Clitheroe put the disappointment of last week’s narrow defeat at Vauxhall behind them and cruised both to victory and to the top of the table by the end of play.

The home side dominated large portions of the game and could have won by a more handsome margin. Early doors, Sefton Gonzales closed down the 1874 keeper, who in turn brought him down. Richie Baker converted the penalty. Ross Dent, restored to the team, went on a rampaging run on 20 minutes and was only narrowly foiled from forcing the ball home. However, minutes later, Baker turned provider as his driven, head high corner was met unchallenged by the excellent Domaine Rouse. Thereafter, the Clitheroe chances kept on coming. On 29 minutes, Rouse received a flick on from Gonzales and his volley at pace bent narrowly wide. Minutes later, Rouse returned the favour and this time Gonzales put his headed narrowly wide. On 34 minutes, Dent saw his thunderbolt shot parried, with Matty Barlow’s follow up screaming narrowly over the bar. As the clock ticked down, Ross Dent was fouled in the box and Gonzales stepped up to convert the penalty.

Little changed in the second half as the home side peppered the 1874 goal. Gonzales had a superb chance to finish off another superb cross from Jacob Hanson, but his header squirted across the goalmouth. It was substitute John McGrath who put a deserved gloss on proceedings on 76 minutes, as he bent a superb left footed shot into the corner of the goal after great interplay with Hanson. There was still time for another Hanson burst freeing substitute Anisio Jesus, whose shot was well smothered, and for Rouse to try an ambitious bicycle kick, before Hakan Burton made his first telling save of the match.

Team: Burton, Hanson, Holden, Baker, Pugh, Hall, Rouse, Wilkins, Gonzales, Dent, Barlow (M)
Subs (used) McGrath, Jesus, Parny
Subs (not used) Lancaster, Howarth