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Blues boss eyes up new players on eve of new season
by Adrian Capstick
CLITHEROE manager Lee Sculpher's preparations for the new season gathers pace this weekend with their much antici pated show down with fellow North West Counties League Champions Colne. The visitors will be expecting to
bring a strong squad to battle it out for the local bragging rights as a good majority of the players are known to one another. Plus there is the added bonus
that ex-Claret Andy Payton may be in action at Shawbridge having joined the Pendle side recently for their assault on the North West Counties League First Division. Payton is a player Clitheroe
boss Lee Sculpher feels can only add to the game. He said: “I'm sure Colne will be
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buzzing now that they've secured the services of a Burnley legend such as Andy Payton and it has got to be good for the crowd and the Shawbridge gate. “But looking at our prepara
tions we will be using 16 or 17 players swapping and changing
wherever necessary. “We will be wanting to go out
and win just as they do as winning is a habit but really at this stage results are still irrelevant as I'm just looking for a settled side. He added: “I'm more concerned
about how fit we all are going into the Buckley Town and Burscough games as we will be looking to develop our game plan for the start of the season in those match es.” However, the surprise news that
both Glen Ainsworth and Tom Benfield have decided to leave Shawbridge to join Lee Boyer’s new outfit at Bamoldswick Town has not sat well with the Blues boss who had hoped for great things from the duo this year. He said: “I'm rather disappoint
ed that Tom and Glen have decid ed to go elsewhere as they were both key members of last season's reserve team. “I made it clear to them that
they would have ample opportuni ty to play and establish them selves in the team. “But they've taken it upon themselves to look elsewhere
maybe thinking that they'd get more games than here at Clitheroe, it's a shame that they feel tha t way but good luck to them.” Meanwhile their are several
other players waiting in the wings as possible new inclusions for the season having joined the club on trialior the last two friendlies. They are Stuart Boddy, who
has had previous experience with both Atherton Collieries and Atherton LR, left winger Paul Forsyth who is an ex-Blackburn Rovers trainee, a right sided mid fielder called Rob Howarth as well as Matt Walsh who went close to scoring on Tuesday against Ramsbottom. “We're continually looking at
new players th a t we think can bring something to the team,” said Sculpher. “Stuart did very well last night
as did Matt Walsh who have been training with us recently. “Paul Forsyth has other irons in
the fire but we're hoping that he and Rob Howarth and the other trialists stay with us for the rest of the remaining friendlies as we
B. 1 1 S II H i Edlslord Road CWfieroe, BS7 3W Tel: 01200 442163 T<
E-mdl: sport@rceflM ca. ut
Roefield + XC. 01200 444535
www.roefieldco.uk CtilfatockT/forafrmtourofourfaclItlQs with your sports team of.Edward Leej Chris Boden, Phil Simpson and Adrian Capstick Lee Sculpher
develop a settled side. “Paul has a wicked left foot
that he displayed on the left wing on Saturday to set up one of Lee Cryer's goals against Silsden. “But we will continue be on the
lookout for new players even when the season gets underway.” Looking back a t the last two
friendlies against North West Counties League sides Silsden and Ramsbottom United, the Blues boss is quite happy with how hard his team have worked despite experiencing mixed results of win ning 5-2 and losing 1-0. He said: “Saturday's perfor
mance against Silsden was very pleasing as Cryer's scoring instinct came into play and both Neil Spencer and Steve McDonald made a big impact with their goals. “But the difference between
Silsden and Tuesday's game at Ramsbottom was the condition of the pitch as you were lucky to see your boots through the grass at Acre Bottom. “But nevertheless we had a
good work out and were unlucky not to score in the second half.”
Latest match action from the pre-season campaign y- : )*•
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Clitheroe........................5 Silsden .......................... 2 AN entertaining encounter at Shawbridge saw Clitheroe record a comfortable victory against a lively visiting side. The Blues had the luxu
ry of having the majority of last season's champi onship squad available for selection and this strong line up proved too much for their North West Counties League Second Division opponents. Lee Cryer stole the goal
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Steve McDonald o
scoring accolades with a well-taken hat-trick. He opened his account
in the first few minutes and added his second shortly after, with some assistance from a shaky Silsden defence. He then rounded off his
hat-trick with a smart solo effort in the second half. Substitute Steve
McDonald possibly scored the eame's best eoal as he
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latched onto a sublime pass from John Paul Fagan, before rounding the goalkeeper to tap home. Neil Spencer then
scored for the second suc cessive game in the closing moments to complete the Clitheroe scoring. Glyn Barker and Cryer
looked dangerous up front, while Barrie Hart added his usual steel to the back line. Defensive lapses caused
Silsden their own problems but they looked dangerous on the break. Two headed goals, one in each half, was a deserved reward for the visiting side. Ramsbottom United . .1 Clitheroe.........................0 CLITHEROE enjoyed a mixed game at Ramsbot tom on a pitch that had yet to be mowed for the new season and proved dif ficult underfoot for the Blues passing game. The locals went behind
early on in the first half due to poor defending and although they pulled together in midfield to gain attempts on goal the back of the net unfortu nately eluded them. However the second half
proved to be a different game with Clitheroe tak ing the match to Rams bottom, and but the for the inspired form of the home keeper the locals would have scored four or five. Both Neil Spencer and
Lee Cryer had several opportunities as did Glynn Barker. But it was trialist Matt
Walsh who went the clos est when his rasping shot was tipped over the bar. Unfortunately the ball
just didn't fall for the Blues on the night but another solid work out was seen with a much improved spirited second half displav.
Clitheroe have points deducted for ball tampering
by Adrian Capstick
IN light of recent disci plinary action that has seen C litheroe have seven points deducted for ball tampering, Sat urday's defeat a t Cherry Tree did little to rectify the team's fortunes. The locals victory
against Ribblesdale Wan derers, which was played back in May, came under close scrutiny at a league disciplinary meeting two weeks ago. And it was decided that
the Chatburn Road side would have all their points scrubbed out from th a t game. At the time Clitheroe
captain Neil Bolton thought the ball damage was only minor only to later discover the true extent of the damage. He said: “After the
match we apologised and asked for the ball back, which had been changed at the umpire's request at the end of the eighth wick et, only to be told that it would be taken to the Umpires meeting. " “We were told that this
was just regular practice and so found it quite hard to take when it was referred to the league, especially as the umpires had said the game was over and done. “But when they pro
duced the ball at the disci plinary meeting I was speechless, there was a horrendous amount of scratching and I didn't have a leg to stand on. “I hadn't realised just
how badly damaged it was.”
Having seven points
deducted has made a hole in Clitheroe's standing this year and Bolton is treating the incident seriously - but not at the expense of team moral.
m Neil Bolton He said: “There is a gen
eral consensus in the side as to who the culprit is but no one is admitting it. “The players have been
told that it must not. hap pen again, we'll take the punishment on the chin and chalk i t down to future experience.”
InsidetVuhit
■ Clitheroe golfer Mark Ashworth set a new course record at Clitheroe GC-full report and all the latest Ribble Valley golf news on page 60 H Read stay top of the Veka Ribblesdale Cricket League - report and all the latest Ribble Valley cricket news on pages 62 and 63 H Selected teams, weekend scorecards, results, fixture and tables - latest sport information desk on page 61
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