Tuesday 1st November 2011
at the Tech 5 Stadium, Westfield Lane, South Elmsall
Evo-Stik Northern Premier League, Premier Division
Frickley Athletic (0) 1
Mark Gray 88
Buxton (1) 1
Mark Reed 7
Admission £8, Programme £1.50, Attendance 228

I think either of these sides would have been entitled to feel justifiably aggrieved if they hadn't got anything out of this evenly balanced game. So in the end, even though Frickley left it very late to get their equalising goal, a draw was probably a fair result.
On the back of getting a point away at high flying Chester at the weekend (the first point Chester had dropped at home since 13th August), maybe some of the Blues faithful had this one down as a home banker tonight, but Buxton were a tough nut to crack and I don't see them still struggling in the relegation places, near the foot of the table as the season reaches the make or break Easter period.
On the back of getting a point away at high flying Chester at the weekend (the first point Chester had dropped at home since 13th August), maybe some of the Blues faithful had this one down as a home banker tonight, but Buxton were a tough nut to crack and I don't see them still struggling in the relegation places, near the foot of the table as the season reaches the make or break Easter period.
Peter Knox and Ollie Ryan were playing up front for Frickley, it looks like a promising combination that the Blues will be hoping they can use more often, now that Ryan is coming back from injury.
Hopefully Knox's work commitments will allow the partnership to flourish and he'll be available more often over the coming months.
There was a lot of conjecture and rumour about Simpkins departure flying around, but I think it would be fair to say that his move to Belper Town, where he will team up again with his former manager from when he was at Retford United, Peter Duffield, is best for all concerned.
I've always liked Simpkins' no nonsense, take no prisoners style, but it's not really been happening for him at Frickley this season ... and a verbal disagreement with a couple of critical supporters, combined with an invitation to escalate that disagreement in the car park, at the end of a recent home defeat to FC United of Manchester, probably marked the end of the line for the big centre half at Westfield Lane.
His 'alleged' remarks that he better get picked when he was fit again after his recent injury, or he was leaving, in spite of Adams and Ludlam playing well together at the back through an impressive spell, spread like wildfire, as bad news generally does, be it fact or fiction ... and that was probably what stirred up the people who criticised him after the FCUM defeat.
Kieran Lugsden and Mark Reed, the front pair for the visitors tonight, look like and handful for any defence at this level.
Buxton then had a spell where they put the Blues under pressure, but a succession of corner kicks amounted to nothing more than Louis Horne finding the side netting with a header.
Then play switched the other way again and Adam Reid the visitors keep had a busy time of it for a while, keeping out Knox twice and then Gray, who had found the space to get his head on an Alex Callery corner.
Buxton then counter attacked and almost gave themselves a two goal cushion, but Kieran Lugsden's shot was well saved by Adam Billard. With just ten minutes left on the clock, it was a vital intervention from Billard, who kept his side in the game.
Buxton must've been gutted to have conceded a goal so late, after keeping Frickley's attack at bay right until the very end of the game, but the home side deserved a point out of the game at the very least, that said, both sides did.
Open letter to the Ministry of Transport:
Listen you lot!
I appreciate that it causes less disruption if you carry out vital maintenance work on the A1 southbound at night, but isn't 10PM a bit early to be closing the road and diverting everybody through Doncaster town centre?
Especially when Donny Rovers have been playing at home to a well supported team.
Don't do it again, Grr!!!