Widnes 2 Clitheroe 1
Att. 184
Clitheroe suffered another knock to their play off hopes at mid table Widnes and can have little complaint about the outcome as their hosts raised their game and the Blues failed to fire consistently on the plastic pitch. To compound matters, goalkeeper Chris Thompson took a knock to the head in the dying minutes and looks likely to miss the next game at least.

Despite the strong wind, the conditions in the centre of the huge stadium were relatively benign. Similarly, the display on the pitch also had few highlights early on, with midfielder Alex Turner coming off with a leg injury after shanking a shot, being the most memorable incident. He was replaced by Danny Wilkins, and there were shades of Leek as he tussled with a Widnes player, causing players from both sides to get involved.

Lesser referees might have viewed the offence differently, but the travelling Blues’ fans were pleased just to see a yellow card. It took almost half an hour for Clitheroe to start to play more fluent football, but it was Widnes who were finding their range. Jack Burrows appealed hopefully for offside as his opponent sprinted past him, and he was relieved to see the attack fizzle out into a corner. With two minutes of the half remaining, Chris Thompson was called upon to make a superb finger tip save from distance and from the resultant corner, another shot pinged narrowly over the bar.

The second half had to be better for the Blues and indeed it was. Wilkins was pulling most of the strings after his lapse in the first half, and in a superb move, where he shared passes with Jamie Edwards, his snap shot deserved better than it got. As the visitors felt this might herald a change in fortune, they were a goal down, as a Widnes break down the left saw the Widnes midfielder steady himself and then curl in a sublime goal from the corner of the box.

Thompson thought he had it covered but was defeated by late movement in the flight. It did not take long for the equaliser and Max Cane was on hand to force home the ball after a Wilkins shot was well saved. Richie Baker should then have given Clitheroe the lead when he headed a Wilkins cross unchallenged into the keeper’s arms.

Cane was also starting to crate spaces with his pace and went close with a header from a Bailey Sloane cross. Widnes were always a threat though and Thompson made a superb save from a shot following a corner, and as the Blues tried to regroup, another break down the right by Widnes saw a low driven cross stabbed home from close range. Clitheroe could not raise themselves to make any further chances and with the injury to Thompson from a 50-50 challenge late in the game, a bad day certainly got worse.

Team : Chris Thompson, Jamie Edwards (Louis Jeanne), Bailey Sloane, Richard Baker, Jack Burrows, Billy Priestley, Max Cane, Alex Turner (Danny Wilkins), Sefton Gonzales (c), Joel Byrom (Cole Lonsdale), Ben McKenna. Subs - Danny Wilkins, Cole Lonsdale, Louis Jeanne. Not used - Cameron Lancaster, George Bristol.