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Home > 2007-08 Season > Match Reports > Clitheroe (21.08.07)

MATCH REPORT

Clitheroe 0 Bamber Bridge 2

Northern Premier League 1st Division North

at Shawbridge

Tuesday 21st August 2007

By Dave Rowland

Bamber Bridge overcame their Lancashire rivals Clitheroe with an impressive and workmanlike display in this hard fought derby at Shawbridge. It was a comprehensive victory for the Irongate side after a slow start. Indeed, Brig got stronger as the game wore on and totally dominated proceedings in the second-half.

Former Bamber Bridge favourite, Clitheroe manager Neil Reynolds, was hoping to see his side get their season up and running following a single goal defeat at Woodley Sports on Saturday, whilst Bamber Bridge, who drew at home to League newcomers Newcastle Blue Star, were likewise looking for their first win of the campaign.

Due to suspensions and injury Brig were down to the bare bones with boss Phil Entwistle left with only a few selection options open to him. Not surprisingly, there was only one change from the line-up which faced Newcastle Blue Star at the weekend with Lee Cooper preferred to Joe Marsden in mid-field.

Clitheroe opened brightly with Craig Sargeson putting in some menacing crosses which troubled the Brig defence. A corner-kick lofted in by new signing Joel Byrom was headed narrowly over the Brig crossbar by Ryan Fisher as the Ribble Valley side went on search of an early goal.

The visitors weathered the storm and a Steve Brown free-kick saw the Clitheroe defence concede a corner from which a Sean O’Neil header was hacked from the line. Brown was again involved in the 20th minute when his volley from distance flashed tantalisingly past the post.

Brig began to make inroads through Clitheroe’s midfield with the lively Brown on the right and Alex Porter on the left prominent and it was no surprise when they got their noses in front on 28 minutes. Brown was fouled out on the right some twenty-five yards from goal and last seasons leading marksman Alex Porter fired home the resultant free-kick through a crowded goalmouth for his first strike of the new season.

Whilst this could hardly be described as a particularly robust derby the over fussy referee Mr Handley had already chalked up five cautions prior to the interval for pretty innocuous challenges and four more were to follow after the break.

Bamber Bridge came out of the blocks early in the second-half pushing Clitheroe onto the back foot and Adam Tong almost increased the visitors lead on 55 minutes when his finely-struck fee-kick from distance smacked against the base of goalkeeper James Mann’s right hand post.

There was more fluency in the visitors play as they began to take control of proceedings and Clitheroe were forced to defend in numbers for long periods. When the Blues did venture out of their own territory their efforts floundered on a rock-solid defence superbly marshalled by Tong.

Brown forced Mann into saving at full stretch on 60 minutes as the home goal looked increasingly more vulnerable and the Clitheroe keeper had to be at his best a few minutes later to keep out a Salmon effort after a Brown cross from the right had completely split open the home defence.

The referee’s notebook was still being used liberally by the over zealous official and on 77 minutes a double sending-off saw Brig’s star man Steve Brown dispatched after collecting his second yellow card when reacting to a clumsy challenge from Clitheroe substitute Nigel Taylor who was also sent off after having been booked earlier. It was a nonsense and neither player should have gone. Indeed, there had been little or no animosity between the sides all evening.

Brig continued to dominate and were deservedly rewarded for their endeavours on 85 minutes with a quality strike by Ryan Salmon. A Porter cross was gathered by the young striker who advanced menacingly towards the Clitheroe penalty area shrugging off a defenders challenge before unleashing an unstoppable drive beyond Mann’s reach.

A minute later Salmon just failed to capitalise on an unforced error between goalkeeper Mann and defender Russ Clark, firing over an empty net.

However, the home team looked well beaten and as the final seconds ticked away Brig full-back Damian Dashti sent in a rasping shot from the left which fizzed agonisingly past the far post.

Bamber Bridge: McCormick, Fleming, Dashti, Williams, Tong, Steel, Brown, Cooper, O’Neil, Salmon, Porter. Unused subs : Ince, Marsden, Carroll.

Goals: Porter (28 mins), Salmon (85 mins)

Attendance: 265