Jonny Margetts' 60th minute strike eventually settled a close and fiercely-fought contest between two of the form teams in the BetVictor Northern Premier League South East Division.

Stamford hadn't suffered a league loss since the home defeat at Carlton in September, but manager Graham Drury admitted his side had been outbattled by a Frickley team who have now won nine of their last 11 games to move into the play-off places.

Drury said: "They were physically stronger than us in the first half.

"They won the battle on the physicality side. I've gambled at half-time and changed the formation to a 3-5-2 because we only entered their penalty area twice in the first half.

"We've probably entered the box seven times in the second half, but there hasn't been any composure in front of goal which is quite frustrating. We've blazed too much over.

"We've hit a few over the crossbar and had a great chance from a corner, but then we've given the ball away and they've played it over the top for Margetts to run onto.

"It was a great finish by a striker in fine form. I didn't expect him to miss and he's stuck it away.

"Frickley deserve a lot of credit for dealing with the conditions and the pitch better than ourselves.

"I made the switch at half-time because we needed more steel in midfield and I felt that Jordan Cooke gave us that. It did help us.

"We needed to try and get Rob Morgan in the game because the physical side shut him out of it.

"We tried to get him in the wider areas, but we didn't get the ball to him and then it becomes frustrating.

"We then fell into a little trap of going too direct, but it was hard to play our football on that pitch and credit again to Frickley because they defended well when they had to.

"They have kept a few clean sheets lately and have defended the box well. They deserved the win so credit where it is due.

"They took one of their chances and we never and that's the bottom line really.

"It was a very even match, but we haven't been potent in front of goal and the conditions didn't suit the way we try to do things."

Stamford were without the suspended Harry Vince and, with Dec O'Hare unavailable, Cleveland Taylor was handed a start in midfield with new signing Robbie Parsons on the substitutes' bench.

The first half between two of the division's heavyweights saw both sides effectively cancel each other out with Stamford manager Drury and his Frickley counterpart Dave Frecklington both very familiar with each other's game-plans.

Tom Siddons sent an early ball into the Frickley box which caused some uncertainty in the Frickley rearguard before Tyler Williams scrambled clear while Liam King blazed an effort over at the other end.

Cosmos Matwasa and Tendai Chitiza linked well, only for the latter's inviting cross into the box to be headed away at full stretch as Siddons sought to pounce.

Ollie Brown-Hill curled a free-kick from the edge of the box wide of the Frickley goal after he had been upended by Nathan Hotte while Sean Wright shot into the side-netting from a corner.

Morgan fizzed a low shot wide before an enterprising burst into the box from home skipper Jacob Hazel had Frickley appealing for a penalty for hand-ball which fell on deaf ears.

Cooke then headed over from a Brown-Hill free-kick before Taylor was caught in possession just ahead of half-time but the hosts were unable to take advantage from a promising position.

Stamford brought on the fit-again James Blunden at half-time, for Brown-Hill, as they switched to a 3-5-2 formation.

And Frickley nearly took advantage early in the second half when Hazel shot wide from a decent opening.

In a match which went on to produce eight bookings - six for the hosts and two for Stamford - it was Daniels boss Drury who received the only red card of the game as he was dismissed early in the second half for an alleged push on the assistant referee as the visitors debated a contentious call.

Drury felt the assistant 'hadn't even been moved' by the alleged push and said he had been having 'banter' with the official throughout the first half of the game and his actions didn't 'justify' a sending off.

And the mood of the Stamford manager wasn't about to improve on the hour mark when Frickley scored the all-important goal.

The Daniels had hooked the ball forward before losing possession and Frickley quickly turned defence into attack with a long pass which set Margetts free and he made no mistake with a top-drawer finish past Haystead.

Hazel then had a good chance to double Frickley's lead shortly after when he burst clear but fired wide of the Stamford goal.

Taylor saw a well-struck effort deflected to safety before Chitiza created himself a good position after some fine play only to blaze over when a pass to one of his better-placed team-mates would have been the better option.

Cooke then clipped a shot over the Frickley crossbar from a Taylor corner in what would prove to be Stamford's best chance of the second half.

They continued to push for an equaliser but home keeper Tom Jackson was never called into serious action throughout the game as Frickley held firm while looking threatening on the counter-attack.

Despite the defeat, Stamford stay in second place as Cleethorpes suffered a surprise home loss to lowly Newcastle while Belper were held at fellow play-off hopefuls Kidsgrove.

However, they now trail table-topping Leek Town by five points following their 2-0 win at Spalding United. The Staffordshire side also have a game in hand on the Daniels who host Kidsgrove next weekend.