Steve Richards stuck with the same side that accounted for Bamber Bridge two weeks ago with the only change being Martin Fox replacing the suspended Ian Edge as substitute. In a game not too dissimilar to the Hyde game at the start of the month the Blues came from behind to carve out enough chances to have been home and dry by half time but let the visitors come back into the game after the break and were forced to settle for a point.

After just 2 minutes Rob Hanby went close with a half volley from the edge of the box which the keeper flapped at but it bobbled just wide of the post. A minute later Hanby was involved again as he robbed a defender to put Graham Lewis clear down the right. His cross was missed by a defender which let in Chris Hurst but Winstanley in the Runcorn goal pulled off a brilliant blocking save to deny him. Howver, after this encouraging opening, disaster struck three minutes later when Runcorn's first attack of the game saw them take the lead. David Ness got on the end of a cross from the right to loop a header into the top right hand corner from 18 yards. But two minutes later the Blues drew level when a corner from the left was headed in by LEROY CHAMBERS despite Runcorn's efforts to clear off the line which was confirmed by the Assistant Referee. Chris Hurst ought to have given the Blues the lead on 11 minutes when he headed agonisingly wide from close range but Danny Salt was guilty of a similar miss at the other end for the visitors on 18 minutes. Hurst again went close with a downward header which Winstanley almost spilled on 20 minutes whilst Andy Carney was forced to pull off a good save to deny Runcorn's Chris Price following a good run down the right by McAllister. Hurst came even closer to giving the Blues the lead on 28 minutes when he headed against the bar from Steve Price's free-kick on the right and then Dean Jones headed over from close range following a corner from the right by Lee Stratford.

Runcorn started to boss the second half with Carney doing well to turn a shot by McAllister over the bar and then the referee ruled that Jones' interception which Carney picked up was a back-pass and awarded a free-kick some 10 yards out but the Blues managed to clear the kick as it was chipped to the far post. Slowly the Blues managed to come back into the game and Winstanley was almost caught out by a deflected 20 yard effort from Price but he recovered to claim the ball. Richards then brought on Gary Duffty and Phil Brown as he looked to take all three points and this set up a frantic finish. On 80 minutes Brown put an 28 yard shot narrowly over the bar before Hurst should have scored the winner when Chambers pulled the ball back to him on the edge of the box but, with the keeper out of position, he fired woefully over the bar. As the Blues continued to forced the pressure a corner from the right was headed powerfully goalbound but it struck a defender on the line and was cleared and then, with almost the last kick of the match, Price shot over from the edge of the box after Chambers set him up.

Frickley Athletic : Carney, Gregory (Brown 77), Matt. Wilkinson, Jones, Ogley, Hanby (Duffty 77), Lewis, S. Price, Chambers, Hurst, Stratford. Unused sub. Fox

Runcorn : Winstanley, Salt, Ness, Ellis, McNally, Tomlinson, C. Price, Robinson, McAllister, Lunt, Watson. Subs. Benson, Chantler, Cowley.

Attendance : 197