With Clitheroe kicking down the hill in the first half, the game took time to come to life, with both sides adopting a cautious approach. It was the home side who took the lead mid way through the half when their left winger twisted and turned and made himself space for a driven low cross which was reached first by the home forward to stab home. Two minutes later Clitheroe had a great chance when the excellent Jack Sloan put a cross on to Richie Baker’s head in a central position the box, but the ball skidded away well wide of goal. Things got worse minutes later when a fierce corner was met by a flashing header on the corner of the box and Hakan Burton was given no chance. On 36 minutes, more Sloan work found Jack Massey close to goal, but his effort just hit the side netting. Half chances followed but when the whistle went, it was clear a huge second half was required and that is indeed what the superb Clitheroe following duly received.

Aside from an excellent early chance for Stalybridge after a long diagonal ball saw the forward balloon his shot over, all the play was camped for the rest of the half in the home end. Andy Teague started to assert himself and quickly the tenor of the game changed. On 52 minutes, Teague bulldozed his way through and set up Massey to blast over, but took control himself one minute later when he headed home a deep Baker corner at the back post. The Clitheroe pressure was incessant. Ex Blue Cole Lonsdale took a yellow card as he cynically dropped a rampaging Sloan, Sefton Gonzales asserted himself up top and chances came. Equally, there were continuous stoppages for home players dropping with injuries. Massey was bundled over in the box on 65 minutes, but the referee waved play on, and on 70 minutes Cam Lancaster headed just wide after Teague’s header teed him up.
Danny Wilkins got in on the action whistling a shot wide and as the game entered the final 10 minutes of normal time, the pressure went up another level. On 85 minutes, three clear successive chances in the box saw a corner awarded. From the corner, Domaine Rouse saw his header cleared off the line, with a clear suggestion the ball had been over the line. From the next corner Lancaster’s header was cleared off the line and the same happened to Gonzales with the next corner. On 89 minutes, Teague hung a cross in the air, but it just got too big on Will Hall as his header narrowly skimmed the bar. As the game entered injury time, Rouse found himself one on one and the keeper made an outstanding save just in front of goal. Just as the Blues’ fans thought their chances had gone, Sloan was dropped in the box as a defender followed through after a clearance. Baker settled himself and fired home to send the Clitheroe fans delirious deep into injury time.

When the whistle went, only the most jaundiced observer would say Clitheroe were not good value for their point.

Team: Burton, Hanson, Sloan, Teague, Lancaster, Hall, Baker, Davidson, Gonzales, Wilkins, Massey
Subs (used) Azam, Rouse, Dent
Subs (not used) Parny, Booth