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www.roefield.co.uk OcilhtockvforatmotourofcurtoolSlos Thursday, August 26th, 2004 with your sports team of Edward Lee, Chris Boden, Phil Simpson and Adrian Capstick its.
Blues can be the surprise package!
by Chris Boden
BLUES boss Lee Sculpher is hoping his side can be the shock troops of the Uni- Bond League First Divi sion. Ahead of last night’
s.trip
to Ossett Albion, Sculpher was looking for Clitheroe to play on their status as new kids on the block. But after Satimlajr’s 2-0
opening day success against Shepshed Dynamo, he admits it might not be long before clubs know all about the Blues!: “People won’t know a lot about us, but after Gary’s goal, peo ple will probably now be sa3dng ‘Who is this Gary Jackson?’ and so on. “But it is a good oppor
tunity for us to get off to a pretty good start. “And we were delighted
with the win on Saturday. “In the f irs t half we
attacked well and created several opportunities, and put two away. “But probably for the
final 30 minutes we had to defend. “To be fair, Shepshed
came out in the second half and had a real go at us, but we stood firm. “The most pleasing
thing for us was that in the past we may have gone on to win 3-1, but we were more pleased to win 2-0 and keep a clean sheet.” But Sculpher admits life
will be a lot harder in the rarefied atmosphere of the UniBond League: “Satur day was a different experi ence, in that you could feel a lot of edge to the game. “We are coming up
against teams who we don’t know a lot about, whereas for the past few years we’ve played the same sides sea son afte r season, and known about all the play ers in the league, even if they changed clubs during that time. “But i t ’s a whole new
ball game now. “Me and Martin
Eatough have been out and about watching as many ' games as possible. “Martin saw Rossendale
against Gresley on Tues day, and I was at Chorley v Colwyn Bay, who we play on Monday, so that’s four teams we have seen.” And the player-boss was
impressed by what he saw: “Colwyn were exceptional in the first half, but fell to pieces in the second under something of an onslaught
from Chorley. “The first 45 was quite worrying, they knocked the ball about brilliantly, and Chorley didn’t get a kick. “But they capitulated in
the second half, so that was encouraging.” But before th a t, the
Blues entertain Ilkeston Town a t Shawbridge on Saturday - including for mer Preston frontman Nigel Jemson: “Ilkeston have a lot of players who have been around the non league circuit and have a very good side this time round. “I t ’s their first time in
this league, and they have players of the quality of Nigel Jemson, who was scoring goals against Ever- toh 18 months ago! “But it is good for us to
play against quality like that - and he has done it at the top. “You never lose th a t
quality, even though the legs might not be as quick! “I once played in a trial
game for Preston with Nigel when I was 15, so I think he is a similar age to me, but obviously he’s enjoyed a fantastic career.” And Jemson shows the class of forwards a t this
CELEBRATION: Mayor of Clitheroe, Coun. Joan Knight, celebrates the Blues’ title success with captain Adam Gardner and player-manager Lee Sculpher. (B180804/7b)
level: “With the change in standard, and the quality of opponents’ forwards, throughout the season, when the league has settled down, there will be good players from top to bottom in the league. “And there will be no cer
tain three points to be had this season, whereas in the past, in the North West Counties League, there probably has been. “But the major differ
ence is that no matter who you play, it will be a very to u ^ game.
“Every game will go
down to the wire - on Sat urday, Shepshed never gave up a t 2-0 until the final whistle. “In the past, with no dis
respect to the North West Counties, most teams at 2- 0 would have shot their bolt, and the game would be dead.” But the Blues have goals
in their locker as well: “We scored two quality goals. “Barrie Hart is normally
top drawer around the edge of the box from dead balls, but rather than use brute
force, he produced a deli cate cimler. “And Gary’s goal was
typical Gary - all about pace and power. “He held off the defender
and it was a composed fin ish. “I ’m very happy with
the quality and number of personnel we have up front - Gary Jackson, Lee Cryer, Glyn Barker, Neil Spencer and Steve McDonald. “They will score goals,
and we need to continue to get good quality balls up to them to feed on.”
Spectacular strikes seal victory
CUtheroe ...................... 2 Shepshed Dynamo........0
TEN-man Clitheroe opened their UniBond First Division account in slyle with an emphatic 2-0 victory over Shepshed Dynamo on Saturday. A. new league, a fresh
challenge and a whole new strategy was put into action as two supreme first- half goals from Barrie Hart and Gary Jackson separat ed the sides. And after Russell Clark’s
Barrie Hart
second-half dismissal, the Blues, defending doggedly as a unit, held on to register an excellent start to life at a higher level. Player-manager Lee Sculpher said before the
match that it would be the team's defensive strategy th a t would dictate the game - and he was not wrong as Shepshed's expe rience and possession in the second half displayed just how dangerous life in the UniBond will be. After the game, he was
pleased by the way his side closed the door on Dynamo, allowing them only shots from distance. But at the same time he
was still wary of how well the visitors controlled the second half by maintaining possession: "That's how it's going to be this season. "We did well to shut them out and prevent them
from getting inside the area with the ball, but they still gave Kris Richens plenty to do from distance. "They showed us just
how important it is to keep the ball, not just going for ward but at the back too, which is something we've got to work at." The first-half belonged
to the Blues as they took the lead after just 13 min utes when Paul Stansfield was brought down on the edge of the area and a free kick was awarded. And stepping up to score
Clitheroe's first UniBond goal was the ever-reliable Hart, who casually stroked a sublime strike over the
wall and into the comer of the net. Then on the half-hour
the Shawbridge crowd wit nessed a stunning individu al goal as Jackson netted Clitheroe's second. With his back to goal,
the Blues forward received the ball in his own half, jos tled his way between both Dynamo centre backs, beating them for pace, before rolling the ball past a committed Shepshed keeper from all of 30 yards out. And the Blues looked
like extending the lead when Hart's pin-point cross almost brought a third via the head of Lee Crver.
But it wasn't all one way
traffic as the Leicestershire club, who finished bottom of the Dr Martens Western League last year before their UniBond reprieve, saw captain Matt Moran hit the post and force man of the match Richens into numerous acrobatic saves before the break. After half-time, Shep
shed dominated play, forc ing their way back into the game as Clitheroe sat back to defend their lead. But despite this control,
and the fact that Clark was sent from the pitch for a second bookable offence, they couldn't break down the Blues’ barricade.
Blues View
‘xated. that: he wanted • ; -;':his team todefend bet-:' ;:\ter : t l^ season^ and he : i-will have been, delight- sed with the second half ,backs-to-the-wall per-
’C L I T H E R O E ’S ,;j6urney " in to the jSuhknown began on- •
i.Saturday f with an oexcellentvictory.; ffyiLeeiSculpherindi-v
i Jackson played their cpart.up front,.as they -chased--'■.back' and
:?formance.: 'E.Lee;C^er and Gaiy :
■worked-forrtherteam ' ■iwhen not in possession.:
iiReynolds: -and-Paul i;Stansfield":'iput in iahother.hardrworking' !'display,:.while in the iTmiddle^of the park, the
T- O u r i 'new- look ' “wingers” ' in • Neil
/'experience of:Stuart iTodhunter''and Neil ■i Spencer ;was valuable. ‘ The display of new
flsigimg;.Ghiis Nestor at -the he&; of the defence ; w as also promising, as w as . fellow-new boy
|‘Stuart;.:Boddy. who sappem^
-ih.the second ;.Jiaif.‘^''a^sub'stitute.: r . '■.•Kris,,' - -Richens, '^th'ough itA'deservedly Jto'qkHthermah-of
..the, :;Sjnafcli;aw^!follovnng: ifSeyeral|butst'anding" ■'s€«ond,
.half.saves.'. j -S o i ’what can we
i'iseelt'h^lea^el&ble:pn ^ ^.uffday^*m6'rnin'g, .Slfh:^^nit1was ;oiily, '^fefqu^^hbas'thiree:;' '*‘
J-jB'xpect;fdr,the:rest of , "the'season? Bfeltwa^^
to.; *'^‘^^ejR)ro'm'6ted' sides:.
Ipopjthrte' spots: •T-.“ "^:gP^e>;J?si.e'-al s .'o. n ;-.favqjmtS7^ Telford w’ereTwat'ched .by an
4
:-ihome g^e/to'come on -'Saturdayllrt’shbpethe: .'.clubVc'an’buildloh the 'lopeningbdaylsuccess,' raridjiwit§<tfe !;6f :.ihe^a)^?m^
tramazihg1;::crowd o f' T,800.'^ .j-'>;If :CIifKer6e.c‘buld ;'attain halfithati: then lithepptidns for,the club. ;^ould-jje. phenomenal. i-;jS6'v,With';,''^o‘ther
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