Frickley Athletic 0 Witton Albion 1

Albion recorded only their sixth success in 22 league visits to the South Elmsall based Frickley Athletic with a well ground out performance against a team that might be bottom of the league but who played far better than their position warrants.

An enforced change from the previous Saturday saw Neil Wood make his first league start, replacing Rob Lloyd who had suffered a dead-leg throughout the week.

Scott Turner had the first attempt at goal on 8 minutes but the ball went well wide of Jon Kennedy’s right post. Four minutes later Rod Thornley saw his lobbed attempt clear the crossbar. In the 20th minute came the only goal of the match. Liam Brownhill advanced down the left flank, pushed the ball to Thornley who directed an inch perfect cross-field pass to Kyle Wilson, he took a couple of paces before letting fly from the edge of the penalty area, the ball struck one of the two home defenders but the sheer force of the strike ensured full momentum was maintained with the net fairly bulging and he duly celebrated his debut Albion goal with his delighted team-mates.

Wilson went close just two minutes later with a headed attempt before on 29 minutes his free-kick was tipped over the bar by home custodian Adam Nicklin. Surprisingly for Frickley their tactics in the opening half-hour were allowing Albion to play football, although the unpredictable playing surface was not conducive to Witton’s normal precision passing skills. Several challenges in the final 15 minutes of the half though saw both Jonathan Groome and Chris Hilton somehow escape yellow cards before finally Mr Graham cautioned central defender Dean Jones. From one of the free-kicks Wood’s low attempt beat the defensive wall but Nicklin was able to save comfortably at his feet.

The second period saw the hosts produce a lot of attacks as they strived for an equaliser, however both Tony Barras and Brian Pritchard were equal to most of the forages and whenever the ball did get into Kennedy’s area he confidently was able to claim the ball cleanly and justifiably go on to claim his 11th clean sheet of the campaign. The only time the defence was breached saw a headed attempt strike the cross-bar but the assistant’s flag was already raised for offside. On a rare Albion sortie forward Thornley won a corner with Wilson’s flag-kick only partially cleared but Wood’s shot went past the left upright.

After Chris White nearly beheaded Cavell Coo and joined the others to not be cautioned Liam Brownhill picked up his first yellow card in two seasons when he reacted to a challenge although again Frickley’s players who reacted with venom escaped even a word from Mr Graham. Deep into stoppage time Adam Warlow, who’d soldiered on well trying to hold onto the ball, suddenly found himself in the clear but Nicklin did well to stop him from scoring.

This Albion squad, by now going 20 matches unbeaten in the league, have established an all-time club record. It was the Cheshire County League winning side from the 1949/50 the held the previous record. Something tells me a few more records could get broken along with several mile-stones reached in the next few weeks.

WITTON: Kennedy; Coo, Pritchard, Barras, Brownhill; Wilson, MacPherson, Wood, Brodie; Warlow & Thornley.

Att: 254