UNRIVALLED COVERAGE OF SPORT IN THE RIBBLE VA LLE*


Thursday, March 22nd, 2001


In association with


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Rovers in the driving seat


i week's events. While Graeme Souness


R


and his squad relax in Dubai - except for those involved in international week - they could look back on a job well done. Although the Blues were unable to see off


I Wimbledon, who extended their unbeaten run to 11 games at Ewood, the win at Birmingham last Wednesday has put them in the box seat in the pro­


recharge their batteries ahead of what promises to be another taxing game, mentally and physically, [ against Burnley a week on


motion race. And now they can


Sunday. Rovers boldly under-


| lined Souness' influence at


St Andrews. For so long players in


the blue and white halves


| underachieved. Their ability was not m


£


question. But their attitude and


i mental strength was. I And Souness has fixed


I will-to-win and commit­ ment on the squad in 12


the latter, stamping his


months. They now look a formi­


dable force, although [ Souness’ work is far from


complete. Rovers had to scrap at


I But after more than matching their opponents physically, they let their


Birmingham, just as they did at Bolton.


| football do the talking on an appalling surface.


l i >! !


.


| Marcus Bent's fourth crucial strike in as many games may have been somewhat fortunate. Damien Duff's clincher


certainly wasn't. The Irish imp sliced


I through the home defence, switching the ball from his left to right foot, and back again.


And his finish was as .


cool as you like. Birmingham resorted to


strong arm tactics - quite literally - as Darren Purse


Il arte et labohT By Suzanne Gee


needlessly received his marching orders for a frus­ trated assault on Matt


Jansen. Many Rovers fans


expected Wimbledon to be another Ewood victim


three days later. But the Dons, who look


better without their top­ earning stars, showed that their youngsters will be a force in the not-too-dis-


tant future. Against a jaded Rovers,


Wimbledon's brand of


football was fresh. And Brad Friedel had


to be in tip-top form to


prevent a defeat. He has been lauded by


Souness as being among the top three keepers in the country, and he paid back his long-time boss with a stunning display. Wimbledon took the


lead shortly after the break when Michael Hughes squared for Jason Euell to finish in fine


style. The Blues pulled a


point out of the bag when Jansen guided the ball home after Mark Hughes'


shot fell kindly. Bolton's win at Not­


tingham Forest put them two points ahead of Rovers, but with two games in hand Souness side are masters of their


own destiny. They will be boosted for


the Burnley game by the availability of David Dunn, whose toe injury forced him out of England Under 21s’ game with Fin­ land at Barnsley tomor­


row night. And Souness will hope


his internationals return home unscathed to give him a full hand to select from against the Clarets.


Improve or you’re out!


I gau n tlet to his, team after the unacceptable


C


[d isp lay at Sheffield Wednesday.


I He asked his men whether they want to con­ tinue to go forward with


1 the club after rolling over against the improving


I Owls. 1 Much like his purge


shortly after his arrival in


| the summer of 1998, he will only stand by players who fit into his blueprint.


I And if they are not pre- I pared to, then he will ship


1 them out. On Saturday's perfor-


I mance, the team looked 1 like they were going I through the motions after I passing Ternent's survival


I points target at Watford. 1 The play-offs may be a


I distant possibility, but Ter-


I nent will not allow his men 1 to close out the season


| He will expect better on Saturday at home to QPR,


without a fight.


I while he shouldn’t need his 1 motivational qualities for


the trip to Ewood the fol- I l lowing Sunday.


idlllf ^0¥Q m


I more hunger for the game. 1 Ian Hendon led the way


Wednesday simply had


I formance as a raiding right I back, while Gerald Sibon,


I with a swashbuckling per-


I criticised for his lack of 1 effort early this season, looked like he actually had


I Wednesday, playing I with Sibon wide right and


shire.-


L A R E T S b o s s Stan Ternent threw down the


By Chris Boden


Michopoulosby Hendon. Burnley appealed for


off-side, blit no flag was forthcoming -and the Clarets were up against it. Burnley looked to take


the game to the Owls after the break, but despite working their way into a number of decent posi­ tions, seemingly no-one wanted to get on the end of


things. And Wednesday earned


a cushion when Hendon played a ball over the top and Ian Cox clipped


Ekoku's heels. Ekoku crashed to the


turf theatrically, but con­ tact had been made and there were no complaints. Sibon calmly sent Michopoulos the wrong


way from the spot. Glen Little was sent on


to try and pull things round, but as Ternent said: “I tried to put Glen on the right side, but he went anywhere but where I told him - like horse muck, all over the place except where


it should be.” So Burnley slipped to a


I played for Ajax before I I moving to South York-


pi ? i


I Efan Ekoku and Andy I Booth up front, were hard­ i ly subtle. | They played to their strengths, but you felt if


1 The sides traded decent I chances in the first half, | with Alan Quinn,.John | Mullin, Lee Briscoe and I Leigh Bromby airgoing


, .


1 close* ■' But just before the


I Sibon and his slide-rule I pass was rocketed past Nik


break,' no-one pressed


10th defeat in 16 games. Relegation-threatened


QPR come to Turf Moor on Saturday with the Clarets aiming for a second double of the season after their 1-0 success at Loftus Road in October. Ian Cox is away on


I Burnley could match them physically, they' would


1 prove the better foot- I balling side.


^ I T h S o ^ S Andy Cowking (left) and Neil Reynolds battle for the ball against Taunton Town’s Darren Cann


CLITHEROE’S Adam Gardner nips in ahead of Taunton Town’s 50-goal str.ker Antony Lynch


Vase dream


By CRAIG SALMON


P


OSITIVE thinking is the name of the game as Clitheroe


bid to salvage something


out of the wreckage of their Carlsberg FA Vase


campaign. After a monumental run


to the semi-finals of the competition,


went up in a puff of smoke


Burgess’s hopes and dreams v


m n oi


Dave iduk


as Taunton Town scored


five times in an amazing and turbulent 30-minute


spell in the first half. Clitheroe will never, and


indeed hope not to, experi­ ence anything like it again as their semi-final oppo­


« —


ENGLAND goalsconng legend headed into ivy------- i -r-


Jimmy Greaves knew what he was talking about when he described


/"I .nr, ImAUr ljf llllf Vl £ WHS


football as a “funny old game”. And on Saturday, Dave Burgess


and his Clitheroe players discovered exactly what he meant. Lying second in the North West


Counties’ Football League First Divi­ sion and through to the last four of the Carlsberg FA Vase, Clitheroe travelled to Taunton Town for the first leg of their semi-final on the crest of a wave. Unbeaten in six league games - oi


which they had won five - and euphoric after the quarter-final suc­ cess over Chippenham Town two weeks earlier, Clitheroe crashed horri­ bly back down to Earth during an astonishing 30-minute spell during the


first half of the match. Taunton scored five times as they


cut through Clitheroe’s defence like a


hot knife through butter. In fairness to the Blues, they came


out fighting in the second half and,- despite being reduced to 10 men for the entire period after Mark Stewart had been sent off shortly before the interval, prevented Town from adding to their tally. The Blues opened the match the brighter side and seemed the quickest


to settle into their stride. Neil Reynolds’ fast breakaway


Notable success


R


IBBLE Valley Netball Club Under 12s scored a notable success when


they emerged victorious at the Lancashire League Tournament in Blackpool. The team also remained


unbeaten in the Bolton Junior Netball League to record a memorable double. The Under 13s were also


successful in the same league but deserve a particular spe­ cial mention as they were competing against girls a


year older. The club’s Under 11s fin­


ished runners-up to Black­ pool while the Under 10s claimed third spot. Anyone who would like to play for Ribble Valley can contact Sara Thompson on 424281. Some of the girls at the


club are undertaking coach­ ing and umpiring training and last month organised a play-day for 46 children aged between seven-11 years of age at Roefield Leisure Cen-


trc.The young girls and boys experienced lots of fun activ­ ities and the day proved to be highly enjoyable and benen- cialfor all concerned. The club would also like to


international duty with Trinidad and Tobago, who face Costa Rica on Satur­


day.But Ternent was hope­ ful of extending Gareth Taylor's loan at Turf Moor before the transfer deadline


/ And with the departure of Micky Mellon, and injuries to Lenny Johnrose, Paul Cook and Kevin Ball, a loan move for a midfield­ er may be necessary.


at 5 p.m. today.


give a huge vote of thanks to its sponsors Rufus Cars, Honeywell Estate Agents, Synetix, Neo-Technic and Trutex. The older girls were recently presented with a


brand new kit donated by


Trutex. OVER TO YOU: Ribble


Valley Netball Club’s Jane Parkinson and Sara Thomp- son receive the team's new Trutex sponsored strip from marketing co-ordinator Munira Mohmed.


(C160301/1) . < •• .* - A ........ j y -


Stephen’s success


W


day night after his school emerged victorious in the final of the Boodle and Dunthorne Independent


Schools’ FA Cup. Queen Elizabeth Grammar


School (QEGS) beat Brent­ wood 2-1 in the final at Leicester City’s Filbert Street


ground. Unfortunately, injury pre­


vented Stephen (16) from taking part in the final but his semi-final penalty saves were instrumental in the team reaching the showpiece final. QEGS took a very early lead in the match through


' Marcus Handley, but were pegged back shortly after half time. It was left to striker Chris Porter to head home the winning goal and send the 500-strong travelling QEGS supporters into raptures. It is the second time QEGS


have lifted the trophy after previously winning it in 1996.


Marathon challenge


HALLEY young­ ster Stephen Jones was celebrating on Mon­


S


ABDEN runner Nina Payne will fulfil a life­


long ambition when she takes part in this year’s


Flora London Marathon. The 25-year-old Accring­


ton Road Runners Club member will be pounding the streets of London with her father Barrie Breckell, from


Todmorden. Nina, who is the business


services manager at B. and M. Longworth’s, in Shadsworth, is hoping to raise £1,500 for Barnardo’s. She is no stranger to raising money for charity after performing a sky dive for the Macmillan Cancer Appeal three years


agIIe father completed the London Marathon six years ago and raised money for the Roy Castle Lung Cancer


appeal. If you would like to spon­


sor Nina then you can contact her on 01254 680501 or pledge


online at Her website: www.PayneBarrier.org.uk


Stars of


the future S


TONYHURST Col­ lege joined forces with


th e R o y a l N a v y for a prestigious tournament


in Birkenhead. The locals were among 32


schools from the North of England in a Navy invita­


tional sevens event. . Sedbergh School from


Cumbria won the keenly- fought competition, held at St Anselm's College, Birken­ head School and Birkenhead


Park Rugby Club. And Stonyhurst players


were among those praised as stars of the future by the


Navy. Lieutenant Collin Jones


said: “The standard of rugby was very high and we would like to thank the schools who supported the


event.” Players and spectators


were also given a taste of Navy life, using a state-of-j the-art helicopter simulator.


it'. „


. .C c !>■ -»U>g*v>V


Neil Spencer at the back post. However, seven minutes later the


neauuu mw * — i-— - -


carnage began. / Sloppy ^defending by Adam Gard­


ner and Martin Aspinwall on the right, enabled Ian Bastow to get to the by-line. His cross was met inside the area by an unmarked Derek Fields, who swept the ball home. Seven minutes later, Taunton dou­


bled their advantage courtesy of a totally bizarre goal.


A through-ball for Taunton s 50- ,


goal marksman Antony Lynch was slightly overcooked and it appeared a


routine collect for Richens. However, in the wet and slippery


conditions, Richens spilled the ball. Lynch picked-up the loose ball on the touchline and crossed only to see Lee Sculpher seemingly clear the danger


with a firm defensive header. However,the ball dropped to ex-


Torquay United skipper Tom Kelly whose volley from outside the area ric­ ocheted off Andy Cowking and flew into the top corner. Shell-shocked, Clitheroe fell further


behind on 25 minutes. Bastow’s flick from a corner bounced off Jason Jones straight into the path of Kelly, who


fired home his second of the match. A wonderfully worked move four


minutes later between Fields, Lynch


Taunlon Town ............................... „ ner taken by Barrie Hart, which was Clilheroe .......................;.......*......... ,


................5 5 [ter


after three minutes resulted in a cor- cor- leaded into Ryan Draper’s hands by


OVERS’ destiny is in their own hands after the


a t V R O p . g Sa


i Light shines on the


I Wolves C


l i t h e r o e Wolves Under 8s Red team played


underneath the flood­ lights at Holt House Stadium when they faced Colne. It proved to be to the


locals' liking as they recorded an excellent 2-0


victory. Andy Hutchins put the


youngster in front but they had to thank keeper David McGrath for pro­ ducing a brilliant one-on- one save to keep the lead


intact. Michael Clarkson


sealed the win with a sec­ ond goal and Joshua Charlton was named man


of the match. nents seemed to score virtu­


ally at will. Manager Dave Burgess


was almost speechless after


the game. He said: “I’m devastat­


ed. I just can’t believe it. “I can’t really say I’m


o f the road after five-goal barrage?


and Ellis Laight left Richens totally exposed and Bastow delivered the


Elite I^ g h t left Ri


coup de grace for goal number four. Cowking gave Clitheroe some brief


respite on 35 minutes when his 25- yarder flew agonisingly the wrong side of the crossbar but Town rubbed salt into the visitors' now wide open wounds with the fifth goal five min­


utes before half-time. Richens pulled of a brilliant double


save to deny Lynch and Bastow but from the resulting corner Lyn?h wf? given a free header to notch his 50th


goal of the season. If Clitheroe boss Burgess thought the


first half could not get any worse, it did when Stewart was justifiably sent-oft


for a high and crude tackle on Fields. The second half was always going


to be a damage-limitation exercise and credit to the Blues for restoring some pride with a courageous and battling performance.


_ In fact they had the best chances to


score with Cowking shooting straight at the keeper from inside the area on 57 minutes, while Lee Cryer, some­ how, failed to turn the ball home from three yards after a wicked free-kick f rom Hart on 67 minutes. Cryer, again, failed to apply the tin-


ishing touch after a carbon copy of his previous chance 15 minutes later, while Chris Whittingham’s effort seven minutes from time flashed


across goal.


disappointed with the result because I find it so unbe­ lievable. I just thought we


were very, very edgy. “Up until the first goal


went in after 10 minutes I was quite happy. I felt we had more of the play and were playing with a good


tempo. “They are a good side but , . , , .


we just contributed to our own demise with schoolboy


errors. “Every player from one


to 11 just did not perform to the standards that they


can. “Usually you get one or


two players who are off their game on one particu­ lar day but on Saturday everybody just did not per­


form. “Taunton were no better ,


than Chippenham but you just can’t afford to make the mistakes that we did on Saturday.


summed up our day really.^ “Kris Richens, who don’t


“The second goal just .


get me wrong has been bril­ liant all season, spills prob­ ably one of the simplest col­ lects he will have all season. “The ball bounces off his


knee. Their lad crosses, it gets cleared and the ball is then fired into the top cor­ ner off Andy Cowking’s backside. It was just unbe­


lievable.” The Blues, if nothing


else, restored their own pride in the second half as they managed to prevent Town from adding to their lead even after Mark Stew­ art had been sent-off for a wild lunge at Derek Fields. Burgess added: “I have


no qualms about the send­ ing off. As soon as he did it, I knew he was going. “But I was pleased with


our second half perfor- mance. I felt we matched


Cricket meeting planned


R


IBBLESDALE Wan­ derers Cricket Club hold a youth cricket meet­


ing in the clubhouse on


Friday, March 30th. Arrangements for the


forthcoming season will be


discussed. Teams have been entered


in the Ribblesdale Youth League at Under 11, 13, 15 and 18 age groups. Parents and youngsters


are invited to attend, and new members are also wel­ come. For more details con­ tact Mike Britcliffe (01200


424328).


B With no winners for the last five weeks, this week’s prize is £60.


H Predict Burnley’s first goalscorer in their ciash against Blackburn Rovers on Sunday, April 1st, AND guess the final scoreline and you could win a free £60 bet to be spent at any William Hill outlet in the area.


■ Send your answers to Place a Bet Competition


(Blackburn), Promotions Department, East Lancashire Newspapers, Bull Street, Burnley, BB111DP by Thursday, March 29th._____________


them and probably had the better chances of the half.’ To say Clitheroe’s backs


are against the wall for Sat­ urday’s second leg is more than an under-statement but the Blues - rated by William Hills as a 200-1 shot to lift the Vase - will run out on to Shawbridge believing they still have a chance. Burgess added: “We have


to be positive. There is no reason why we can’t do to Taunton, what they did to


us. “The first quarter of an


hour of Saturday’s match will be the most important first 15 minutes that any of us will have ever been


involved in. “We will have to play it


as though it is the final 10 minutes of a match and we


are 1-0 down. “Like a last-gasp effort


with loads of' balls being pumped into the box. “To be honest, I would rather try to win the tie but


end up losing the game rather than just aim for a respectable win at home. Once again, the Blues


supporters did the club proud and Burgess spoke on behalf of himself and the players when thanking


■ He added: “The fans were magnificent. They had to endure all the goals going in at their end but not once did they stop singing and


them.


shouting. “They certainly upstaged


Taunton’s supporters.” Recent signing Nathan


Peel is likely to win a place on the bench as the Blues go for broke on Saturday. The match will kick-off at 3


p.m.


The Under 11s also fashioned a 2-0 victory


over Newchurch. Goals in each half by


Richard Tyrell and Shaun Hartley secured all three points. Joe Bunyan’s energetic display earned him the man of the match


| dbum League team faced two games against Haslingden in one week­ end to ease a fixture pile-


award. Wolves Under 12s Hyn-


m £ : up. The first match ended


in a 2-2 draw with Matthew Hanson and Luke Green on target. James Sutton was out­ standing in defence. The second match saw


Clitheroe snatch all three points thanks to a 3-2 suc­ cess. Joe McTeer, Danny Anderson and Luke Green were the goalscorers while. Dale Underwood was cap­ tain fantastic. Clitheroe Under 17s


also faced two games at the weekend against Tod-


morden. A resounding 4-0 win


courtesy of a brace apiece from Liam Parker-Hill and Chris Heslop was fol­ lowed by a 3-1 victory. Parker-Hill (2) was again on target with man of the match David Downs also getting in on the act. Robert Lloyd also starred. Clitheroe Wolves


Rangers Under 10s came out on top in the local derby versus Clitheroe


Wolves. First-half strikes from


Adam Barton, Ciaron Barton, Ben Frankland and Matthew Winckley gave Rangers a comfort­ able 4-1 win. Sam Raynor was named man of the


match. X i ? A .?■ p ' A V s > - • ' A V : " ' ' - a sA i- /.tv:..' - V ; - '•-;t -:;:s ^ - ; , V "*'.r . ' 47


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