Clitheroe 2 Warrington Rylands 2
Attendance 541

In a sensational top of the table clash played in driving rain, honours were shared in a game of high quality. With control tricky on the greasy surface, Clitheroe elected to kick with the wind in the first half. Debutant Jack Hopkins had an inauspicious start, picking up a yellow for a mistimed challenge within two minutes, but thereafter settled in well at centre back with Billy Priestley. Clitheroe had a glut of chances at the start of the game but were kept at bay by some inspired keeping from the Rylands’ stopper.
After 8 minutes, Jamie Edwards burst down the right and from his driven cross, a defensive deflection somehow settled in the midriff of the keeper on the line. Sefton Gonzales was next as he glanced at pace a lofted Joel Byrom free kick, only to see it saved brilliantly low down. Gonzales then swivelled after a Ben McKenna cross and was foiled again by the keeper.
It took 25 minutes for the deadlock to be broken, and it was McKenna again who served up a delicious lob for Max Cane to pick his spot with a powerful header. On 39 minutes, the lead was doubled as McKenna was sent scurrying down the left and from the resultant cross panic ensued, and as the ball popped out Richie Baker picked his spot and threaded the ball through a forest of legs into the goal.

When the sides swapped around for the second half, the rain had not let up at all and the wind was now in the Blues’ faces. Rylands set their stall out to use the top side whenever possible and on 56 minutes an arrowed ball from the left picked out the winger on the right, who advanced and drilled in a wicked low cross, which was slid home by the generally excellent Kane Drummond.

Progressively, the visitors started to dominate play with the wind at their backs, and on 71 minutes, scores were level when another skidding cross from the right was inadvertently turned in by Clitheroe’s Hopkins. As the clock ticked down, debutant keeper Lee Camp was increasingly being called upon, and was put under real pressure as shots with the sodden ball were increasingly hard to hold, and from one spill, Rylands almost bent the loose ball into the goal. As the game went into extra time, Rylands had the ball in the net after another frantic period of play in the Blues’ box, but was ruled out for handball.

When the whistle went, both sides knew they had fought each other to a standstill and that a draw was a fair result all round.

Team : Lee Camp, Jamie Edwards, Bailey Sloane (Jack Burrows), Richard Baker, Jack Hopkins, Billy Priestley, Ben McKenna, Danny Wilkins, Sefton Gonzales (c), Joel Byrom (Ross Dent), Max Cane (Jake Connelly). Subs - Ross Dent, Jack Burrows, Jake Connelly. Not used - Louis Jeanne, George Bristol.