Frickley Athletic 2 – 2 North Ferriby United

North Ferriby United twice came back from a goal behind to secure their first point of the season at Frickley Athletic.

Having lost 4-0 at home to Prescot Cables last Saturday it was an improved performance by United. It was also a game in which manager Neil Parsley thought his side should have taken all three points from.

“I think we should have come away with the three points as I feel their keeper has had more to do than ours,” said Parsley.

“We bounced back at a difficult place to bounce back as once they get their noses in front they are very difficult to break down. We’re disappointed with the first goal in respect of it was a set piece which we’ve been practicing in training, defending.

“Their second goal I thought was offside but we are where we are and came back and answered them in the respect that we bounced back. To come back twice in the manner we did showed we have got the character.

I thought we competed a lot better which was the main thing and I knew if we competed we’d come away from here with something. I’m not going to say anymore about Saturday, we’ll write it off and we look at tonight’s result and we build on that.

“The I thought our second goal was a well worked goal and their keeper has pulled off two great saves in the second half, one from Neil Allison and one from Footy.

“Maybe there was also a penalty appeal when there was a flaying hand and the ball has come off it. It’s two each and it’s our first point on the board and we have to build on that.”

Both sides started this game knowing they needed to kick start their season after weekend defeats. For Ferriby it looked as though Saturday had continued as they failed to find their scoring touch in the final third of the field.

There were a lot of fouls given away, according to the man in the middle, especially by Ferriby. But they managed to keep their defensive pattern to frustrate the Frickley front men.

The first half was 45 minutes of frustration for both sides as they turned around at halftime goalless. The game fired into action on 59 minutes when the home side scored.

A corner was whipped in from the right for Ferriby to be seen ball watching and Steve Heath pounced. It was a deserved lead after a bout of sustained pressure.

The best of the action during the whole game came in the final fifteen minutes and which also produced three goals. The introduction of Joel Hartley injected pace into the Ferriby attack and he combined with Michael Price.

He put the ball deep into the Frickley box for Paul Foot to head the ball in off the crossbar. The linesman signalled a goals despite Frickley questioning the ball having gone over the line.

But the home side regained the lead just three minutes later when Frickley substitute Richard Tracey beat the offside trap. He crossed for Danny David son to lash the ball past Antoni Pecora.

A minute from time Ferriby got their just desserts when Andy Haywood flashed in a shot which the keeper pushed onto the bar. But the striker was in the right place to send in the rebound for a deserved point.

Frickley Athletic: Jon Hood, Carl Wood, Chris Hilton, Steve Ball, Chris Gowen, Steve Heath, Lee Morris, Danny Walsh, Chris White, Phil Lindley, Nathan Hotte Subs: Danny David son, Adam Pollock, Richard Tracey

Goals: Steve Heath (59) Danny David son (81)

North Ferriby United: Antoni Pecora, Matty Bloor, Danny Ryan, Neil Allison, Paul Foot, Jamie Waltham, Ben Morley, Chris Bolder, Andy Haywood, Gary Bradshaw, Michael Price Subs: Joel Hartley, Andy Thompson, Graham Botham

Goals: Paul Foot (78) Andy Haywood (89)
Referee: Matt Foley
Attendance: 226

Report by James Chestney