Sunday 22nd August 2021.
FA Cup Preliminary Round
Northwich Victoria 1-2 Clitheroe

Clitheroe were deserved winners of this Sunday encounter and progressed to the First Qualifying Round of the FA Cup for the first time in three years thanks to a Ross Dent double, writes Chris Musson.
The Blues roared out of the blocks and the home side looked shell shocked. Within minutes, Sefton Gonzales nodded back a Cole Lonsdale corner into the box and Billy Priestley headed against the bar. Minutes later, Gonzales headed home only to be ruled fractionally offside.

Jake Connelly then got in on the act and whistled a shot across the face of the goal, but slowly the Vics adjusted themselves to the tempo and started to defend in sufficient numbers to nullify the Clitheroe threat. Their key outlet was down the right flank and a number of crosses had the Blues back pedalling. There was still time for Connelly to have another snap shot well saved, but half time came goalless.

The visitors had the best possible start to the second half. On 50 minutes, Connelly eluded his marker on the left and scudded in a low cross and Dent, playing in an advanced position all game, swept the ball home after timing his run perfectly. The sizeable Clitheroe contingent were in raptures. Much of the play was still in the Vics' half and Alex Turner was a driving force in much of Clitheroe’s play, while debutant central defender Harrison Burke calmly dealt with any incursions into the Blues half in an accomplished performance.

Gonzales engineered two great chances but he was first denied by a one-handed save as the ball was headed goal bound, and then he had a header saved expertly low down at the corner of the post. As the clock ticked down, on 85 minutes Dent sprang the offside trap and struck a first time shot past the keeper to extend the lead.
There was still time for a few jangling nerves especially when the home side scored a scruffy goal in injury time through Josh Winder. However, when the whistle finally blew, this felt like a job well done against a hard working Vics side as the Blues extended their unbeaten start under Billy Priestley and Gary Stopforth.

Team : Chris Thompson, Jack Burrows, Cole Lonsdale, Gary Stopforth, Harrison Burke, Billy Priestley, Alex Turner (Conor Gaul), Danny Wilkins, Sefton Gonzales, Ross Dent (Ricardo Pembele), Jake Connelly (Taylor Brickell). Subs - Taylor Brickell, Conor Gaul, Ricardo Pembele. Not used - Joel Mills, Mbako Chalashika, Matthew Hodds.

Attendance: 304