All the Brig action with GARY THOMAS Heading for the drop?

BAMBER Bridge seemed plagued by end of season nerves at Frickley last Saturday as their fight for survival took another turn for the worse.

Despite enjoying a host of goal-scoring chances - and with Ashley Hoskin as dangerous as ever going forward - Brig just could not find their touch in front of goal.

Only six minutes into the match, Grant Leitch's pile-driving shot from long range shook the crossbar, and Wayne Maddocks shaved the Frickley woodwork soon after.

But Athletic weathered the early storm and succeeded in blunting the edge of Bamber Bridge's attack. The fact that Frickley's 44th minute goal came from a set-piece bears testament to Brig's superior possession.

But possession does not win matches and after Scott Armstrong buried the rebound from Hatto's free kick, Brig's attack lost whatever confidence they had and any hopes of an equalizer disappeared.

Bamber Bridge still looked the better side after the break but while the Frickley defence was kept under pressure, Brig's strike-force never looked like scoring.

Maddocks should have made more of his 77th minute chance but could only scuff the ball across the face of the goal, and Jay Fairhurst hit his thunderous 81st minutes shot directly at the Frickley keeper.

All in all, a disappointing result for Bamber Bridge that keeps them just above the Unibond Premier Division drop-zone. But with seven games left to play, the team's overall strength should outweigh any future crises of confidence.

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