Clitheroe demolished the hoodoo, which Radcliffe had had over the Blues all season, and put them to the sword in comprehensive fashion. With debutant Sean Miller partnering Lloyd Dean up front, and in form striker Scott Bakkor on the left, there was goal threat wherever you looked.

Lloyd Dean set the tone on three minutes when he had a mazy run, before laying off to Dent who pulled it back to Bakkor to send it narrowly wide. One minute later Dent released Miller who crossed for Dean, who was foiled with a point blank save. Radcliffe rallied briefly, but it was one way traffic. On 20 minutes Wedge curled the ball with the outside of his boot over the defence to Bakkor who just failed to connect cleanly. Two minutes later Clitheroe took the lead. Miller was upended in the box and spot kick supremo Bakkor smashed the ball home. On 31 minutes, Radcliffe cleared a Clitheroe chance from off the line and it was no surprise when one minute later, Miller headed home powerfully from a trademark Bellew cross. On 38 minutes Radcliffe appealed in vain for a penalty of their own, but it was Clitheroe who finished the brightest. After 42 minutes, Miller cushioned a long ball on his chest, ghosted past the disbelieving defender and put his shot against the post.

The second half saw no let up. Within one minute of the re-start, Dent’s header was cleared off the line. Radcliffe almost got a lifeline on 52 minutes, but a masterful tackle by James took the ball from the feet of the pacy attacker. On 53 minutes, Miller received the ball on the left, and used his strength to hold off a defender, before pushing it past the keeper to the bye-line and dragging it back for Dean to shoot home. Miller had a clear shout for a penalty on 63 minutes, but as the away team stopped, Bakkor hammered the bouncing ball home. Clitheroe totally dominated the rest of the half, with Griffiths going closest with a shot driven narrowly over.

There were plenty of contenders for Man of the Match, but the consensus was that Miller had shone the brightest. There now starts a long sequence of away fixtures, and it will be interesting to see whether this form can be maintained on the road, as at the minute the team is firing on all cylinders.

Team: Josh Ollerenshaw, Keith Wedge ©, Warren Bellew, Will James, Ben Cartwright, Scott Byrom, Ross Dent, Daniel Wilkins, Lloyd Dean, Sean Miller, Scott Bakkor Subs Danny Smith, Danny Morton, George Conway, Andy Griffiths, Simon Garner