Jack Massey was first to show and fired narrowly over on 2 minutes for the home side before Clitheroe debutant Michael Davies followed up a solid parry to force a good save from the visiting keeper. Clitheroe were beginning to string series of passes together with wings backs, Davies and Jacob Hanson, finding success on the flanks, and it was no surprise on 30 minutes, when Amaar Hussain picked up a headed through ball and lofted the ball superbly over the keeper to open the scoring. Minutes later, debutant Louis Potts headed a hanging corner straight at the keeper and on 35 minutes bustled his way through on goal only to place the ball narrowly wide. As the clock ticked down, Vauxhall had Clitheroe at full stretch as a header was cleared off the line, but the Blues went in at half time a goal to the good.

Clitheroe shaded the second half, with confidence growing as the game proceeded. However, it almost started in the worst possible fashion, when after 47 minutes, Emerich Poilly was adjudged to have handled the ball in the box, but Hakan Burton expertly parried away Connor Rankin’s penalty. On 59 minutes, Vauxhall had another of their rare forays forward, and Clitheroe hearts were in their mouths as the lone striker put the ball narrowly beyond the post. Nerves were settled on 73 minutes, when debutant Michael Davies eased down the left and passed smartly to Hussain, who in turn expertly picked out Potts on the opposite apex of the box, who finished excellently across the keeper. As the game entered injury time, Clitheroe could easily have extended their lead. Massey engineered a great chance only to see his shot well saved, before Richie Baker rattled a fierce shot against the crossbar.

TEAM : 1 Hakan Burton, 2 Jacob Hanson, 3 Michael Davies, 4 Domaine Rouse, 5 Andrew Teague, 6 Matthew Clarke, 7 Richard Baker, 8 Emerich Poilly, 9 Louis Potts, 10 Amaar Hussain, 11 Jack Massey. SUBS : 12 Ross Dent, 14 Matthew Barlow, 15 Simon Njaria. Not used : 16 Waqas Azam, 17 Jack Dorney.