Grantham went down 3-1 in a lack lustre display on Boxing Day at Frickley.
Grantham had advantage of both the slope and the wind in the first half and began brightly with Micky Emmott getting in an early cross and Jamie McGhee shooting wide after being played in by Lee Shaw. Frickley went ahead on 6 minutes in their first attack. A long ball from defence saw Jacob Hazel outpace Lawrence Gorman and fire home from the edge of the box. Grantham tried to get back into the game but both sides were finding it difficult to control the ball in the difficult conditions. McGhee shot narrowly wide from 25 yards on 10 minutes and Danny Meadows put a deep cross wide of the far post a minute later. Frickley went close to doubling their lead on 16 minutes but Jake Turner saved Grant Ryan’s shot from 10 yards. Jamie Mcghee got in some crosses but each time Frickley keeper Malkowski was first to the ball. Frickley had another chance on 27 minutes when Turner parried Tom Davie’s shot and Luke Hinsley put the loose ball wide. Grantham forced 3 corners around the half hour mark but Frickley returned to the attack with Grant Ryan volleying over from a Louis Bruce cross on 38 minutes. Ben Saunders had a chance for an equaliser on 39 minutes when he found himself clear in the box but Malkowski came out quickly to block his shot. Grant Ryan had another chance for Frickley but couldn’t keep his shot down on 41 minutes. Frickley did double their lead on 42 minutes following a defensive nightmare for the Gingerbreads. A Frickley clearance held up in the strong wind. Jake Turner had advanced outside his area to clear the ball but Sam Purcicoe headed the ball wide of him and Frickley’s Jacob Hazel was able to put the loose ball into the net despite the efforts of Purcicoe on the line.
Grantham had a mountain to climb in the second half with Frickley having both wind and slope advantage. Frickley forced 4 corners in the opening 10 minutes of the half. Rhys Lewis saw his shot from the edge of the box blocked by a defender before Hazel saw his shot saved at the near post by Turner. Grantham pulled a goal back after 59 minutes when Rhys Lewis got onto the end of a near post cross from Emmott to turn the ball past Malkowski. Grantham were now pushing on looking for an equaliser and Jamie McGhee volleyed over following a weak punch from Malkowski. Frickley added a third goal on 67 minutes when Hazel completed his hat rick turning in a cross from the right. Grantham introduced Stefan Bilyk for Ben Saunders on 69 minutes but Grantham couldn’t add another goal as the game became scrappy and littered with free kicks. Frickley’s Jameel Ible headed wide from a free kick when well placed on 76 minutes. Jack Beckett came on fro Gorman on 80 minutes and youth team player Euan Sweeting replaced McGhee for a debut appearance with a couple of minutes left but there was no further goals and the game ended with a deserved 3 points for Frickley
Grantham
J Turner, D Martin, E Storey, M Hollingsworth, L Gorman (J Beckett 80), S Purcicoe, J McGhee (E Sweeting 88), R Lewis, L Shaw, B Saunders (S Bilyk 69), M Emmott
Subs not used B Harris, D Martin

Frickley
S Malkowski, L Bruce, M Parkinson, R Armstrong, J Cyrus, J Ible, T Davie (L Hornsey 84), L Hinsley, J Hazel, G Ryan (C Wood 82), T Williams (S Akeroyd 90).
Subs not used Karl Rose, Jon Hood

Referee G Rhodes

Free Kicks Conceded – Grantham 15 Frickley 14

Corner Count - Grantham 7 Frickley 4

Attendance 273