Evo Stik Premier Division
Stourbridge 1-1 Frickley Athletic
Luke Hinsley scored Frickley’s goal
A weakened Frickley Athletic side earned a creditable draw at play-offs chasing Stourbridge courtesy of Luke Hinsley’s 25th minute strike.
Hinsley’s close range shot had put the Blues ahead but a lapse of concentration at the back allowed Karl Hawley to equalise straight after half time.
The Blues were without the services of the suspended Tom Davie (for his sending off at Blyth Spartans), the injured Brad Grayson and Chris Wood whilst Jon Hood started his touchline ban. However, Macaulay Parkinson returned to the side as Karl Rose changed the formation with John Cyrus, Jameel Ible and Bailey Gooda playing as three at the back. Luke Hinsley moved up front in place of Grayson.
In front of a large crowd the home side started positively, exposing the lack of familiarity in the Blues’ line up. Chris Lait was a thorn in Parkinson’s side for most of the game and the left winger got past him in the 10th minute before seeing Sebastian Malkowski tip away his angled shot.
Stuart Pierpoint headed a left wing cross just wide on 23 minutes for Stourbridge before the Blues took the lead with their first real chance of the game two minutes later. The Blues had weathered the early pressure and a great pass from Steven Jeff found Hinsley in space inside the box. He fended off pressure from the home defence to turn and steer a low shot past Matthew Gould from 8 yards.
Lait got free again down the Stourbridge left on 28 minutes and again forced Malkowski to save from his angled drive and the same was repeated again three minutes before the break.
The home side equalised less than thirty seconds after half time. A throw in in line with the penalty area led to the ball being played into the box for Hawley to be given space to turn and fire the ball past Malkowski into the far corner from 15 yards.
Jacob Hazel put a 20 yard free-kick over the bar for the Blues on 64 minutes but Malkowski was called on to save a low 25 yard shot from Sean Geddes on 70 minutes.
A great double save from Malkowski on 77 minutes say him push away a goal bound header from Pierpoint before recovering to acrobatically deny Hawley from close range.
The Blues started to threaten in the closing minutes with Hazel almost sending Tyler Williams clear on 89 minutes but the covering defender did enough to prevent him from getting in a shot from inside the box.
Seconds later a blatant handball by Kristian Green was ignored by the referee allowing Stourbridge to break but Malkowski denied substitute Ashley Vincent.
The Blues came agonisingly close to snatching all three points in the fifth minute of stoppage time when the ball fell kindly for Hazel to burst between two defenders into the box but Gould was off his line quickly to block Hazel’s shot from 12 yards.
Frickley Athletic: Malkowski, Parkinson, Jeff, Akeroyd, Cyrus, Ible, Armstrong, Gooda, Hazel, Hinsley, Tyler Willaims. Subs unused: Ellam, Stratford, Rose.
Referee: Mr. R. Watson
Attendance: 619