CLITHEROE 1 KIDSGROVE ATHLETIC 2
Clitheroe were desperately unlucky not to take anything from the game and having lasted 50 minutes with 10 men, two late Kidsgrove goals were a bitter pill to swallow, writes CHRIS MUSSON.

After an even start, Clitheroe were awarded a clutch of fouls in dangerous positions, but could not make them pay. On 21 minutes, Sefton Gonzales flicked a header to Harrison Burke in his new right-back position and his great pass to Louis Almond saw the forward shape to shoot only for a desperate tackle to deny him.

On 25 minutes, Billy Priestley narrowly failed to connect with a dangerous corner but the wind was certainly in the home side’s sails. Danny Wilkins picked up a soft yellow card for a run of the mill coming together, but then four minutes later was adjudged to have lunged with studs showing at his opponent, at a time when play had virtually stopped and was given his marching orders on 35 minutes.

Undeterred, Clitheroe picked up the pace again and on 40 minutes, Cole Lonsdale received a fine pass from Almond and leathered the ball home from distance, with the Shawbridge roar almost taking the roof off the Top Side. The second half still saw Clitheroe in the box seat. On 52 minutes, Almond picked his marker’s pocket, ran 20 yards and arrowed a shot just inside the post, only for a desperate save to send it round the post. Three minutes later, Gonzales was free with the keeper to beat but tried to walk the ball into the net and the chance came to nothing.
The Kidsgrove bench were trying all manner of permutations as the home side inevitably sat deeper and soon all three substitutes were on the pitch. We even had the rare sight of an away player being given an ovation as he was substituted. Anthony Malbon is a feared striker in these parts and he had struck up a great rapport with the home end.

With 15 minutes to go, the pressure went up a notch. Burke made a superb full-length block, before one minute later Chris Thompson was at full stretch. Five minutes later, he was called upon again before a soft free-kick was given to Kidsgrove 20 yards out. The wall was set, but the shot from Kyle Diskin bent round the base of the wall and arrowed into the bottom corner. Six minutes later, Clitheroe’s misery was complete, as a long ball agonisingly dropped over Lonsdale’s head and the first time cross was nodded home by Kieran Brown. The away bench erupted, showing what a big scalp every team now sees in Clitheroe.

There was still time for Priestley to be denied at the death as the ball bounced in the box, but there was to be no way back for the Blues.

Team : Chris Thompson, Harrison Burke, Cole Lonsdale, Gary Stopforth, Louis Jeanne, Billy Priestley, Danny Wilkins, Richie Baker, Sefton Gonzales (c), Zack Clarke, Louis Almond (Joel Mills). Subs - Joel Mills. Not used - Ricardo Pembele, Jack Burrows, Ross Dent, Matthew Hodds.