Official Frickley Athletic Website 

www.frickleyafc.co.uk

Tuesday 23rd March - Stalybridge Celtic 5-0 Frickley Athletic

With Wayne Benn and Duncan Richards still suspended, Paul Marquis unavailable, Dominique Krief injured and Steve Woolford unable to get to the game in time to start Phil Sharpe was forced to reshuffle his side again. In came Dan Sheriffe, Chris Fawcus, Dale Rimmington and Mark Lafferty, with Woolford having a place on the bench.

After a lively start from the home side the Blues began to settle. After 8 minutes Steve Robinson saw his low shot through a crowded penalty area go straight into the hand of Cletic keeper Andy Ralph. Shortly afterwards Mark Smith got clear down the right and sent over a cross which was deflected for a corner. From the flag kick Lafferty shot narrowly over the bar. The home side took the lead on 19 minutes when Chris Denham scored with an angled drive that somehow found its way past Jon Hood and into the net. Celtic had an enormous let-off on the half-hour when Rimmington's ball forward saw Lee Morris beat the advancing Ralph to the ball but as he lifted the ball over the keeper, Ralph clearly blocked the ball with his arms some 5 yards outside the box. Amazingly Ralph got away with his actions as the referee looked at his assistant who indicated the ball had struck Ralph's chest! Five minutes later Sheriffe sent over a cross from the left that just eluded both Morris and Smith at the far post when the slightest touch would have brought a goal. Almost immediately Hood was called upon to block an angled shot from Denham and then minutes later he pulled off a great one-handed save to block a 30 yard free-kick. Hood had luck on his side just before the break when Daniel Caldecott's shot, which was going wide, was deflected against Hood and out for a corner by Phil Eastwood from 15 yards.

Half time saw Woolford replace Rimmington but 2 minutes later the Blues were 2 goals down with former Frickley player Andy Hayward glancing a header into the top corner from a right wing cross. On 49 minutes it got worse as a good run from midfield by Nathan Wharton saw him steer the ball past a stranded Hood to add Celtic's third. Gary Hatto went close on 54 minutes but his left-footed shot from 20 yards grazed the outside of the left hand post. Two minutes later Fawcus was adjudged to have handled in the box and Eastwood converted the penalty. The nearest the Blues came to a consolation was on 83 minutes when Sheriffe met Smith's left wing cross with a low first time volley from 18 yards which flew inches wide of the left hand post with Ralph well beaten.

Frickley Athletic : Hood, Pugh, Fawcus, Lindley, Lafferty, Rimmington (Woolford 45), Robinson, Hatto (Nesa 62), Morris, Sheriffe, Smith. Unused sub. Richardson

Attendance : 374

Referee : Mr. P. Bennett

Click on the 'vote' banner to vote for this site in Yorkshire's Top 100 Football Sites...