Clitheroe went to the impressive Hyde stadium on Saturday on the 3G surface and were facing the league’s form team of 2017. They found it tricky getting used to the pace of the pitch but in the end got their just desserts with a share of the spoils in a pulsating encounter. You cannot teach character and team spirit, but this is one area where this team is second to none.

Clitheroe were under pressure for the first 20 minutes of the game, much the same as with Grantham only a few days earlier. Players were looking to take one touch too many on the plastic, whilst the home team were forever looking to pass and move and use the flanks at every opportunity. We even saw a few rare Danny Brady errors. On 11 minutes he was dispossessed and Chris Thompson had to make a smart save, whilst on 17 minutes, he lost the ball midway in his own half and the Hyde forward skipped down the line and hammered a shot against the bar. It will still be rattling now.
Brady quickly made amends on 23 minutes as he rescued a deep corner from going out and laid the ball to Alex Newby who forced a stupendous save from the home keeper as the ball sat up nicely. Dimitri Tuanzebe cantered down he left on 32 minutes, and his lay off to Kurt Willoughby saw him balloon the ball over the bar. Seconds later, the play swung to the other end and as the ball was sliced through the defence, the forward drew Thompson and slipped the ball under him. Despite going down, Clitheroe were finding their feet and on 37 minutes, Willoughby laid the ball to Charlie Russell, whose swerving shot arched narrowly over the bar. However, parity was restored as Robbie Bromley and Chris Churchman combined on the right before playing in Willoughby who muscled past his defender and scored with a firm shot into the corner.

The second half could scarcely have started better for the Blues. Churchman was at the centre of a great series of pass and moves near the right hand of the box, before Alex Newby’s snap shot gave the keeper no chance. Three minutes later Hyde were level after good work on the right and the healthy home crowd turned up the volume. On 64 minutes, Hyde again exploited space on the right and took the lead. Three minutes later, the game appeared to be over after an inswinging corner was headed home unchallenged. However, this Clitheroe side does not know when it is beaten.
On 75 minutes, Newby and Joe Mitchell combined well and Mitchell had the goal at his mercy but did not pull the trigger. However, on 81 minutes, a mazy run from Newby on the left was followed by a pass from substitute Aidan Kirby to Tuanzebe, whose angled snap shot was unstoppable. Finally, with two minutes of normal time remaining, a great Bromley free kick on the right was dinked into the box, for Brad Carroll to head powerfully on to the underside of the bar. The ball was deemed to have crossed the line before Brady made sure.

When the final whistle went, this was very much a point gained. With three home games left out of four, Clitheroe’s play off ambitions are still very much alive.

Team : Chris Thompson, Robbie Bromley, Gareth Roberts (Ryan Cattermole), Jacob Davies, Danny Brady (c), Charlie Russell (Brad Carroll), Joe Mitchell, Chris Churchman, Kurt Willoughby (Aidan Kirby), Alex Newby, Dimitri Tuanzebe. Subs - Brad Carroll, Aidan Kirby, Ryan Cattermole. Not used - Adam Bolton.