**TRINITY OLD BOYS 1-1 FROLESWORTH UNITED**
FROLESWORTH United were forced to settle for share of the spoils after coming back from behind to salvage a scrappy draw with bitter rivals Trinity Old Boys, but a point wasn’t good enough for the hosts who were relegated to Division Two.
Luke Hammond levelled from the spot for the Rabbits midway through the second half to ultimately send Old Boys down in a game, which in truth was very poor.
Ben Harris returned from Nottingham to take the reins for the final time this season after Jordan Halford led the Country Boys to a resounding 5-1 win away at Horse last week, but he was left with a glut of casualties throughout the spine of the team.
Luke Evans returned in-between the sticks in place of Matt Errintgon, while Harris had to reshuffle his side due to the absence of the talismanic Jake Pantony who was absent in Ireland. Striker Joe Cook also missed his third successive game as he was stranded in Fuertaventura following the eruption of Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull volcano.
Mark James was given a starting berth alongside Jack Boulton in the centre of defence, while Martin Fennon was relocated to the heart of midfield beside club captain Craig Rowbottom and the returning Steven Bottom.
Jack Rudman and Joe Swanwick retained their place on the bench and were surprisingly joined by Halford, who suffered a knee ligament injury in this very fixture just over 12 months ago.
Neither side could gain a foothold during the early exchanges, but the visitors looked the more the assured with right-back Matt Pell instigating a free-flowing passing move, which only ended in a corner.
In a pedestrian first-half, skipper Rowbottom produced the only real highlights, exhibiting his samba-skills acquired from his recent trip to Brazil and going agonisingly close to his first Frolesworth goal with a rasping drive, which was superbly turned away low to the keeper’s right.
The game did brighten up in the second period, however, as Harris sent his charges in search of the elusive opener and United were unfortunate not to break the deadlock when Hammond was wrongly adjudged offside as he effortlessly stroked the ball home.
Hammond and furthermore, his manager, would be left incensed again moments later when another officiating error meant Frolesworth were hit with a sucker punch. The linesman on the near side inexplicably awarded the home side a throw-in, when it had clearly gone out off a red shirt and from the ensuing set-piece Frolesworth fell behind.
The Rabbits back-line failed to deal with the catapult and Greg Garner got his foot caught in the netting as he attempted to clear on the line. Harris immediately set about getting back into the game by sending on Rudman on the left of midfield and partnering the quiet Miles Splevings with Hammond and his change had an instant impact.
Following a flurry of pressure from the visitors, Garner and Fennon exchanged a short corner, which saw the latter upended inside the box for only Frolesworth’s second penalty of the season.
With the game so delicately poised, Hammond shouldered the responsibility and was coolness personified as he superbly drilled home his sixth goal of the campaign.
Swanwick and soon after Halford were brought into the fray in the closing stages, as Harris employed a three-pronged attack in search of the win and United nearly snatched all three points in stoppage time.
Halford, who looked sharp following his introduction, latched onto James’ long-ball in the channel before cutting inside and fizzing one excruciatingly across the goalmouth, but strike-partner Hammond couldn’t prod home for a fairytale ending.
Honours remained even at Hall Park as Frolesworth continue to linger in 7th place with 24 points, but just one more point at Dorothy Avenue on Wednesday evening will be enough to ensure their Division One status.
http://www.teamstats.net/frolesworthunitedfc/
http://twitter.com/FEAR_FUFC
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=78446830679&ref=ts
For Every Man A Religion.
The People's Club.
F.U.F.C
