Clitheroe 3-1 Ramsbottom United [13/10/2020]
The buoyant Blues ended Ramsbottom’s 100 per cent start to the season and went above their East Lancashire rivals in the table with a ruthless display in front of another 'full house' at Shawbridge. First-half goals from Danny Wilkins and Kielan Adams for the second mid-week running put David Lynch’s men in charge of a cracking derby clash.
And after the visitors had pulled a goal back in the final minute of the first half, Terry Cummings' second goal of the season guaranteed a victory that made it six unbeaten since the start of the season as the upwardly-mobile Blues moved into second place in the North-West Division. Boss Lynch made three changes to the Blues’ starting line-up as Ollie Muir started his first game since the opening day in place of Jimmy Mutton.

And Cummings and Conor Gaul started as wing-backs in a positive move which almost paid off in the opening minutes as Cummings got forward to meet a Gaul cross with an effort which was blocked at the far post. But the Blues didn’t have to wait long for their upbeat start to pay off as they took the lead after just 12 minutes. Cummings was involved again with a cross which was punched only as far as Wilkins whose lovely first-time lob beat the stranded Giosue Bellagambi to give the Blues’ play-maker his second goal of the season.

The visitors responded with an effort from former Clitheroe striker Sefton Gonzales which Chris Thompson touched over the bar. But it was the Blues who dominated with an intensity the Rams struggled to contain. And with 35 minutes gone Lynch’s men deservedly doubled their lead as Adams also grabbed his second goal in three games as he pounced to force the ball home from inside the six-yard box after Hobson had flicked on a Wilkins free-kick. Hobson was proving a real handful and twice he had opportunities to extend the Blues advantage.

But his first effort was saved and the second directed wide of the target and a minute before the break Ramsbottom halved the deficit to raise their hopes of avoiding a first defeat as Anthony Donaldson rose impressively to head home a Daniel O’Brian cross. Only a superb Thompson save from Richard Baker’s volley kept Clitheroe’s noses in front at half-time but the Blues quickly regained the initiative after the break.

Cummings revelled in his new role and when he gambled with another forward run it paid dividends as on-loan Huddersfield keeper Bellagambi spilled another Hobson flick-on and Cummings kept his cool to finish superbly from a tight angle. Bellagambi did his best to make amends with an excellent save to keep out a header from Ross Dent as the midfielder sensed a fourth goal following another set-piece.

Gaul also sent a long-range effort whistling just wide as Clitheroe continued to look dangerous on the break. But the Blues had done enough as Rammy’s late rally came to nothing, Gary Stopforth typifying the determination to get the job done with an excellent block and Thompson saving from Donaldson as Clitheroe made sure theirs would be the unbeaten run remaining intact.

Clitheroe: Thompson; Smalley, Priestley, Muir; Cummings, Dent, Wilkins (O’Neil 62), Stopforth; Hobson (Feeney 65), Adams (Maeico 70). Substitutes: Foulds, Lonsdale.

Ramsbottom: Bellagambi; Cooper (Burns 64), Kennedy, Waldron, Rouse, Baker, Fawns, Osi-Efa (Thompson 64), Gonzales, Donaldson, O’Brian. Substitutes: Dugdale, Rooney, Moreland.

Attendance: 400