Chasetown 1-1 Clitheroe
Clitheroe made their first ever visit to the charming surroundings of Chasetown and will have felt aggrieved not to have returned with all three points. That said, with players dropping like flies, finishing with 10 men on the pitch, this time through injury, was to be welcomed.

Clitheroe were first out of the blocks, with Josh Gregory being dropped on the edge of the box and Jonah Gosling driving purposefully at the defence in the first few minutes. It could have been better after six minutes, when from a free kick, the Chasetown keeper was stranded in no mans land but Jacob Gregory cleared the bar with his lob. The home team had few tricks except for an enormous throw in their attacking locker, and it was this which unpicked the Clitheroe defence as it failed to deal with a launch into the box and a home atttacker tucked it home. Obi Anorou had a great chance minutes later as a threaded ball found him in the box, but as he tried to rearrange his shooting boots, the chance was gone. On 35 minutes, the Blues were level after a great run by Jonah Gosling saw him feed Josh Gregory whose cross to Andreas Bianga was prodded home. It could have been even better as Anoruo and Jacob Gregory combined but the latter’s flick just went past the outside of the post.

The second half was a much tetchier affair and Harry Cannon-Noren came in for the treatment from a procession of home players, to the point that he was stretchered off with five minutes to go, leaving the Blues a man down. Chances were at a premium prior to that but the best two fell to Clitheroe. On 60 minutes, a superb flowing movement down Clitheroe’s left saw a five pass move find Cannon-Noren totally clear on the edge of the box, but he rushed his shot and ballooned the ball over. Even better was the chance created by late substitute Antoine Recizac, who ran the line whilst waiting for a lobbed ball over the top, and as he cheekily headed it past the onrushing keeper leaving him stranded, this was the chance. A hugely delayed and contentious flag from the distant linesman put paid to Clitheroe hopes.

The squad’s depth is being put to the test, but the team is playing with a smile and left the field to an ovation from an impressive Blues away support.

Team : Cameron Terry, Jay Jefferies, Ben Matthews (Macauley Harewood), Derek Ubah, Josh Snowden, Josh Gregory, Jacob Gregory (c) (James Sloane), Andreas Bianga, Obi Anoruo, Jonah Gosling, Harry Cannon-Noren (Antoine Recizac). Subs - Macauley Harewood, James Sloane, Antoine Recizac. Not used - Lewis Sugden, James-McLean Oppong.