Brave three points

Glossop NE 0 Clitheroe 2

With the Clitheroe squad down to its bare bones through injury, Lee Ashforth dipped into the transfer market and gave a welcome return to Stephen Rigby and debuts to marksman Jamie Rainford and to an Aussie, via Rovers and Bolton, Hyuga Tanner. A change was clearly as good as a rest, as the Blues secured the second victory of the season on their travels and the first point at Glossop since they entered the league.
The start could not have been more perfect, especially for Tanner.

On two minutes he jinked with the ball on the left and then sent a pinpoint cross arcing on to the head of Jonah Gosling who obliged to take the lead. With Josh Snowdon injured, the defence had been reshuffled, not least to accommodate Rigby, and they held firm against the usual Route One tactics from the home side, as they huffed and puffed to little effect.

That said, hearts were in mouths on six minutes, when Derek Ubah sold Cameron Terry short with a back pass, who in turn scuffed his clearance only to see the forward put his lob on to the roof of the net. Terry also had to be strong on 15 minutes as he stood tall to block an advancing striker who met a bouncing ball on the full. Chances were at a premium as Clitheroe set about stifling the home side, but a flashing Glossop header from a right-wing cross could easily have hit the target on 37 minutes.

The pattern of play continued in the second half, with Rigby the busier of the two full backs, as Glossop played nice neat approach work, before favouring the chase and run variety of attack. Ben Matthews came on for Josh Gregory, as he became the fourth Clitheroe player to pull up with a hamstring or groin problem, and with him adopting a wide role, it was he who headed home the ball from a Harry Cannon-Noren corner on 85 minutes, with the ball only just limping over the line.

It was not pretty, but the dressing room was bouncing after the game as were the travelling fans who were grateful for a slice of luck going their way.