FENISCOWLES players could probably have done with reading Russ Wrigley's fitness feature on stretching before this game.

Our Sport Extra columnist (and Fenny player) wrote about the importance of stretching in our October 13 edition.

You'd have thought his team-mates would have known better.

Russ wrote that stretching has both long term and short term benefits.

But after both influential skipper Gordon Moore limped off with a pulled hamstring and the industrious, intimidating Ilyas Mohammed withdrew with a thigh strain at half time, the short term affect was that Fenny lost the game.

Stretching he wrote 'helps co-ordination by allowing easier and more comfortable movement'.

But in the first half Feniscowles were disjointed and were pretty static at the back when Freckleton scored two goals from balls swung into the box.

First Alex Genther was given too much time to control, turn and volley home when Kevin Whitsey whipped in a free kick.

Then Genther was first to react when Fenny allowed the ball to drop in the six yard box and the striker toe-poked the ball home. New-look Fenny obviously need time to bed in their new players but at times showed glimpses of what they were capable of.

The live wire Paul Mashiter caused problems up front with his speed and only a poor finish prevented him from grabbing an equaliser when he raced clear only to pull the ball wide.

And he showed great skill when he beat two players close to the by-line but his pull back was just behind strike partner Michael Henry.

New boy Ray Booth showed just why Fenny tempted him away from Blackburn Combination Premier League champions Ewood Amateurs with some intelligent play down the right - that's when he wasn't too involved with a running battle with a number of Freckleton players.

And fellow ex-Amateur Mohammed was as tireless as ever down the left before he went off injured. Feniscowles were forced to reshuffle their side after the break with Wrigley patrolling the left flank and Kadir Akeel brought on to tighten up midfield.

Fenny saw more of the ball in the second half and Booth, the impressive Paul Demaine and Akeel showed some inventive play that deserved a goal.

Wrigley's introduction gave Fenny some genuine pace down the left and now they showed they didn't have to rely solely on Mashiter.

Akeel and Mashiter combined well to set up Demaine who fired just wide then a Mashiter corner was flicked on by Booth and Demaine forced keeper Kevin McGowan to tip the ball over.

And from a well-worked free kick on the edge of the area Booth just missed the target.

However Freckleton managed to soak up the pressure and nearly extended their lead on the break but Andrew Morris did well to save from Matt Dwyer.

But the visitors put the game beyond doubt when skipper Mike Button curled in a wonderful free kick from the edge of the area.

With Fenny struggling at the wrong end of the table, a suggested topic for a future fitness feature might be how to get out of a tricky position.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.