In a pulsating game, which had everything, Clitheroe emerged worthy winners but were pushed all the way by lowly Widnes.

Clitheroe took the lead on 2 minutes when a huge Lee Pugh throw saw a keeper fumble and the returning Cameron Lancaster stabbed the ball home from close range. . With most Widnes attacks breaking down well before they reached goal, Clitheroe probed down both flanks for the next opening. They did not have long to wait. On 17 minutes, Ross Dent thumped home a fine header from a Danny Wilkins cross after a short corner, but from the restart, Widnes instantly pulled a goal back from a free header from a looping cross. Play instantly swung to the Widnes end and the visitors withheld huge pressure and Reece Webb-Foster and Sefton Gonzales went close. On 25 minutes, Abs Obasoto went down with a hamstring injury and he had to be replaced by Max Cane. Minutes later, Widnes midfielder Laurence Smith was sent off for an off the ball incident involving Danny Wilkins. Widnes were then content to soak up the pressure until half time, although Cane went very close to springing the offside trap.

Numbers were evened up early in the second half when Ross Dent received his second yellow card for an innocuous looking coming together. On 58 minutes, Clitheroe were awarded a penalty for handball, which was initially saved from Gonzales but scored on the second rebound by Webb-Foster after excellent work by the Widnes keeper and former Blue, Cameron Terry. Within minutes, Sefton Gonzales then looped a header over the stranded keeper from 18 yards to make it 4-1 before Widnes instantly pulled one back from a driven shot from distance.

Clitheroe were not at their absolute best and with two more due to be missing to add to Billy Priestley, manager David Dempsey will have to shuffle the pack on Saturday. However, he knows that no team will fancy the prospect of a trip to a rampant Shawbridge where the home team has scored four goals for the last three games.

Team : Chris Thompson, Jacob Hanson, Darren Holden, Richard Baker (Jamie Edwards), Lee Pugh, Cameron Lancaster, Reece Webb-Foster (Charlie Russell), Ross Dent (c), Sefton Gonzales, Danny Wilkins, Abimbola Obasoto (Max Cane). Subs - Max Cane, Charlie Russell, Jamie Edwards. Not used - Jack Burrows, Owen Devonport.