CLITHEROE 2 1874 NORTHWICH 2

Blues denied at the death but point on the board for new management team
A bumper crowd welcomed in the new season, bolstered by a large contingent from newly promoted 1874, and they were not disappointed by a game with twists and turns galore, writes Chris Musson.

Clitheroe were without new centre back Harrison Burke, so joint player-manager Gary Stopforth had to join his managerial colleague Billy Priestley at the heart of the defence.

The home side was raring to go from the off and it was Sefton Gonzales partnering new signing Joel Mills, who made the running.

In the opening minutes he muscled his way forward and flashed a shot across the face of the goal, before releasing Jake Connelly down the left, whose scudding cross just evaded an outstretched boot.

It was no surprise that it was Gonzales who opened the scoring with a crashing close-range header from an inswinging Cole Lonsdale corner.

1874 dusted themselves down and within two minutes had equalised after their pacy wingman delivered a low cross to the edge of the box and striker Scott McGowan finished sensationally as he arched his back and volleyed home on the full.

The excitement was not finished as minutes later play swung to the other end and Jamie Edwards was fouled in the box and the referee awarded a penalty.

The outrage from the away fans behind the goal held little sway and Lonsdale sent the keeper the wrong way as he thumped it home.

The rest of the half simmered nicely, with 1874 looking increasingly dangerous down the right flank, whilst the Blues maintained their goal threat through Gonzales and Edwards.

The second half saw 1874 turn up the heat and as substitutions were made the home side’s shape was sorely tested and the visitors hit the post and shortly afterwards shot tamely at Chris Thompson from a cross when the goal was gaping.

An 1874 player went off with a nasty injury and as the clock ticked down, the visitors’ pressure went up a notch.

And as the game entered injury-time, a central free-kick found itself popping out to the right and from a pin-point header, central defender Ryan Mitchell buried an equaliser unmarked from several yards out to spark joyous scenes from the excellent visiting fans.

When the whistle finally went, both sides knew they had been in a game and a draw was probably a fair result.

For Priestley and Stopforth, it was a productive start to their reign and their next test comes on Tuesday night when the Blues go to Prescot Cables – 1-0 losers at Market Drayton in their West Division opener.

Team : Chris Thompson, Josh Askew, Cole Lonsdale, Ross Dent, Gary Stopforth, Billy Priestley (c), Jamie Edwards, Alex Turner (Danny Wilkins), Sefton Gonzales, Joel Mills (Conor Gaul), Jake Connelly (Jack Burrows). Subs - Conor Gaul, Jack Burrows, Danny Wilkins. Not used - Taylor Brickell, Mbako Chalashika