With players Chris Hilton and Chris Hurst picking the side, the Blues bounced back from Tuesday's mauling at Worksop with a much more solid display. Frickley started well with Tommy Brook in particular tormenting the Stocksbridge defence and it was he whose cross found the head of Duane Beckett after only 12 minutes but his effort was brilliantly palmed away by Turner in the Steels goal. Two minutes later Hurst headed over the bar following a corner from the left as the Blues forced a bit of pressure. Steels struck back with ex-Frickley forward Fothergill robbing Hilton and heading towards goal but Hilton recovered to win the ball back with a great tackle. Then some good football down the right involving Nicky Cranston, Hurst and Gary Duffty opened up the Steels defence but no-one could quite get to Duffty's cross. On 37 minutes Steels came close to scoring but Mark Wilkinson saved with his feet before on the stroke of half time Duane Beckett latched onto a through ball by Hurst to lob Turner but the Assistant Referee's flag was already raised.

The second half saw the visitors enjoy a good spell immediately after the break with Fearon having a header well saved by Wilkinson with Flynn putting the follow-up over the bar. At the other end James Watson had a header blocked following Cranston's right wing corner and Brook skied the follow-up. Steels then twice came close to taking the lead. First, on 61 minutes, Wilkinson was forced to palm away a powerful header by Wainwright and then on 63 minutes he pulled off a brilliant one handed save to turn away a close range flick header by Fothergill. Frickley struck back with Brook attacking down the left and cutting the ball back to Hurst but his effort was deflected narrowly wide for a corner. Then, on 83 minutes, the two Blues substitutes, Ian Edge and Joe McAreavey combined to create the winner. Edge beat Ronan on the left before feeding McAreavey who ran at the Steels defence before shooting but his effort was blocked. The ball bounced back to him and he hit it low and hard across goal where BECKETT knocked it in from close range. Immediately Wilkinson was called into action at the other end, being forced to save a tame shot from Askey when he had more time and then on 87 minutes Beckett again had the ball in the net but this was again ruled out for offside.

What a difference four days makes! With some of the more experienced players, such as Hurst, Hilton and Beckett back in the side and playing in accustomed positions they actually played as a team. There is still the need for a goalscorer but at least there is now something we can build on. Incidentally, ten of the eleven that played today also played against Hyde which was probably our best performance of the season - makes you wonder why the team was changed since!

Frickley Athletic : Mark Wilkinson, Hilton, Fox, Watson, Lafferty, Brook (Edge 73), Cranston (McAreavey 80), Hurst, Duffty, Hanby, Beckett. Unused subs. Collins, West, Bashforth

Stocksbridge Park Steels : Turner, Ronan, Longden (Fidler 87), Wainwright, Fearon, Brown, Robinson, Flynn, Hurlstone, Fothergill (Askey 70), Biggins. Unused subs. Siddall, Ryan, Glover

Attendance :