Warrington Rylands 1-0 Clitheroe
FA Cup 12/09/20

Clitheroe’s woeful run of form in the FA Cup continued at Warrington Rylands as they went down by the odd goal to the lower league team.

The Blues only had themselves to blame as they failed to capitalise on a dominant first half and then allowed themselves to be drawn into a scrappy war of attrition, as the home side looked to counter attack as their only goal threat. The game also turned increasingly niggly as it wore on - such is cup football.

The tone of the game could have been settled within the first 30 seconds when the home keeper fumbled a gentle shot from Kielen Adams and as the ball bounced towards the goal, time stood still as it finally shaved the outside of the post.

Minutes later the keeper was again in the spotlight as he had to back pedal and head out a misplaced back pass. Clitheroe’s pressure was incessant with the only respite for the home team from huge clearances and the bouncing ball.

Good chances came Danny Wilkins and Cole Lonsdale’s way, but that quality in the final quarter of the pitch was missing. Things also didn’t improve when Adams went off injured.

From the restart the general play degenerated into a lower league scrap, but it was the home team who got their noses in front when from a deep ball, the centre forward Milne showed composure and quality as he turned on the edge of the box and drove the ball tight into the bottom of the net, past Chris Thompson’s despairing dive.

From this point, the play was forever being broken up by fouls and home players rolling around on the floor. From another of these comings together, Ollie Muir was deemed to have stamped on his opponent and while mayhem reigned around him the Blues' defender was shown a red card. The large Clitheroe following was stunned into silence.

Further half chances came Clitheroe’s way, but they were always vulnerable to further goals on the break.

When the whistle went, there was much jubilation amongst the home fans, but Clitheroe knew they had fallen for the inevitable sucker punch.

Team : Chris Thompson, Markell Foulds, Cole Lonsdale, Gary Stopforth, Billy Priestley (c), Oliver Muir, Danny Wilkins, Ross Dent (Hyuga Tanner), Craig Hobson, Kielen Adams (Terry Cummins), Conor Gaul. Subs - Terry Cummins, Hyuga Tanner. Not used - Kieran Feeney, Oscar O'Neil, Kamar Moncrieffe, Jack Burrows, David Lynch.