Barton Town v Frickley Athletic

Recap

Barton Town 2 Frickley 0
It might take a trek to the edge of Lincolnshire to get there but it’s hard not to love a visit to Barton Town, another NCEL Premier Division outfit. With views of the Humber Bridge from certain parts of the ground and views of ex-Blue and current Barton manager Nathan Jarman from other parts, what’s not to love? Barton’s Easy Buy Stadium, or Marsh Lane in old money (pictured, top, and that’s Charlie Barks just after taking a throw in), is also the site of one of my greatest moments in my footballing life – when a kingfisher flew along the touch line at a game there a few years back! There’s a blue plaque somewhere in the ground to commemorate the event.
The game itself was less likely to live so long in the memory. The Azzurri weren’t at their best but were keeping Barton at bay until just before the interval when the ref awarded a spurious penalty for one of the cleanest tackles you’d ever be likely to see. Barton killed the game off with a second goal in the final moments and we got the result that our play probably deserved.