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Saturday 4th December - Witton Albion 2-1 Frickley Athletic

Gary Marrow was forced to make one change to the side with last week's new signing Ashley Scothern opting to join Conference North side Bradford Park Avenue. His place was taken by Dean Foley, who came back into the defence, with Richard Tracey partnering Wael Nazha up front.

At least the pies were good....apparently!

The home side started well and could have taken the lead within the first 90 seconds but Gary Ingham reacted well to dive on the ball on the line. The Blues weathered the early pressure from Witton and started to come into the game but Witton took the lead on 22 minutes when a corner from the right was headed in off the far post by the unmarked Andy Barlow. Nazha went agonisingly close to leveling the scores five minutes later when Tracey played the ball to Steve Woolford who immediately released the overlapping Nazha who shot first time from the edge of the box but his angled shot went just wide of the far post. As half time approached Nazha sent Tracey away down the left and he sent over a great cross which was knocked behind for a corner. When the kick came over it reached Matt Daly at the back post who headed back across the face of goal only for Brian Pritchard to head off the line.

The Blues started the second half positively with Tracey powering a header wide of the right hand post following a Steve Robinson free-kick on half way. Just before the hour mark another Robinson free-kick on half way was half cleared as far as Steve Kennedy on the edge of the box and he fired in a thunderous shot which cannoned back off the left hand post with 'keeper Paul Gibson rooted to the spot. The Blues continued to press, with Robinson's long throw's particularly causing the home defence problems but the Blues hatrdlt received the run of the ball as Witton were always able to scramble the ball clear despite being under terrific pressure. However, with the Blues pouring forward it was inevitable that gaps would be left at the back and that happened on 77 minutes when Mike Moseley was left with a clear run at goal to beat Ingham from the edge of the box. Substutute Stuart Preston revived the Blues' hoped of taking anything from the game when he chased a through ball from Lee Pugh and got the better of the advancing Gibson to slide the ball in from an acute angle. As the game entered stoppage time Gibson failed to hold a deep free kick into the box with the ball falling to Kennedy just 10 yards out but Gibson recovered to fling himself in front of Kennedy's goal-bound shot.