Frickley Athletic v Barton Town

Recap

Frickley 1 Barton Town 1

The Azzurri halted a run of 3 consecutive heavy defeats, taking a well-deserved point from ex-Blue Nathan Jarman’s gritty Barton side in this feisty affair at The Wezzie.

Ben Hall and Richard Collier came back into the starting eleven with Eivind Johnsen and Jake Hemingway making way. Hall and Josh Haigh played as wingbacks, either side of a back three.

The new formation saw The Blues start in positive fashion. Within the first 10 minutes, Big Al Keita was played in but he was narrowly offside, and he and Lloyd Smith both had good runs in quick succession but couldn’t find anyone in front of goal.

Around the 20 minute mark, Barton hit a tricky free kick into the box yet Harrison Davison-Hale was equal to it and saved well.

There was a bit of handbags when a Barton player had a pull at Lloyd Smith then made a meal of it when Lloydy reacted. The ref made the right decision when he kept the red card safely tucked away in his pocket.

Half an hour gone and the Barton keeper nicked a high ball off Big Al’s head, clattering him in the process.

HDH kept the scoresheet blank going into the break with two more decent stops. The second of which was top drawer, reminiscent of Pat Jennings as he saved with his legs. HT 0-0.

The second period’s early passages of play were no less tetchy and things threatened to boil over. Particularly when a Barton player went in two-footed on El Binno’s ankle with a challenge not dissimilar to a Mick McManus drop kick but the perpetrator inexplicably escaped a red card.

Fired up, The Azzurri pushed forward and in the 59th minute that pressure paid off. Isaac Jeffreys won the ball in the final third, passed to Lloydy, he played the through ball to Big Al who stayed as cool as a cucumber and slotted it past the keeper for his 11th goal of the campaign.

Five minutes later, Rich Collier had a good chance to double the lead but the keeper comfortably saved his free header.

HDH continued to be on his game, pulling off more crucial saves. But there wasn’t much he could do in the 74th minute when sub and ex-Blue Sam Cable jumped highest to head home Barton’s equaliser.

The final quarter of an hour had nervy moments for both sides but one apiece was how it finished. FT 1-1

A good game, a fair result in the end but more importantly, it was a really positive response to recent performances. Long may it continue.

WEBMASTER MOTM – make no mistake, everyone from 1 to 11 put in a shift and showed real pride in the shirt. Kofi, Lloydy, Haighy, The Colonel and Ben Hall ran their blood to water. Elliott, BMDub and El Binno defended like their lives depended on it. And Big Al took his goal with surgical precision. On the bench, Benno and Chick don’t perhaps get the recognition they deserve but the tactical / formation changes they implemented for this game made us look a different side. We see you! But The Glitterball can only go to one man on this occasion, and that has got to be young golden gloves – Harrison Davison-Hale. He kept us in the game, plain and simple. Hot stuff, HDH!

TWITTER MOTM – The public agreed and HDH walked it, ahead of goal scorer Big Al. Elliot Owen, Kofi and Brandon Murillo also polled votes. Thanks to all who voted.

172 through the gate. Thank you for your tremendous support.

We are next in action on Tuesday evening, here at The Wezzie, 7.45pm ko, when Bottesford Town are our visitors for an absolute six-pointer under the floodies! Hope to see you all there!