Home

Club

Events

Contact

History

News

2007-08 Season

Matchday

Club Shop

Commercial

Links

Archive

2006-07 Season

League Table

Player Statistics

Match Reports

Home > Archive > 2006-07 Season > Match Reports > Clitheroe (07.10.06)

2006-2007 Season

Match Reports

Clitheroe 3 Bamber Bridge 2

FA Trophy Preliminary Round

at Shawbridge

Saturday 7th October 2006

By Dave Rowland

In a welcome break from league action Clitheroe strode through to the First Round of the FA Trophy with a 3-2 win in this eagerly awaited Lancashire derby. The Blues came back from 0-2 down to take advantage as the visitors inexplicably took their foot off the pedal in the second half.

Bamber Bridge arrived at Shawbridge hoping to eradicate the memory of their disappointing showing at Spennymoor Town in the FA Cup in early September when they crashed out of the competition against the Northern League minnows. Brig were also looking to improve on their poor record in the Trophy after having won just one tie in the last seven years. Clitheroe were hunting for signs of an improvement following three consecutive defeats recently in the First Division.

Bamber Bridge boss Andy Whittaker stuck with that same line-up that did so well in North Wales during the week when they out-fought Peter Davenport’s Colwyn Bay in the First Division.

The visitors stamped their authority on proceedings from the off with some fine open play and almost got their noses in front as early as the 5th minute Jamie Squires came close with a header at the far post following a well directed corner on the left by Steve Brown.

Clitheroe looked uncomfortable as Brig went about them with a real sense of purpose but the visitors nearly got caught out by a sweeping move involving Jason Jones and Simon Garner after 8 minutes. The promising raid came to a disappointing end for the home team when James Dean just failed to get on the end of Garner’s cross from the left.

Bamber Bridge reasserted their dominance and deservedly went in front on 11 minutes with an exquisite strike by Steve Brown. Neil Reynolds, playing against his former colleagues, sent Greg Brickell away down the right flank with a finely struck pass that caught the home rearguard completely square. Brickell picked out Brown with a pin-point cross and the Liverpool lad drove his shot across the exposed Alan Fitzpatrick in the Clitheroe goal and into the far corner of the net.

The home side were stunned and nearly conceded another goal a minute later when Brickell forced the ball beyond Fitzpatrick only to see his effort come back off the goalpost. The unfortunate Fitzpatrick was stretchered off in the 15th minute and taken to hospital following a collision with Brickell and was replaced by Clitheroe’s substitute goalkeeper Peter Collinge.

Bamber Bridge were having the best of things but the homesters remained dangerous and a well placed through-ball by full-back Jamie Nay was headed narrowly wide by the inrushing William Exton.

Reynolds brought down Ian Johnson on the edge of the penalty-box after 20 minutes but Clitheroe’s left-back Owen Roberts blasted the free-kick high and wide.

However, Brig were playing with a lot more cohesion than their East Lancashire rivals and went further in front on 37 minutes when Ryan Salmon worked his way down the left and fired in a cross which was touched home by Brickell from close in giving Colling little chance to save.

Bamber Bridge goalkeeper David Newnes snuffed out an awkwardly bouncing shot from Dean as the interval approached and a minute later the home team got a goal back right on the stroke of half-time. A fiercely struck Exton shot was palmed away at full stretch by Newnes, the loose ball falling to Garner lurking out on the left, and the Blues wingman fired home into the far corner of the net to set up an absorbing second-half.

With the wind at their backs the East Lancs side inevitably came out fighting after the break in what was developing into a pulsating cup tie.

A Garner cross was kicked over the Brig crossbar from almost on the line by Exton in the 48th minute but the big Clitheroe striker didn’t have long to wait in making amends for the miss.

Man-of-the-match Garner was causing all kinds of problems down the left for Bamber Bridge and it was from his creativity that the home team got their equaliser after 54 minutes. The fleet-footed wingman turned the Bamber Bridge defence with a sparkling run and his excellently executed cross was turned in at the far post by Exton.

Brig responded with some panache and Brickell was desperately unlucky to see his shot hacked off the line by Anthony Daniels after the Brig striker had out manoeuvred Collinge on the right hand edge of the penalty-box. Collinge then denied Brickell again with a fine save at full stretch after the Brig front runner headed a Porter cross goalwards.

However, Clitheroe now looked the more comfortable on the ball and powered forward in search of the winner. The visitors appeared to have lost the sharpness and thrust which had served them so well in the first-half.

Kris Mathews headed over a corner from Johnson with the Brig defence at sixes and sevens with only ten minutes remaining on the clock. Worse was to follow within minutes for the Irongate men when they conceded, what can only be described as a complete give-away goal, on 83 minutes.

An inauspicious Clitheroe attack caught the Brig defence in an awful tangle with at least four visiting players seemingly unable to clear a simple ball inside their own penalty area. The ball broke loose and former Bamber Bridge man Jason Jones took full advantage to gleefully ram home much to the delight of the large home following.

Bamber Bridge: Newnes, Myers (Clitheroe 28mins), King (Noon 88mins), Squires, K Brown, Reynolds, S Brown, Fletcher, Salmon, Brickell (Spencer 74mins), Porter. Unused Subs: Roberts, Bennett

Goals: Brown (11 mins), Brickell (38 mins)

Attendance: 244