Clitheroe went out of the FA Trophy after losing this very winnable game on penalties. An unfamiliar starting lineup saw plenty of firepower left on the bench but enough chances were still created to have won the game within the 90 minutes.

Clitheroe started brightly and early pressure brought a corner. That was cleared upfield for Brighouse to break and they should have taken an early lead but instead they put it over the bar from 6 yards out. It was the Blues who took the lead after 12 minutes when Alex Henderson was fouled in the box and Richard Baker slotted home the penalty. They had a great chance to double the lead minutes later when a smart ball into the box from Danny Wilkins was flashed narrowly wide by Alex Henderson.

Brighouse came back into the game on the half hour mark and won a succession of corners in search of the equaliser. That came after 36 minutes when a low cross from the Brighouse right was spilled by keeper Danny Taberner and their player followed up to fire the free ball home.

In the 40th minute a Danny Wilkins free kick on the right found the head of Billy Priestley but he was only able to glance a header over the bar to leave the sides level 1-1 at halftime.

The second half began with sub Reece Webb-Foster replacing the injured Jacob Hanson. It started even with both sides creating chances to take the lead. In the 55th minute Richard Baker saw a sublime left foot effort curl off far post. This was followed minutes later by a Brighouse effort that whistled just past the Clitheroe goal. Soon after that a long Lee Pugh throw again found Billy Priestley whose header forced a great save from the home keeper.

Sub John McGrath replaced a subdued Veron Parny and in the 75th minute his speculative cross-cum-shot from the angle of 18 yard box hit the bar and went over. As the game entered a frantic last 5 minutes it was Brighouse who took the lead. Billy Priestley’s sliding challenge looked fair but the ref deemed it was with studs showing and boot slightly off the ground and he had no hesitation in pointing to the spot. Danny Taberner had no chance of saving the resultant penalty kick.

Clitheroe were relentless in search of the equaliser. Danny Wilkins had a wonderful mazy run and shot which their keeper parried for a corner. The ref then went down with an apparent hamstring injury and after a lengthy delay was replaced in the middle by the senior assistant. Soon after the restart another Blues attack saw the ball laid off for Lee Pugh but his shot sailed high and wide. Well into added time another long Lee Pugh throw was headed across the goal mouth by substitute Owen Devonport and Domaine Rouse connected at the far post but it was put out for a corner. Lee Pugh took the corner and it was Domaine Rouse again whose head connected with it at the far post, forcing it down towards the goal line and Cameron Lancaster was lurking to force it over the line for the equaliser. There was just time for Danny Wilkins to lay the ball off for Domaine Rouse but he drilled his shot wide of the post. 2-2 after 90 minutes and so it went to penalties at the clubhouse end.

Brighouse Town went first and scored, Reece Webb-Foster scored with Clitheroe’s first penalty, Brighouse scored their 2nd and 3rd spot kicks while Richard Baker and Danny Wilkins both had their efforts saved by the home keeper. Brighouse duly scored their next one to win the shoot-out 4-1.

Team: Danny Taberner, Jacob Hanson (Reece Webb-Foster), Lee Pugh, Richard Baker, Cameron Lancaster, Billy Priestley, Danny Wilkins, Alex Henderson (Owen Devonport), Domaine Rouse, Ross Dent ©, Veron Parny (John McGrath). Subs – Reece Webb-Foster, John McGrath, Owen Devonport. Not used – Sefton Gonzales, Mark Howarth.