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Saturday 20th March - Frickley Athletic 1-1 Worksop Town

[DVD & Video available of this game - see Club Shop]

With Wayne Benn and Duncan Richards beginning three-match and two-match suspensions respectively, Phil Sharpe persuaded Paul Marquis to return to the fold along with Steve Woolford and Remo Nesa.

The game kicked off in strong gusting winds, which the Blues had the 'benefit' of in the first half. However, it was the visitors who threatened first when Gary Townsend broke from half way to shoot just wide of the right hand post from nearly 25 yards after just two minutes. Less than sixty seconds later Lee Morris went close for the Blues when he picked up the ball some 30 yards out and let fly, with the ball dipping just over the bar. Worksop went close on 18 minutes after Marquis fouled Townsend 25 yards out. The free-kick was played short to the overlapping Ryan Davis who sent over a low cross from the left which was deflected by an outstretched Blues' leg onto the far post and out for a corner. Shortly afterwards Nesa turned and shot wide from 18 yards and from the goalkick Ian Bowling saw his clearance travel barely 30 yards before blowing back and out for a corner. Unfortunately, Gary Hatto's corner also suffered the same consequences. The Blues went desperately close to taking the lead on 26 minutes as Lee Pugh's deep cross from half way was headed goalwards by Morris but Bowling denied him with an outstretched arm, with Nesa unable to direct the rebound into the net, allowing Worksop to hack clear. The Blues got their reward on 29 minutes when MARK SMITH picked up the ball 25 yards out, evaded 2 challenges and fired in a low shot from 20 yards which beat Bowling and struck the far post before nestling just inside the opposite post. Hatto then struck a corner which caught the wing perfectly but whipped inches over the bar with Bowling struggling. Minutes before half time Pugh struck a left foot 25 yard shot wide of the right hand post.

Straight after the kick off of the second half Jon Hood was adjudged to have picked the ball up just outside the right had edge of the box and received a yellow card. Hood redeemed himself by blocking the fee-kick under the bar before the ball was hacked clear. On 50 minutes Smith was fouled near the left hand corner flag. Morris flicked on Nesa's free-kick to Woolford but his shot on the turn trickled tamely into Bowling's arms. Four minutes later Nesa played the ball into the path of Woolford who screwed his shot wide of the right hand post from 15 yards. The referee then held up play whilst supporters were moved away from the covered standing area in the interests of safety as the wind threatened to lift the roof off of it! Smith then saw his 18 yard shot smother ed by Bowling as the Blues looked the more likely of the two sides to add to the scoring. Hood was then called on to save an angled shot from Davis whilst on 68 minutes Joe Taylor had a goal disallowed for offside for the visitors. With just over 10 minutes of normal time remaining a Worksop free-kick from half way was flicked on to Steve Hawes who had a clear sight of goal but he miss-kicked from 8 yards. As the game entered added time had to endure a couple of goalmouth scrambles as the wind continued to cause havoc with the play but they coped with these quite well. Then, as the game entered its 7th minute of stoppage time Phil Lindley was forced to concede a corner. As the ball came across it fell to Worksop substitute Darren Bradshaw who his a shot on the turn from 12 yards into the top right hand corner.

Frickley Athletic : Hood, Pugh, Hatto (Blythen 89), Lindley, Woolford, Marquis, Robinson, Krief (Fawcus 67), Morris, Smith, Nesa (Sheriffe 69)

Worksop Town : Bowling, Ludlam (Bradshaw 80), Davies, Hawes, Davis, Sykes, Glasser (Callery 22), Taylor, Bambrook, Townsend, Muller (Jones 62)

Attendance : 318

Referee : Mr. G. I. Chapman

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