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Thursday,'Janiiary;il 3th/: 2005 f t'>ar
Wembley rivals next challenge for Byron’s side
by Adrian Capstick
CLITHEROE face Brigg Town on Saturday for the first time since the proud est day in the Blues’ histo
ry.The two sides memorably met at Wembley in the 1996 FA Vase Final. Clitheroe’s only trip to
the Twin Towers saw the North Lincolnshire side win 3-0 - although the
(^ ^j^lues did beat them earli er that season in the FA Cup preliminary round. Interestingly, both
teams finished seventh in their respective leagues, which were level pegged in
; the pyramid structure. Eight and a half years
have passed since then, and the Blues now find themselves back on level terms, a league higher in the UniBond League First Division. Hopefully this week's game, the second of
, Bs.-,Clitheroe's three succes- ‘ sive away trips, will not descend into the farce that was last Saturday at Kids- grove Athletic. Neil Reynolds was
wrongly red carded, and boss Paul Byron was ban ished from the bench for pointing out the obvious - less than five minutes in. “I couldn't believe it,”
said the Clitheroe chief. “The worst case sce-
NEXT' ' MATCH
BriggTown V Clitheroe
UniBond League First Division
Saturday, January 15th Kick-off 3 p.m.
nario we thought would happen would be their number seven (Ben Matthews) would get booked, the game would calm down and we would get on with playing. “But ultimately three
people were sent off, and all I said to the referee was that it was a disgrace. “I didn't swear at him, I
didn't call him a disgrace or attack him in anyway. “He hasn't taken my
name so I don't know what he'll do, he just told me to get off.” The fact that Clitheroe
had the joint second worst discipline record in the league before this game, of 38 cards and four dis missals, also means that Byron can ill afford such a card-happy referee. He added: “That dis
missal set the pattern for play, as after that, for 20
minutes, every foul got a booking. “Nobody got a talking
to, they just got a straight booking, and consequent ly picked up booking after booking. It was an abso lute joke. “Dissent is something
I've got to clamp down on, but we are not an overly aggressive side, we're com petitive, and if that means bookings, then so be it. “There were two league
assessors at the game and they were both saying that some of the decisions were indifferent, and everyone in the stand was of the same opinion, even the home fans. “We'll let the referee get
on with it. I haven't approached him and we'll just see what the report
says.” Aside from this commo
tion, Byron was pleased by the response he got from his players after half time but expects the same effort from the kick-off: “I thought we were a bit poor in the first half, didn't cre ate anything, and I told them so in no uncertain terms at half-time. “We are, or should be,
about enthusiasm and commitmen,t and I told them that I wasn't getting that in the first-half. “I was just waiting for Kidsgrove to score, as
UNIBOND LEAGUE
FIRST DIVISION p w D I, P
North Fcrriby Utd 24 15 4 5 49 Ilkeston Town__ 22 14 3 5 45 WillenhallTown ..23 13 C 4 45 GrcslevRovers ...22 12 5 5 41 AFC Telford Utd .25 12 5 8 41 BriggTown.........23 9 8 6 35 StocksbridgePS ..23 11 5 7 35 Eastwood Town ..23 10 5 8 35 Ossett Albion __ 22 8 10 4 34 Kendal Town.......21 10 4 7 34 Mossley..............22 10 3 9 33 Woodley Sports.. .21 9 5 7 32 Kidsgrove Athletic 24 8 8 8 32 CLITHEROE ...25 9 4 12 31 Spalding United ..24 8 5 11 29 Warrington Town .24 6 8 10 25 Shepshed Dynamo 22 7 5 10 26 Cohvj’nBay ___.22 5 7 9 25 BelperTown....... 22 7 3 12 24 Choricy..............24 6 4 14 22 Rossendale Utd.. .25 5 4 16 19 Rocester..............23 0 5 18 5
Paul Byron
there were too many cheap shots and crosses. “Nobody really came
out of the half with much credit. “In the second half though, I got the response
that I expect. “They're privileged peo
ple these lads, they get paid for playing the game, and the first thing I expect is commitment and work rate. “They're the basics, you
expect that and then a lit tle bit of quality will shine through. “We've just got to be
like that all the time now, whatever the circum stances we find ourselves
Meanwhile, new inclu
sion John Bailey, who made a fleeting debut on Saturday, is a player Byron hopes can add bal ance to the side in time, but it all hinges on his fit ness.: “John's not fully fit, he hasn't played many games for Bamber Bridge this season as he's had a cartilage operation. “He's been on trial at
Shrewsbury recently and is now on his way back. I had to have a look at him as I need balance and he's got a good left foot. “I was forced to bring him off, he wouldn't have
been substituted that early if the sending off hadn't occurred, but Paul Stansfield came on, gave us the energy and enthusi asm that we needed, and to be fair he was outstand ing. He added: “Chris Whit-
tingham was equally out standing and for me was our best player for the full 90 minutes. “And the back four were
as impressive as ever. “Russell Clark, Ryan
Parr, John Paul Fagan and Chris Nestor, when he came on, were all superb - defensively we are pretty solid.”
www.roefield.co.uk C d l In foda/ (or a free four of our laoMies Adrian papstic^ ;
League leaders face first game at
new home CLITHEROE Ladies Hockey Club face their first game of the New Year at their new home of Ribblesdale High School’s all-weather pitch this Sat urday. Last weekend’s game
against Preston was can celled, so the local team, who top their league, start 2005 against second- placed Blackburn in a mouth-watering top-of- the-table encounter. The match starts at 2
p.m., and all spectators are welcome to cheer on the side, who have finally found a suitable venue within town after playing the first half of the sea son’s home games in Hyn- 1 dburn. Clitheroe presently
have a three-point advan tage over local rivals ^ Blackburn and expect a close game.
SPORTS DESK Edward Lee
cdwurd.lce@
castlancsncws.co.uk 01282426I6I ext619
Chris Boden
chris.boden@
eastlancsnews.co.uk 01282426161 ext 603
Adrian Capstick
adrian.capsUck@
castlancsncws.co.uk 01282426161 ext 601
Phil Simpson
philip.simpson@
easllancsnews.co.uk 01282426161 ext 602
Blues action All the match action
from Clitheroc’s 1-0 win at Kidsgrove Athletic on Saturday can be found on page 20
Boss finally gets his man as Sargeson signs by Adrian Capstick
AS Blues boss Paul Byron looks for the firepower to land Clitheroe a play-off spot, he has boosted his striking options by finally landing Witton Albion
Jrontman Craig Sargeson. Byron has been looking
for a prolific forward to add competition for places to his squad, and long-time target Sargeson has moved to Shawbridge on a month’s
» loan. And as the former Bamber
Craig Siirgeson
Bridge chief aims to add bal ance to the left side of mid- field, he is close to complet ing a deal to sign Atherton LR’s Paul Crompton, and is also running the rule over Brig wide man John Bailey, who he worked with at Iron- gate. Ahead of the trip to The
Hawthorns to face play-off hopefuls Brigg Town on Sat urday, Byron said: “We’ve secured Craig Sargeson on loan for a month, and we've agreed terms with Paul Crompton, who will be ioining us this week in
training. “I’ve spoken to Witton
Albion boss Gary Finley, and he has agreed to let Craig go, so he will defi nitely be available for Sat urday. “Paul, however, hadn’t
fully committed as he was hanging onto the chance of playing in Atherton LR’s Marsden Challenge Tro phy game against Accring ton Stanley on Tuesday until he gave me a firm yes, but it’s looking quite like ly.”
A lack of goals is still
frustrating the Blues boss no end, despite Lee Cryer sealing three points in Sat urday’s 1-0 win at Kids grove Athletic. And Sargeson, a prolific
scorer with Rossendale United, could be the answer to the Blues’ problems. Clitheroe have netted
only 24 goals in 25 league games - the league’s worst record, jointly held with Colwyn Bay and rock-bot tom Rocester. Bvron hailed Crver after
his crucial strike, but felt missed chances could again have cost his side. He said: “It was a great
finish from Lee, but unfor tunately Gary Jackson was clean through again, one- on-one, and he didn't score. “That's four now in three
games and he hasn't scored - i t has to change. “If we could score goals,
then we would be in a play off position. “It's not bravado, it's
where we should be. “Instead of lookine
behind them, they should be looking up the league. “I want this side to do
well, and I don't want to bring in people for the sake of it. “Hopefully these lads •
can turn it around. “If not, it forces me to
bring players in, and they ^ know that.”
977096336510202 9 f f U70j
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