Evo Stik Premier Division
Frickley Athletic 2-1 Stourbridge
Jacob Hazel helped Frickley claim their highest league finish for ten years
An inspired last five minutes saw the Frickley Athletic come from behind to snatch all three points with penalties from Jacob Hazel and Tom Davie.
The dramatic victory has secured Frickley a magnificent seventh-placed finish – the highest the club has had in ten years.
Karl Rose named an unchanged side from that which won at Buxton 48 hours earlier but for the first time it was evident that the tough schedule had started to have an effect.
Both teams looked heavy legged in the first half on a difficult surface with a congested midfield and too many long balls. Very few chances of note were created in what was a low key half, only Jacob Hazel cross shot caused alarm in the away defence. At the other end League leading scorer Karl Hawley headed over and then Tonks flashed a cross shot past the far post.
Luke Hinsley was unlucky to be booked on 25 minutes when he looked to be impeded by Smikle when challenging the keeper. The ref ruled he’d left his foot in and out came the yellow.
The Blues then lost Hinsley with a knee injury late in the first half. Steve Jeffs came on at left wing back with Tom Davie taking Hinsley’s place in the front three, a move that was to have a huge impact later on.
Playing down the slope in the 2nd half the Blues started to pass the ball a little better and create more. Jameel Ible headed a Parkinson free kick just wide of the post before Tom Davie broke down the right hand side on 65 minutes and outpaced the left back before toe poking wide of the post. The Blues then lost John Cyrus with Louis Bruce coming on to replace him.
A minute later Stourbridge’s Lait missed a golden chance to break the deadlock, going through on goal before mis-controlling the ball and kneeing it gently into Seb Malkowsi’s grateful grasp. That started a good period for the visitors in which Hawley flashed a shot across goal and they took the lead 5 minutes later. A corner from the left was whipped in and headed on for Hawley to turn and hook the ball in from 6 yards.
At this point, many sides would have folded but it seemed to spur the Blues on and they roared back into the game. On 87 minutes, Tom Davie showed great control to kill the ball and turn near the centre circle. He then drove forward and played in Jacob Hazel on the right hand side.
Hazel was bundled over just inside the area with the referee appearing not to see the incident but the linesman flagged for a foul and referee Dean Watson pointed to the spot after a chat with the liner. Up stepped Jacob Hazel to coolly send Gould the wrong way and level the scores with his 23rd goal of the campaign.
Hawley then missed a wonderful chance to seal the win for the Glassboys as he capitalised on Bailey Gooda’s hesitation to race in the area but the magnificent Seb Malkowski pulled off another great save to keep the scores level.
Two minutes into stoppage time with the crowd fired up and Stourbridge visibly wilting Tom Davie embarked on a run that will be remembered for many years, bulldozing his way through 3 challenges on the far touch line before racing into the box. A clumsy push in the back by Geddes led to one of easiest decisions of the season for the referee who again pointed to the spot. With Hazel having earlier made way for Chris Wood, Tom Davie dusted himself down to plant the ball in the bottom left corner and race into the crowd in celebration.
For the Blues it was a wonderful end to a very good home campaign which ended in 12 games without defeat.
Frickley Athletic: Malkowski, Davie, Parkinson, Lenighan, Cyrus (Bruce), Ible, Armstrong, Gooda, Hazel (Wood), Hinsley (Jeff), Williams. Subs unused: Stratford, Hood.