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Home > 2007-08 Season > Match Reports > Clitheroe (05.02.08)

MATCH REPORT

Bamber Bridge 2 Clitheroe 2

Northern Premier League 1st Division North

at Irongate

Tuesday 5th February 2008

By Dave Rowland

A 90th minute penalty save by Bamber Bridge goalkeeper Terry McCormick gained the South Ribble side a point that they hardly deserved in this pulsating Lancashire derby at the Irongate ground. After taking a somewhat flattering two goal lead just prior to the half-time break, Brig were given a second-half drubbing by a tenacious Clitheroe side who simply refused to give up the ghost.

Without a competitive game under their belts for over a fortnight, Bamber Bridge were keen to get back into some serious action. They were determined to pick up from where they left off following two wins and a draw during January, which has kept the South Ribble side in contention amongst the leading pack in the First Division North. Former Brig favourites, Neil Reynolds and Peter Smith, now the management duo at Shawbridge, arrived at Irongate with their Clitheroe team determined to build on their success at Woodley Sports at the weekend when they took all three points following a hard fought 2-1 win.

Brig assistant boss Neil Crowe made two changes to the side that took a point at Woodley Sports on the 19th January. In the absence of Glenn Steel, through illness, new signing from Welsh Premier League side Connah’s Quay Nomads, Alan Glover, came in at full-back. Club skipper Alex Porter, returned to the colours, following a one-match ban, replacing Tom Ince, who was laid low with a stomach bug.

In a lively opening, Matt Mahoney found Porter in space down the left but Brig’s leading marksman Ryan Salmon, just failed to get on the end of the resultant cross from his captain after five minutes. The game was an open affair with both sides looking earnestly for an opportunity and a well flighted free-kick by ‘Blues’ full-back Barry Shuttleworth was headed harmlessly wide at the back post by Jonathon Smith, before an Alex Porter pile-driver flew narrowly over the crossbar at the other end for Brig.

The game was a typical fast and furious Lancashire derby. Clitheroe belied their lowly position in the table, as they pushed their high flying hosts back on the defensive. Indeed, the Ribble Valley side came close to opening their account on three occasions within as many minutes. Firstly, Scott Redhead put in Carl Lomax, who menacingly bore down on goal, but the visiting striker was thwarted, when Brig goalkeeper Terry McCormick bravely dived at is feet to smother the danger. Then seconds later, Redhead provided another perfect cross, this time for new recruit Danny Toronczac, but McCormick spread himself to save with his feet. Shortly after this, Brig’s central-defenders, Adam Tong and George Melling, got themselves into a bit of a tangle which Lomax almost took full advantage of. However, McCormick was on hand once again to save the day for Bamber Bridge.

Clitheroe custodian, James Mann was by no means unoccupied, and made a brilliant double save on 24 minutes to keep out the marauding home forwards. He kept a Stephen Brown cross-shot at bay with his feet before denying Dave Eaton’s follow-up with an impressive save at full stretch.

Clitheroe’s battling style was unnerving the home side and the visitors should have gone in front on 35 minutes when Ryan Fisher set up Lomax with a deft through-ball, but the ‘Blues’ striker shot well wide from a good position.

Brig took advantage of this narrow escape when they took the lead four minutes later. David Eaton split the Clitheroe defence wide apart with a superbly weighted through-ball and RYAN SALMON ran on to draw Mann from his line before confidently driving a low shot into the corner of the net for his 22nd strike of the season.

Brig doubled their account two minutes before the break. The ‘Blues’ defence failed to deal adequately with a Porter corner-kick taken from the right, and the unmarked Eaton fired in a snap-shot which struck an upright before ADAM TONG followed up to send a diving header into the unguarded visitors net.

Undaunted by the two-goal deficit, Clitheroe came out with all guns blazing after the break and dominated proceedings from the off. Fisher put in Toronczac on 51 minutes after a period of sustained pressure, but McCormick was alert to the danger and pushed Toronczac’s effort around the post. Then Lomax was desperately unlucky with a wickedly curling shot that flew narrowly wide. McCormick once again pushed a shot around his goalpost, this time from a Paul Osborne drive.

Not surprisingly the ‘Blues’ pulled one back on the hour mark after an uncharacteristic mistake by the hitherto faultless McCormick. Brig’s number-one, spilled an innocuous looking free-kick by Fisher onto the foot of CARL LOMAX who had the easiest of tasks in pushing the ball over the line.

Brig responded well for a time and a Porter corner-kick was hacked off the goal-line on 68 minutes before the same player fired just past the goalpost with Mann beaten.

However, Clitheroe stepped up another gear in search of an equaliser, as they began to sense that the home side were there for the taking. Both Lomax and substitute Craig Sargeson went close as the minutes ticked away before their efforts were finally rewarded on 87 minutes with a second goal. Brig had looked anything but secure under a barrage of Clitheroe raids and eventually caved in when CRAIG SARGESON fired home an angled drive following good work by Osborne on the right flank.

The game was to end in dramatic fashion when Brig central-defender Adam Tong was penalised for dangerous play after flooring substitute Micky Saunders just inside the penalty box. At first, referee Mr Massey, indicated that the incident warranted an indirect free-kick, before he sensationally changed his mind and pointed to the spot, much to everybody’s surprise.

The game looked all over for the dispirited Brig players, but there was to be one final twist in the tail, as McCormick dived to his left to keep out Toronczac’s spot kick and the game sensationally ended all square.

Bamber Bridge: McCormick, M Mahoney, Glover, Melling, Tong, Edmeads, Brown, D Mahoney, Salmon, Eaton, Porter Unused Subs: Zarac, Spencer, Dashti

Goals: Salmon (39 mins), Tong (43 mins)

Attendance: 206