Market Drayton Town 1 Clitheroe 1

A long midweek trip to Shropshire proved not to be the procession many had hoped for, and Clitheroe were held to a frustrating draw by bottom of the table Market Drayton. Despite dominating possession, Clitheroe could not make their quality tell and the tenacious battling by the home side belied their position.

For the first thirty minutes, debutant keeper George Bristol barely laid a glove on the ball. The travelling fans settled back for the expected goal feast and confidence was high as Sefton Gonzales and Billy Priestley just failed to head home a dangerous corner, and Max Cane skied a shot after a ball came loose.

Bailey Sloane got in on the act and he rode several challenges before forcing a full length save with a crisp shot. Clitheroe possession continued but the end product was either misfiring or missing. Gonzales first rolled his defender but scuffed his shot. He then just failed to spring the offside track before Joel Byrom released Ben McKenna and from his cross, Gonzales span in the box but just could not control the ball.

On 40 minutes, it was almost inevitable that with their first attack of the game, following a slip in the centre of Clitheroe’s defence, the lone Market Drayton found himself on the edge of the box on his own and finished smartly for the home side’s eighth goal of the season. Clitheroe were shaken and made no further chances in the half.

In the second half, Clitheroe were kicking up the slope, and Cane almost calmed nerves as he hurdled two tackles but scuffed his shot at the keeper when free. Clitheroe were still dominating the ball, but possession was not being translated into chances and play was either getting bogged down in the middle of the park or in hopeful punts up field. On the hour mark, Bristol made a fine save from a diving header from only the home side’s second attack of the game. The Clitheroe bench rang the changes and brought on Ross Dent and Terry Cummings for Richie Baker and Gonzales, and the nature of the game changed.

Cane appealed strongly for a penalty on 72 minutes, which was waved away, but three minutes later Clitheroe had the equaliser as Billy Priestley saw his header from a corner saved, but Dent bravely headed home in trademark fashion. From this point on, the chances came thick and fast. Cummings was virtually unplayable and from superb interplay down the right, the ball weas centred to Joel Byrom, but a huge bobble forced his shot upwards as he shaped to score.

Cummings then backheeled the ball over his head and charged 40 yards down the wing, before crossing to Byrom, who just failed to convert. By now, Clitheroe were camped in the Drayton half and as the clock ticked down, two Clitheroe players agonisingly failed to convert a deep cross with the goal at their mercy.

When the whistle went, the home side had a deserved point, whilst Clitheroe were shell shocked that all their possession had delivered so little.

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