Sam Fewkes, Scott Ruthven and Toby Kenyon all returned to the Ambers starting eleven for the trip to face Frickley Athletic, who on the eve of the game announced Martyn Woolford as their new permanent Manager, and given last week’s shock 4-1 victory at Beverley, the hosts were clearly looking to capitalise with a new Manager bounce.
An early run and shot by left back Gagen showed their intent, but the shot was too high to worry Jim Pollard in the Handsworth goal. The best that The Ambers were able to offer in the opening stages was a Mitch Dunne break that led to a cross from Jordan Hines being blocked.
Kenyon picked up a yellow card after just nine minutes following his second foul of the game, albeit the home ‘experts’ felt he got off too lightly, and Handsworth did look second best at the onset. Alngohuro sent a free kick from a dangerous position into the crowd before an overlapping Tyler Williams drew a decent save at his front post by home keeper Sykes.
There was a blow for the visitors when Owen Haigh limped off after appearing to fall awkwardly when challenging for a high ball, with ex-Frickley favourite Johno Williams coming on in his place. The next half-chance fell to Brandon Bagley but he was unable to keep his long range strike below the perimeter fence, but at least it felt that The Ambers were starting to get to grips with the hosts who, to be fair, were knocking the ball around confidently.
Handsworth continued to stretch the game and Frickley were indebted to centre back Katsere who made two excellent challenges in quick succession to thwart Hines and then Dunne, but it was Sykes who took the home plaudits next after Charlie Booker’s pass was played into Hines’ path by Ruthven, but the striker couldn’t get full power behind the strike and the keeper got down well to save.
As half time approached, Frickley had a good spell of pressure and the approach play of Nnenanya caused a few problems, but fortunately for The Ambers, his finishing did not match his preceding work and Pollard’s net remained shot-free, with the first period ending with Sheard’s cross met on the full by Alngohuro who should have hit the target, but shot wide with the goal at his mercy.
The Ambers certainly needed to up their game in the second half, if they were to get anything from it, and when Williams delivered a free kick to pick out Ben Harriott at the far side of the box, it was a sign of things to come, but on this occasion, the centre back’s header was wayward.
Frickley then created arguably the best chance of the game when Sheard headed a cross back towards the penalty spot, but the incoming Butchart was unable to control the ball and it spun away for a goal kick.
Ten minutes into the second period, the deadlock was broken when a Williams free kick again found Harriott at the far edge of the area, and his header fell invitingly for Ruthven to volley goalwards, only for Sykes to pull off a great point blank save, but the ball bounced back to Harriott who took a touch and chipped back into the six yard box from the byline, again picking out Ruthven whose header this time beat the keeper but came back off the post, before falling invitingly for Hines to blast home his 4th goal of the season.
The goal set a fire under the hosts who came back strongly, with Jenkinson heading just over, before Cable did the same minutes later when he had the whole of the net to aim at. The Ambers were now happy to absorb any pressure that Frickley could apply and try and hit them quickly on the break, and it almost paid off when Booker’s pass freed Dunne down the right, but his attempted chip over Sykes did not have sufficient elevation and the keeper held on comfortably.
Reinforcements came off the bench in the form of Ollie Currie and Fernando Tavares to add more midfield energy, before the front two were replaced by Josh Nodder and Harry Jessop. As the hosts pushed for an equaliser, they were inevitably leaving big holes at the back, and The Ambers were more than willing to exploit them. Tavares should have put the result beyond doubt when he ran onto a Nodder flick and slotted the ball past Sykes, but his aim was slightly amiss, and the ball bounced back off the far post.
With five minutes remaining, Jessop burst through and was upended right on the edge of the area, with the referee inexplicably not even showing a yellow card to the offender who was clearly the last man, and Williams fired the free kick over the bar much to the delight of the locals who were more than willing to share their opinions with the visitors.
The hosts continued to press, but without looking like scoring, and as the game moved into added time, Pollard’s long clearance was chested down by a sprinting Nodder, whose second touch was even better as he fired it beyond a diving Sykes into the bottom corner to seal the points.
To add insult to injury, two minutes later, the former Frickley man then raced through again onto Booker’s pass, and as two defenders converged on him, he slotted the ball home to give the scoreline a slightly flattering look and propel The Ambers up to the heady heights of sixth place in the league.
Unfortunately, FA Vase action disrupts the league programme next weekend, so The Ambers do not now have another game until 25th October when we host Thackley.