. Two minutes into stoppage time Runcorn substitute Wes Kinney got past Evans down the right and sent over a dangerous cross which was half cleared only as far as Price on the edge of the box but his shot was charged down.

Frickley Athletic : Samways, Richards, Gowen, Elkin, Jackson, Marquis (Hine 54), Hancock, Hemstock (Morris 57), Evans, Bernard (Williams 82), Nesa

Attendance : 228 

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