Clitheroe 6 City of Liverpool 0
Att. 815

Clitheroe put their stuttering form of late behind them as they turned on the style in front of another sensational 800+ crowd, with young Max Cane bagging his first hat trick for the club into the bargain.

The ball was in the Liverpool net within one minute, but Sefton Gonzales was deemed to have impeded the keeper as a high ball was floated in. However, he did not have to wait long to register the first goal. On 6 minutes, Lee Pugh launched a trademark throw into the box and Gonzales deftly steered the ball beyond the keeper with a neat header.

Pugh also had a hand in the second goal on ten minutes, when after good work by Danny Wilkins down the right, it was Pugh who picked up a laid back ball and Cane was on hand to nod the resultant cross firmly home. The rest of the half settled into a period of sustained Clitheroe pressure, with Gonzales forcing a point blank save from a Ben McKenna cross and Wilkins blazing a shot narrowly over from distance.

After a talking to in the dressing room at half time, the visitors came out determined to make amends for their performance, but walked right into a side whose attacking play was just slipping into its stride. Chris Thompson had his only save of the game to make from a free kick on the edge of the box on 47 minutes, but from then onwards it was a procession. On 50 minutes, Jamie Edwards chested down a long cross and swivelled and shot in one movement, scoring a goal of exceptional quality.

Wilkins screamed another shot over on 54 minutes, before substitute Jake Connelly controlled a deep cross on 61 minutes on the far post and slammed the ball home from close range. By now, the pressure was relentless. Cane was foiled by a save at feet as he broke clear on 77 minutes, but two minutes later he muscled his way beyond the defenders and finished crisply. Barley had the crowd time to settle before he received a long cross from Connelly and showed superb predatory instincts as he hammered the ball home with barely a flicker.

When the whistle went, the crowd saluted a great display and the Blues will hope to take some of this attacking intent into the huge game on Tuesday away at Marine.

Team : Chris Thompson, Ben McKenna, Bailey Sloane (Jake Connelly), Richard Baker (Joel Byrom), Cameron Lancaster, Lee Pugh, Ross Dent (Gabriel Humphries), Danny Wilkins, Sefton Gonzales (c), Max Cane, Jamie Edwards. Subs - Jake Connelly, Gabriel Humphries, Joel Byrom. Not used - Jack Burrows, George Bristol.