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Monday 12th April - Frickley Athletic 2-1 Wakefield & Emley

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The Blues finally got back to winning ways at the ninth time of asking as they did the double over neighbours Wakefield & Emley. With Marc Shackleton fit again to return in goal Jon Hood was left out, although the rest of the starting line-up was the same as that which faced Whitby Town on Saturday.

The visitors forced a couple of early corners which didn't really trouble the Blues' goal whilst Aaron Downes headed over the bar following a Gary Hatto free-kick and then Hatto himself volleyed over the bar from 20 yards for the Blues. On 5 minutes Nick Richardson's dangerous cross towards Craig Nelthorpe was tipped over the bar by Nicky Scaife. From Hatto's corner Downes knocked the ball goalwards but Max Joice headed off the line, only for DAN SHERIFFE to follow-up and score from close range. Emley went close on 15 minutes when  Robert Pell back-headed over from 6 yards and had a great opportunity to level minutes later when Shackleton came to meet a long throw is but could only palm the ball straight to an Emley players who miss-kicked from 8 yards. At the other end Lee Morris headed straight at Scaife from 6 yards following a Hatto free-kick on the right as the Blues continued to look dangerous going forward. The Blues got their reward on 27 minutes when Ricjardson won the ball in midfield and sent Morris racing clear. The Blues' leading scorer coolly lobbed the advancing Scaife from 18 yards but the ball bounced up and off the crossbar but SHERIFFE followed up to blast the ball into the roof of the net. Emley pulled a goal back on 36 minutes when Joice threaded the ball behind Hatto for Lee Ryan to beat Shackleton from 16 yards. Four minutes later it could have been 2-2 as Pell found himself in space inside the box but blazed over from 12 yards. Just before half time Morris was cynically chopped down by Dean Fearon 20 yards out as he shaped to shoot, with the ball running on to Richardson who shot over from 18 yards. Fearon rightly received a yellow card for his trouble. Seconds later Sheriffe saw his shot from just inside the box tipped over by Scaife.

The second half was almost a non-event compared to the first. Within 60 seconds of the restart Shackleton had to be out quickly to clear as Pell bore down on goal whilst under pressure from Phil Lindley. A minute later Hatto volleyed just wide of the left hand post from 20 yards following a poorly cleared corner being played back to him. The visitors were enjoying more possession and looking much more dangerous than they had in the first half, although Shackleton was rarely troubled. Just after the hour Joice turned inside Richards on the edge of the box but fired just wide of the left hand post as the Blues were continually conceding possession. The introduction of lee Pugh for Nelthorpe improved things slightly but the Blues were nowhere near as fluent as in the first half. Sheriffe did go close to claiming his hat-trick twice in quick succession. First, on 76 minutes he turned inside Nicky Wood on the left hand corner of the box before firing in an angled shot which beat Scaife but struck the top of the crossbar, then minutes later he again beat Wood on the left of the box but this time his shot just cleared the bar. Morris then got away down the right and cut into the box but his ball across goal towards Richardson was knocked behind by Wood. With 5 minutes left a high ball into the Blues box from the right saw Pell challenge Shackleton for the ball, which landed at the feet of Andy Wright but the referee blew for a foul on Shackleton before Wright sidefooted into an empty net. The last kick of the game saw Richardson break from midfield but his shot from just inside the box was cut out by Wood.

Frickley Athletic : Shackleton, Richards, Hatto, Lindley, Downes, Richardson, Robinson, Benn, Morris, Sheriffe, Nelthorpe (Pugh 71). Unused subs. Wilkinson, Blythen.

Attendance : 305

Referee : Mr C Grundy

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