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The Blues gave a poor showing as they slipped to their sixth successive defeat against Vauxhall Motors who exposed the Blues' defensive frailties once again. Steve Richards brought in two Turkish players, Georges Santos and Soner Zumiutell with Santos coming into midfield in place of Rob Hanby who dropped into the right back position whilst Zumiutell started on the right wing allowing Carl Fothergill to operate as a central striker along side Scott Collins.

In difficult blustery conditions Frickley were just staring to get into their stride when the home side took the lead with an opportunist strike from Lynch who planted a low shot from outside the box beyond the reach of Martin Kearney in the 10th minute. Santos went close with a header which the home keeper save comfortably on 15 minutes but on 23 minutes Vauxhall extended their lead. Some slack defending saw the ball given away to a Vauxhall forward in the centre of the Blues half. The ball was played out to the right and then crossed into the box where Fearns scored unmarked at the far post. A minute later the Blues managed one of their better moves of the game when a good ball by Santos sent Graham Lewis away down the left. He sent over a good cross which eluded everyone but fell to Zumiutell on the right who immediately returned the ball into the danger area where Simon Collins met it with a header but he could get little power in his effort which the keeper saved under the bar. Slowly the Blues were starting to come more into the game and two minutes later Carl Fothergill sent Zumiutell down the right. He cut into the box before picking out SANTOS who controlled and then volleyed in. Fothergill then ran at the home defence before shooting straight at the keeper.

Playing more with the gusting wind, the Blues started the second half well and were extremely unlucky not to get back on level terms within a minute of the restart. Lewis won a corner down the left which Simon Collins curled in. Lewis managed a snapshot through a crowded box which came back off the inside of the post to Zumiutell who sent a goalbound shot in which was deflected against the outside of the opposite post and out for another corner. For a while it seemed just a matter of time before the Blues drew level as Lewis broke into the box from the left after a good cross-field ball by Steve Price had picked him out. Lewis then cut it back to Zumiutell but the keeper rushed out to block his shot from 12 yards. However, on 58 minutes the referee rather harshly penalised Dean Jones for a challenge just over half way and from the resulting free-kick a Vauxhall player was left completely unmarked on the left of the box to play the ball across goal to the far post where Fearns was on hand to score his second and Vauxhall's third. Gary Duffty was brought into the attack in place of Zumiutell with Fothergill moving out wide but apart from a thunderous 30 yard effort by Simon Collins which the keeper just managed to push round the post at full stretch the Blues created very little whilst the defence continued to look stretched.

This was certainly a game which Frickley should have been able to gain three points from. Vauxhall were, at best, an average side but they were more hungry for the ball and the Blues continually shot themselves in the foot with poor play.

Frickley Athletic : Kearney, Hanby, Gowan, Simon Collins, Jones, Santos (Matt. Wilkinson 63), Lewis, Price, Scott Collins (P. Wilkinson 76), Zumiutell (Matt. Wilkinson 63), Fothergill