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V is it www.lirematters-Itd.co.uk ' I i f . m s r t .r t I, a of Countrywldt Mopoodem A i - i ic r , Ltd wWdi b r t ju b u d by Ihe with your Advertiser, and Time s sports team


Goal-den duo firing Blues


Bv CRAIG SALMON


on Tuesday evening. But while the pair may be in direct com­


T


HE prolific s trike duo of Neil Spencer and Lee Cryer topped 50- goals between them for the season


petition for the club’s golden boot award, the half-century of goals bagged by the two has been invaluable to Clitheroe’s success


this season. Manager Dave Burgess said: “They have


both been magnificent this season. That was Lee’s 25th of the season on Tuesday and with Neil scoring on Saturday, they


both have 25. “That’s some going when you have both


your strikers on that number of goals at this stage of the season.”


The Blues were always in control or their .


encounter versus Atherton Collieries on Tuesday evening, and despite two dropped points at Mossley on Saturday, North West Counties’ Firs t Division leaders Rossendale United will be looking nervous­


ly over their shoulders. Burgess added: “On Tuesday, we equalled our best run of results for the sea


I Derby day joy for Rovers Clarets KO’d


into contention by five-star Blackburn


son. We have gone 10 unbeaten, winning


eight of them. “At the start of the season we did exactly


the same over the first 10 games, so I ’m


absolutely delighted.” Burgess reckons Rossendale are the


favourites to win the title but admit Rams- bottom are the best side his team have


faced all season. 1-Ie added: “If Rossendale win all their


games now, then they’ve won the title. I think there is only Ramsbottom who can


possibly catch them. “But with 10 games to go, we are three


points behind them and there is still an awful lot of football to be played yet. “Prescot Cables and St Helens Town are


also up there and must have a chance.” The Blues entertain St Helens and Prescot at Shawbridge tonight and on Sat­


urday respectively. Burgess added: “I t ’s a really tough


match against St Helens. “But we seem to raise our standards for


the big games and I fully expect us to col­ lect three points.”


Atherton Collieries.....0 Counties' Football League Clilheroe........................2 First Division. CLITI-IEROE comfort­


ably swept aside lowly A th er to n Collieries a t Alder Street on Tuesday night.


Blues into third position in the North West Counties’ Football League First Divi­ sion - level on points with Prescot Cables but with a game in hand. The visitors were always


The result now moves the < '


in control against a team who had already been beat­ en 21 times in the league this season. Lee Cryer had the first


goal scoring chance early-on in the match but saw his lob over the keeper cleared off the line by some desperate


defending. However, on 25 minutes,


Clitheroe took the lead straight from a corner when


~ Barrie Hart’s wicked centre found the back of the net in between the keeper and the man atrthe near post. Jason Jones almost made


it 2-0 shortly before half­ time but saw his well-struck volley flash narrowly wide


of the post. Leading at the interval,


Gary Jackson should have made it 2-0 immediately after the restart but missed from a great opening. The killer second goal


eventually arrived in the 65th minute when Jones’s cross was despatched beau­ tifully by Cryer for his 25th goal of the season. The rested Neil Spencer


then entered the fray for the final quarter of the match and proceeded to miss three golden opportunities which would have edged him ahead, once more, of his strike partner Cryer in the leading goalscoring stakes. Jones was unfortunate to


see his fine shot strike a post towards the end of the. match but Clitheroe can be well pleased with a perfor­ mance which keeps them firmly in the championship


hunt. Mossley


............ .....1


Clilheroe................ .......1 CLITHEROE earned a valuable point aga ins t one-time promotion rivals Mossley a t Seel Park on Saturday.- However,


Rossendale United securing a fine 1-0 win over Fleet- wood Freeport, the Blues fell six points behind at the top of the North West


with


Match action and up-to-date table It turned out to be a dis­


astrous s ta r t for Dave Burgess’s men as Mossley took the lead with just sec­ onds gone on the clock. Ian Barker took full


advantage of a poor back pass from Mark Stewart to tuck the ball past goalkeep­


er Kris Richens. The home side could have


gone further ahead in the first half as Clitheroe failed to get a grip on the game. The turning point of the


match, however, occurred just before half-time when Mossley were reduced to 10 men after a challenge on Blues’ skipper Barrie Hart. The Shawbridgers imme­


diately made their extra man count after the inter­ val when Spencer finished smartly after a marauding run from Martin Aspinwall down the right. Buoyed by the equaliser,


Clitheroc went in search of the winning goal but were thwarted by some last-


ditch defending. Gary Jackson almost won


it for the Blues in the dying moments but an excellent save kept the youngster out. Clilheroe........................ 1 Fleetwood Freeporl ....0 CLITHEROE secured


their third victory in four meetings over promotion rivals Fleetwood Freeport this season on Thursday at Shawbridge. The Blues had beaten the


Bv CHRIS BOPEN w1 V £


OVERS' Ferrari left Burnley's Mini for dead a t Ewood Park on


_ Sunday. And Blackburn now look set for Pre­


miership car parks. Their fans' day was as glorious as it was


miserable for the visitors. Burnley were simply blown away by the


best side in the division. Rovers, on and off the pitch, are light


years ahead, although Burnley must be commended for a remarkable achievement


in consolidating. But football is not always about who has


spent most money - look at Wolves and Middlesbrough. Burnley, under Stan Ternent, have fos­


tered a spirit and seige mentality that has seen them rise from the bottom of the Sec­ ond Division to the top half of the First. Ternent guarantees commitment and endeavour, and an ability to play until the


into a fine double save with 15 minutes to go while the defensive back-line had to withstand some fierce pres­ sure from the visitors. Spencer and Gary Jack-


final whistle. That always gives you a chance. But Graeme Souness has allied tha t


strong, winning mentality to the under­


achievers' undoubted quality. And with both they are a thrilling, pow­


son found themselves in a two-against-one position


with time running out but the chance went begging after the Blues’ leading goalscorer deliberated on the ball far too long. The match boiled over in


erful outfit. I t is just a surprise it took them until


December at Turf Moor to clickl At Ewood, against Rovers' youthful


vitality, the old heads in the Clarets side were cruelly exposed.


Rovers were just too good.


the final minute when a shot a t the Clithcroe goal appeared to strike Lee Sculpher on the hand but the referee turned down Fleetwood’s appeals for a


penalty. Furious, the visitors sur­


rounded the match official and eventually Peter Smith was shown the red card for taking his argument too far.


FOOTBALL LEAGUE FIRST DIVISION 1> W


NORTH WEST COUNTIES


Fylde coast outfit twice in cup competitions but suf­ fered their worst league defeat of the season in November when they went down 4-0 at the Highbury


Stadium. A crowd of nearly 300


people watched the match contested by two evenly matched teams. Clitheroe perhaps shaded


the first half and went in front after 37 minutes when Neil Spencer’s shot was only parried by the keeper and Jason Jones beat Lee Cryer to the ball to tap home. Towards the end of the


first period Spencer had a great chance io double the home side’s lead but shot into the side netting when he had more time than he


realised. Clitheroe’s recent hectic


schedule of games began to take its toll in the second period as the players began


to tire. Kris Richens was forced


Rossendale Utd 32 22 Prescot Cables. 33 31 Clitheroe.......... 32 21 Salford City..... 3G 20 St Helens Town 32 20 Fleetwood F p t . 33 21 Rams Utd........ 29 20 Kidsgrovc Ath.. 31 18 Newcastle Tn... 34 Woodley Spts... 37 Mossley............ 31 Cnrzon Ashton. 33 Skom Utd......... 34 Maine Road..... 35 Abbey Hey....... 35 Nantwich T n ... 36 Glossop N E ..... 35 Atherton Colls. 33 Fhxton.............. 34 CheadleTn...... 37 Gt Harwood Tn 32 LeekCSOB...... 32


Great win for United READSTONE United


Their movement, control and passing was far superior — the Clarets couldn't get.


anywhere near them. Blackburn could have finished with dou­


ble figures - and you felt they could still


move up an extra gear. Ternent felt Burnley did well to keep it


to five - remember, Rovers destroyed Pre­ miership Derby with five second-half goals, and thumped promotion rivals Bolton 4-1 on their own (cabbage) patch. Burnley competed well in the first half,


although the imperious David Dunn, Matt Jansen and Marcus Bent had the Clarets chasing shadows at times. Despite that, Burnley were somewhat


unlucky to go in 2-0 down. The Clarets may not have got at Rovers


Rovers.


But they did cause Souness' side prob­ lems — more so than in the game at Turf


.


Moor. Burnley had a lucky escape early on


when no-one picked up the brilliant Dunn down the right, and his low cross was turned towards goal by Jansen, only to hit Steve Davis and bounce off the bar to safe-


Rovers did go ahead shortly after when


from a second successive Alan Mahon cor­ ner, needlessly conceded by Paul Cook, Nik Michopoulos punched to the edge of the area. Again no-one picked up Dunn, and his left-foot shot was flicked between Paul Weller and Davis on the line by Craig


Bv GEORGE EMBLEY


tremendous 2-1 victory over Michelin despite trailing at half-time. Andrew Tinker and Ashley Brown grabbed the all-


Under 14s recorded a


important goals. The Under 10s Accrington


Boys’ League team played a friendly against Clitheroe Wolves and won 7-0. Jamie Bury blasted four goals while Tim Rakshi, Johnny Kennedy and Nick Wilkinson completed the scoring. Elliott Artingstall was star man. The Under 11s returned to


Bis date ahead for golfer Jim M


Short. _ ..


YTTON Fold Golf Club member Jim Bridge won the Lombard Trophy


qualifier on Saturday. Bridge compiled 37 stableford


points and emerged a clear-cut winner ahead of Danny Murphy, Roger Altham (both 34 points) and Paul


I-Iayton (32 points). Bridge will partner professional


Gary Coopo in the Lombard Trophy regional final at Ilesketh GC in May. The inaugural Lady Captain's Cup


winning ways with a competent 3-1 victory over Earby. Goalscorers were man of the match Matthew Sharpley and


Jamie McCue. United’s Under 13s were dis­


appointingly beaten 3-2 by Padiham Town Colts. Star player Robert Oldham and Lewis Tickle notched. Readstone’s Under 16s lost


match.


was a t stake at the Whalley Road club on Sunday.


Rovers. _ _ Pauline White (25 points) won the ___for Lancashire Ladies against


"fair sex” prize ahead of Angela Cher­ ry (24 points) and Margaret Howells (22 points). Gordon Wilson compiled 36 points


and won the men's section on the card from John Duckett, Cliff Sweeney


and Stuart Payne. • Stonyhurst Park GC members con­


tested a mixed Texas Scramble. Victory went to Margaret Duckett, Francis Lee, Tony Baron and Mike


Kerrigan. Runners-up were Josie Porter and


the three Rays - Porter, Ormerod and


Shuttleworth, that is. • Two Ribble Valley “fair sex” stars


CHATBURN Cricket Club commence out­ door nets a t Chatburn Playing Fields on


Tuesday (6-30 p.m.). Existing players are requested to attend and any


7-1 by Fulledge Colts. Andrew Moores scored and Tom Fearn- head was voted man of the


Any person interested in playing this season can „„„| siovn nn 428331 or Gary on 423536.


, . ,, .


new players will be more than welcome. The season begins on Saturday, April 21st, with a


home match to Denholme. The second string travel to Skipton Cl.


_ . i r _______ O T f n


with the high-octane football they are capable of - their build-up play was some­ what slow and laboured compared to


BIG GAME: Blackburn’s Marcus Bent and Burnley skipper Steve Davis clash at Ewood Park on Sunday


Just before the half hour, Burnley were


staring defeat in the face when the referee waved play on after Cook's challenge on Jansen, and Short took the ball on to the


bye-line. He over-ran the ball but tried to cut it


across goal, only to take a freak deflection off Davis and trickle over the line. Gareth Taylor, Burnley's best player in


the first half, almost handed the Clarets a lifeline when his header from Weller's cross was brilliantly palmed away by Brad Friedel, and although Ian Moore finished, he was clearly off-side. Just before the break Davis thumped a header inches wide from a Cook free kick,


but Friedel had it covered. That gave Burnley a half-time edge in


goal attempts. However, the second half was a different


story to the first altogether as the Clarets


failed to register a shot at goal. The pressure was almost relentless from


The killer third goal was self-inflicted by


Burnley as Ian Cox carried the ball out of defence, ran it too far, and Dunn released Bent down the left.


Bent cruised past Mitchell Thomas and crossed for the unmarked Jansen to slam


into the roof of the net. I t was four when Mahon threaded


Jansen through, and he kept a cool head to slide the ball inside the near post. And Rovers’ biggest post-war win over


Burnley was complete 10 minutes from time.


ing for another penalty, Gordon Armstrong tried to clear, but dallied on the ball and Mark Hughes picked out fellow substitute Craig Hignett, whose'uuerring finish arrowed into the corner.


As Jansen went down in the box, claim­ . ‘ ' '


Burnley are at home to Preston, again on Sky, tomorrow night. 9


' ■ .


• Rovers were at home to SheffieW United last night, before travelling to face QPRon Saturday.


•_


Thursday, April 5th, 2001


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42


played for Lanc sh re Ladies against Lancashire at Royal Birkdale GC on


Sunday. Curtis Cup star Kim Andrew and


Jacqui Brown (Haydock Park) lost 2 and 1 in the foursomes and the Clitheroe ace halved against Black­ burn's highly-rated Tony Jackson in


the singles. Kate Egford and Claudine Beaver


(Royal Leaver) lost 4 and 2 in the foursomes and Wilpshire member


The men won all six foursomes J I Q TT1CS 2CtS Egford lost by 1 hole in the singles.


O


Do you have any golf news?IfjM, county call encounters and triumphed 16.5-1.5.


contact George Embley on 01282 426161.


RIBBLESDALE Wanderers Bowling Club are taking entries for their Whitbread Spring Dou­


bles competition. The tournament begins on April 28th and will run for


eight consecutive Saturdays before the finals day on Sat­ urday, June 23rd.


The club is also preparing for the Bar-Be-Quick doubles _ - . , , ,,


tournament, which starts on Monday, September 24th. Entry fee for both tournaments is £10 and further infor­ mation can be obtained from Michael Britcliffe (424328).


g U D D I N G ►


r u g b y union s ta r James


Exton has been called up for the Lancashire Schools'


Under 15 side. The Year 10 Oakhill


College pupil only had his f irs t experience of the sport a t the age of nine. But he has progressed


quickly in a short space of time to be considered to play for his county.


WIN A £70 BET!


I With no winners for the last six weeks, this week’s prize is £70.


’ redict Burnley's first goalscorer in their clash against st Bromwich Albion on Saturday, April 14th AND guess final scoreline and you could win a free £70 bet to be spent at any William Hill outlet in the area.


Send your answers to Place a Bet Competition (West Brom), Promotions Department, East Lancashire


Newspapers, Bull Street, Burnley, BB111 DP by Thursday, April 12th.


___


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