Bootle 1 Clitheroe 2
Att. 368

A healthy Clitheroe contingent saw the Blues deservedly take all three points against an excellent Bootle side, and in the process go within five points of the play off places. The pace of the game was fierce and whilst both sides gave no quarter in the tackle, the game was played in a good spirit and was a first class example of the quality of the league.

Bootle started the brightest and had a pair of lively wingers to keep Clitheroe’s youthful full backs on their toes. The first chance fell to the Blues as Alex Turner advanced down the left and fashioned a good shooting chance for Bailey Sloane, who shot wide. Sefton Gonzales was relishing the physical battle and continued his great form at Trafford, first chipping the keeper before offside was given, and then laying a great chance to Jamie Edwards after riding three tackles, only for Edwards to scuff his shot.

After a period of shadow boxing, Gonzales laid the ball to Max Cane, who snatched at his shot However, it was the home side who got their noses in front on 27 minutes, when a wicked cross flashed in from the right and a glancing header accelerated the ball towards goal, only allowing Chris Thompson to get a hand on the ball. The lead only lasted two minutes.

First, Ross Dent was met with a full blooded challenge, and from the resultant free kick, Danny Wilkins deftly floated the ball into the box and from a glanced Gonzales header, Cane stabbed the ball home. The tempo of the game went up a notch as did the ferocity of some of the challenges, but there was no further score before half time.

Bootle again started the half the brighter and had two half chances before the game had even settled down. It took fully fifteen minutes for Clitheroe to find their feet again, and from then onwards they threatened regularly. On 61 minutes, Edwards slalomed into the box and drove his shot across the face of the goal, before one minute later he scored an outstanding goal. Receiving a long ball on the left, he controlled it well before advancing forward, cutting across the box and then simply walloping the ball into the goal.

Minutes later Cane burst forward but could not get his cross into the box. Jack Burrows drilled a shot through a forest of legs that the keeper did well to save and Cane caused panic in the defence when he threaded a cross into the area with plenty of Blues loitering for a touch. Bootle recognised that they had to go for broke and threw players forward. Dent counter attacked and put Cane through only to see his shot saved. Thompson raced out to make a clearance with a diving header before Gonzales fashioned a chance at the other end only to put the ball well over the bar.

As injury time beckoned, a deep Bootle cross saw players scattered on the floor, but the chorus of appeals for a penalty were waved away. There was still time for Thompson to make a full length save in injury time, but when the whistle went, few would argue that Clitheroe had deserved this fourth successive victory, to set up a final assault on the play offs, which had looked beyond them only three weeks ago.

Team : Chris Thompson, Jack Burrows, Bailey Sloane, Alex Turner (Joel Byrom), Cameron Lancaster, Moses Yoak, Ross Dent, Danny Wilkins, Sefton Gonzales (c), Max Cane (Jake Connelly), Jamie Edwards (Gabriel Humphries). Subs - Joel Byrom, Jake Connelly, Gabriel Humphries. Not used - Oscar Lucas, Ryan Bolton.