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Home > 2008-09 Season > Match Reports > Clitheroe (14.02.09)

MATCH REPORT

Bamber Bridge 0 Clitheroe 5

Northern Premier League 1st Division North

at QED Stadium, Irongate

Saturday 14th February 2009

By Dave Rowland

Clitheroe upset the odds with this fine 5-0 away win over their county rivals Bamber Bridge and dented the play-off ambitions of the First Division North highflyers. The Blues totally dominated, especially in the first 45 minutes, when they ran in four goals without reply. Brig played a little better in the second period but Clitheroe continued to carve out more of the openings and the margin of their success could so easily have been much wider. It was a Jekyll & Hyde performance by Brig following their comfortable win over Rossendale United last Tuesday night.

Third placed Bamber Bridge were looking to continue with the recent good run of form which has seen them produce three victories from their last four outings in the league. The South Ribble side were also hoping to consolidate their position amongst the play-off places in the First Division North. Clitheroe arrived ‘in town’ keen to put one over on their fellow Lancastrians and re-establish their own play-off aspirations after a few weeks of inconsistency.

Brig boss Phil Entwistle made two changes to the successful line-up that achieved the ‘league double’ over Rossendale United during the week. New signing Matty Elder, was preferred at right-back to Jamie Nay, who was named as one of the substitutes and Sean O’Neil, Tuesday night’s two goal hero against ‘The Stags‘, was chosen to lead the front line in place of the injured Graeme Mitchell.

Clitheroe kicked off facing the clubhouse end and got right down the throats of their hosts from the word go. Indeed, it only took them 7 minutes to register the first goal when LEON GIERKE got on the end of a cross from close in after some fine work down the right by full-back Liam McManus who found former Brig winger David Hankin in space on the left with a fine cross-field ball.

Brig’s Matt Mahoney tackled Gierke almost on the goal-line in Clitheroe’s next raid and Neil Reynolds headed the resultant corner-kick, by Connor Kavanagh, narrowly wide at the near post.

The visitors were calling all the shots, playing with passion and determination against their curiously lacklustre hosts, and before the 20 minutes mark had been reached they had run in two more goals. Following a well struck corner-kick from the right by Gary Stopforth, which the home defence only half cleared, centre-back OLIVER McGEE looped a shot over Brig goalkeeper Andy Banks from the edge of the box on 16 minutes. Banks then tipped away a rasping drive by Kavanagh before Brig’s PHIL MITCHELL put through his own goal in attempting to clear a viciously in-swinging flag-kick from Stopforth on 19 minutes.

The game was over as a contest as Clitheroe systematically took their hosts apart. A procession towards the Brig goal followed with a succession of near misses. Gierke came the closest on 25 minutes when touching a good chance over at the near post following a Kavanagh corner.

In a Brig sortie on the half-hour mark, Colin McAllister headed just over the crossbar from a Mitchell flag-kick. Other than this, the home team rarely threatened and on the stroke of half-time their woes increased when a Hankin cross was touched home from close range by LEON GIERKE for his second of the afternoon.

Shell-shocked Bamber Bridge began the second period with more spirit and in their first meaningful attack of the afternoon, Clitheroe goalkeeper Martin Fearon was called upon to save from Stuart Shepherd, following a Sean O’Neil through-ball.

However, Clitheroe continued in the ascendency with some good football: Stopforth and Hankin the danger men. McManus found Sargeson in space on 56 minutes and Banks did well to keep out Sargeson’s drive.

Bamber Bridge began to find their feet and Brown brought a fine diving save from Fearon on the hour mark after a good run down the right. Then McAllister headed just past the post five minutes later following a McCann free-kick.

The visitors were determined to take all the prizes though, and a fifth goal on 72 minutes completed the rout. Clitheroe threatened down the left and CRIG SARGESON dived in to glance home with a header, as the ball shot across the face of goal.

Bamber Bridge worked hard to get something out of the game, but their afternoon was summed up late on when leading marksman Alex Porter was denied what looked to have been a fine goal, when his effort was ruled out for offside, after a neat interchange of passes with Anthony Murt.

Bamber Bridge: Andy Banks, Matt Elder, Ryan Bowen, Colin McAllister, Glenn Steel, Stuart Shepherd, Steve Brown, Matt Mahoney (McCann 45mins), Sean O’Neil (Murt 65mins), Alex Porter, Phil Mitchell (Michael Mason 45mins). Unused sub: Jamie Nay

Goals: -

Clitheroe: Martin Fearon, Liam McManus, Connor Kavanagh, Kieron Fletcher, Oliver McGee, Neil Reynolds (Mark Sharples 76mins), David Hankin (Ryan Fisher 73mins), Gary Stopforth, Leon Gierke (Andrew Smith 61mins), Craig Sargeson, Ben Perry-Acton. Unused subs: Jeol Pilkington, Chris Scott

Goals: Leon Gieque (7, 45mins), Oliver McGee (16mins), Phil Mitchell - own goal (19mins), Craig Sargeson (72mins)

Attendance: 143