Brand new season. Brand new team. A team of trialist’s who’s names would remain anonymous for the time being at the request of the new management team.
A home friendly against Dronfield Town on July 2nd would bring in the new season, in a new league. The NCEL Premier Division.
Dronfield took an early lead before the Young Lochinvars gave Frickley supporters some very pleasant football to watch & 2nd half goals from Alberto Di Nascimento Trialistto & Alain Trialliste (2) made it a 3-1 victory to the Azzurri.
Three days later Frickley would host Beverley Town in the second pre-season friendly.
A few lessons to be learnt from this fixture for the new Frickley boys. An entertaining football match but a 2-6 defeat to an impressive Beverley outfit.
12th July and another pre-season friendly, this time hosting Pontefract Colleries, the fixture labelled “El-Classicoal”.
Another solid performance by the young Azzurri team – defence yielded very little & they were lively up top – most pleasing thing was that they kept the ball on the ground again & played football. Final score, Frickley Athletic 0 Pontefract Colleries 1
30th July and its the kick off to the season. A trip to Maltby Main for the young Azzurri.
The players definitely didn’t let anyone down – giving a display of power & skill which by rights, given that they’ve only been together for a matter of weeks, shouldn’t have been possible.
First half was a largely midfield battle with only a few half chances yielded but none taken.
The second half was much more watchable & profitable from a Blues (playing in Mint) perspective – with the excellent Green pulling all the strings in midfield, ably supported by the intelligent Collier & Kofi as the enforcer, Frickley were able to take control of the game. The chances started to come – a header just wide from a corner, Keita creating 2 opportunities for himself & Green doing likewise.
Matty Hughes & Keelan Grist came on for Czubik & Green & this was to prove pivotal. As the game entered the 90th minute goalless it looked like they were heading for a nil nil……but Hughes & Lee Bennett hadn’t read the script. Matty put the afterburrners on down the right hand side, cut inside & squared it to Lethal who smashed home from around 12 yards out – he doesn’t miss them.
2 main talking points which could have impacted the result – firstly a very early contender for ‘most obvious penalty not awarded’ when a Maltby defender almost picked up the ball & ran with it! Their keeper handled less confidently than he did! Nothing given. Then the ball was played through to a Maltby attacker who was so far offside he was in Oldcotes Village Hall when he got the ball – however the excellent Charlie Preston in goals pulled off a worldy.
So it ended 1 nil to the Azzurri which was definitely the right result as far as most of the supporters were concerned.
Onwards to August 13th. After a FA Cup trip up north, and a home draw in the league with Garforth Town, frickley travelled to Bottersford United for the next league fixture.
So in the 30+ degree heat the young squad gave it everything – you couldn’t fault their effort but the application of the effort was slightly awry for once.
A bit of a pack reshuffle with Varley & Green injured / unavailable – but Lee Bennett was back from injury & was on the bench.
Little to report by way of goal mouth action until a Bottesford throw in seemed to go straight into the nets without touching anyone. The ref apparently did see a touch & awarded a goal, despite protestations. Either way, Frickley should have defended it better.
Shortly afterwards Keelan Grist with one of his (almost customary) bursts into the box, chopped down, nothing given. EITHER Keelan is a diver (he isn’t) & he should be getting booked (he hasn’t) or someone is getting straight forward decisions wrong.
1 nil half time.
Very early in the 2nd half Frickley made things nigh on impossible for themselves with more poor defending from a fairly innocuous free kick which allowed the home team to take a 2 nil lead without really trying.
However it did provide some sort of trigger reaction – Collier had 3 good efforts saved / just wide. Burke set up Grist but he pulled his shot wide. Keita broke well & had his shot saved & the resulting corner was put over by Lewis Binns & then Lewis had a shot saved.
Right on the 90 Frickley had a good break down the left, the ball was played across the box & Charlie Clegg did well to apply a calm finish to the bobbling ball to give Frickley a glimmer of hope.
They huffed & puffed in Fergie Time but we couldn’t get the goal to give parity – so the unbeaten run in the league was ended & with it the record of clean sheets in the league. Final score 2 – 1.
Probably the most frustrating aspect of the afternoon was that the usually reliable passing game wasn’t quite up to scratch & defensive performance (& don’t forget they start defending from the front & attack from the back) lacked it’s usual security.
16th August – horrendous weather for an evening KO against Silsden AFC.
3 points were in the bag until Frickley allowed distinctly average opposition to take them from away as easily as taking a ping pong ball from a kitten as a result of a poor 2nd half. As soon as Frickley started playing panicky hoofball I believe they all knew what was on the cards…..we all saw it about 101 times last season
Final score Frickley Athletic 2 – 3 Silsden
Next league fixture the short trip to Hemsworth. No love lost between these two football clubs!
30 seconds gone, howler by the Hemsworth keeper allows Keita to nick the ball off him & Lee Bennett has the simple job of sidefooting into the empty net.
We’d barely had time to laugh at the keeper before Hemsworth went down the other end & made it 1 each then shortly after that they broke well & made it 2-1. Frickley were looking rocky at that point but eventually settled back into the groove – Bennett got scythed down but nothing was given – then the keeper flapped at another one but Varley headed over – then Collier shot just wide & Bennett had 2 chances but couldn’t convert.
Not as much goalmouth action 2nd half but Frickley still created some good chances plus had another cast iron penalty shout ignored when Bennett was thrown to the ground in the box.. A great ball in & a glancing header by Collier hit the post & was scrambled to safety. Then Ben Hall delivered a great free kick that just needed a touch but it evaded everyone & then Czubik curled a lovely effort in that was deflected just wide of the far stick.
So another game that Frickley could / should have taken something from – just need to get a bit more ruthless in front of goal & tighten up at the other end & then the results will start to flow.
Approaching the end of September. Frickley host North Ferriby United.
It was a game where chances were at a premium – Frickley had the better of them & were left to rue the misses.
Couple of games recently they haven’t been 100% but have won – yesterday everyone was on their A game but lost – football eh……
I’m not going to spend any more time on the refereeing howler that cost the game – the night was all about the performance, & what a performance the boys delivered. A good few of them were running on fumes at the end but they still never took a backward step.
There was a downpour during the first half which made the pitch a little skiddy & possibly affected the game – but not as much as the farrago of the missed free kick that I’m not going to mention.
Into October and the visit of Handsworth to The Westfield Stadium.
To be honest, this was not a terribly high quality affair, with a goal from a set piece sending Frickley to their fourth consecutive defeat. Probably were the better of the two sides for sure, but sadly no points for that.
The big lineup changes saw George Green return to the starting eleven and Nathan Fletcher covering for the suspended Kofi Appiah.
The Azzurri had the best of the opening 35 minutes. George Green set Brandon Burke away down the right but Al Keita could only hit his shot narrowly wide. Then Keelan surged past the Handsworth defence, his 50 yard run ending with his shot-cum-cross getting blocked.
There was a break in play for an injury as Burke was the victim of a nasty tackle, although it was the tackler who was injured. It should have been a red card but it was a day of ‘interesting’ decisions again and only a yellow was shown so Handsworth were able to make a substitution.
Just after the half hour, Keita crossed for Collier to volley just wide.
Handsworth took the lead against the run of play in the 40th minute. The referee made The Blues retake a free kick for no discernible reason which missed its mark the second time around. From the throw in, Handsworth took the ball forward and won a corner. A glancing header, from Ex-Blue Johnno Williams’s delivery, went in off the far post to break the deadlock.
On the stroke of half time, Handsworth went close with a long range effort that hit the bar. HT 0-1.
The second half was more of The Blues on top, with Green pulling the strings, but no goals. Green created early chances for Big Al and Keelan, both deflected or blocked. And Keelan had a free header that he could only direct straight at the keeper.
The best chance of the game for The Blues came in the 65th minute as an unmarked Big Al saw his shot stopped by the keeper after good work by Grist.
The Blues won a free kick in the 78th minute which Green hit well but the keeper got across well to claw it away. Shortly after, Green had a good shout for a penner after being barged in the area but unsurprisingly nothing was given.
Ben Hall and Big Al both had opportunities in the final minutes but they came to nought. FT 0-1.
Well, I can tell you what happened but I simply can’t tell you how we got nowt out of that one. Frickley are playing football that’s so much better to watch than last season but aren’t taking chances. Yet. Hold your nerve, folks, it’s coming…
Mid October and a FA Vase home tie versus Emley AFC.
Frickley’s longest run in an FA competition for quite some time came to end – & came to an end quite disappointingly as they never really got out of 2nd gear
With Green, Grist, Bennett, Hughes, Cullingworth, Jeffreys, Benjamin & Murillo all missing through injury. illness or unavailability it meant that they introduced Wade Ripley & Ben Ellison-Tope for their first taste of first team action.
Emley took the lead on 8 minutes when a mishit shot landed at the feet of Walshaw & he doesn’t miss from 2 yards (although he did on 4 other occasions).
That aside the first half was largely flat & devoid of meaningful action until the 43rd minute when Collier set up Al Keita who curled a superb effort into the bottom corner from the edge of the box.
Straight after he tried similar, this time from 30 yards & his shot flew inches over the bar.
What Frickley needed to do 2nd half was consolidate – 42 seconds in & they were 2-1 down as the whole team were asleep at the wheel from a free kick allowing a tap in.
The half kickstarted into life at that point – the main talking points being the swinging elbow that didn’t get a red for Emley & the fairly innocuous challenge by Lewis Binns that did.
Late in the game Frickley were given a chance, Czubik cleaned out in the box, penalty awarded. Unfortunately the keeper, who should have been sent off, was able to save a fairly average spot kick by Collier. Them’s the breaks!
Emley made it 3-1 in Fergie Time when Frickley were committing men forward to try to get something out of the game.
I think it’s fair to say that Frickley were 2nd in every department on the pitch – but in fairness to the boys that is the first time this season that I’ve seen / thought that, so credit where credit is due.
End of October and Frickley Athletic’s latest league fixture. At home to Albion Sports.
I have never seen a referees assessor play a full 90 minutes before…..
So a D to end a recent run of Ls but a frustrating afternoon. Frustrating because it mirrored a bit of a recent pattern – 20 odd minutes of domination, concede a soft goal, then panic for a while before regaining composure & dominating the game again.
Earlier in the season Frickley were creating myriad chances but not taking many. They are creating less at the moment so the conversion rate is probably better but still need to be much more clinical. & so it was, they created about 5 decent chances (the easiest on the eye being Ben Halls long range effort that cannoned off the bar) but went in at half time 1 down.
Less than 10 minutes into the 2nd half & the game was at parity. George Green scythed down in the box, jumps up, waits for all the opposition to get on with all their spoiling shenanigans then sends the keeper the wrong way.
Hemingway received a 2nd yellow shortly after – being down to 10 gave Frickley a pretty hefty obstacle to overcome but they tried – Czubik in particular had 2 good efforts & Rich Collier put one of his free kick ‘specials’ inches wide but the biggest talking point was the non award of a penalty when an Albion defender tried to give Kofi a DIY vasectomy ⬇️⬇️⬇️
So that is the highlights of the season so far. The league table looks pretty, but the facts are Frickley are way ahead of most teams on games played.
However, there is an awful long way to go until we reach the end of the season. This young Frickley side are playing some attractive football. Yes, they have had one or two hidings, but have also lost some games they should never have done. They are a very young side. With an excellent managerial team, a great team spirit and some fine footballers. The future is certainly bright down at The Westfield.
Last but not least, the sporting dinner in aid of the club hosted by John Beresford MBE is worth a mention and a few photographs ⬇️⬇️⬇️
