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CRAIG’l STRIKE EARNS VICTORY


-PAGE 54 Thursday, March 2nd, .2006, with your sports team of Edward Lee, Chris.Boden, Phil: Simpson, and Adrian Capstick


11.1 m


Play-off push for Blues?


By Adrian Capstick


CLITHEROE caretaker manager


Mark


Smitheringale is aiming to push on from Saturday’s vie-' tory against Goole and strive for the play-offs. : ' The 1-0 victory, the Blues


third clean sheet of the sea­ son and first home win since October,


ignited


. Smitheringale’s side only to be temporarily dimmed by floodlight failure at Warring­ ton Town on Tuesday.


:.. Unlike other games called off that night, the pitch was­ n’t frozen but 15 minutes


-before kick-off the lights went out, denying Clitheroe the chance to thrive off the Goole game. Smitheringale said: “I t


was disappointing the game wasn’t played after the buzz we got on Saturday. There was a real atmosphere around the ground through-


'.oiit the Goole game and the ^ads were really fired up for their next outing. “That win puts us back’on


w


track and we can now focus on moving forward and mak­ ing a push for the play-offs.” Stability is the key for


K


Smitheringale as Clitheroe have already seen 50 individT uals pull on a blue shirt in 39 games, he said: “The likes of Shepshed and Goole have virtually been playing the same side from the start of the season - that continuity isvitalforpatternofplay- and team spirit.”


■ Iw"!


Looking ah^d to this Sat- . ■ uriday’s trip to seventh place


• ■ ■


” Woodley Sporti the Blues caretaker boss will be mak­ ing a few changes due to the plastic pitch, notably veter­ an centre-back Wayne Mad-, dock.


Smitheringale -..said:


“Wayne is keen to pro te c t: himself the best he can from injury and he’s not sure how . he will hold up playing on a plastic pitch. He’s done a great job for us so far and he’d rather not jeopardise, that for one game” - That’s why the Blues boss


' drafted in fellow centre back Gregg Anderson ahead of


....Tuesday’s postponed game.': ■ The 23-year-old joins the


Blues from Tadcaster Albion and, like Andy Sunley who came on against Goole, he played under the Blues boss at Harrogate Railway. Smitheringale is ako hop­


ing to entice Darryl Dicken back from Witton Albion before the week is out. , The right midfielder was


with the Blues in pre-season but could not agree terms at thetime and has been at Witton side since. However, it doesn’t look as


though former Everton trainee Andy Fowler will be making a return, but another familiar player has stepped back in: “Andy has transport problems from his Liverpool base and he has said that he would rather leave it for now,” said Smitheringale. “Chris Clark is keen to get


involved again and he was on the bench for Tuesday, but George Melling has left and Chris Nestor has committed to Ramsbottom United.” ■ It is also true that former captain Adam Gardner is back training with the team having had a nine month break due to work commit-


, ments. . Meanwhile, having left


. ■


Warrington to watch Wood-. ley Sports beat Stocksbridge Park Steels 4-2 on Tuesday, added to the fact that the^ Blues train on their oppo­ nents plastic pitch tonight, Smitheringale knows what to expect from the surface: “Tuesday night’s visit was a worthwhile exercise,” h e ^ d . “The surface is very similar


: to what we train oh at the ; JJB pitches in Blackburn but there is a b i t more bounce than our players are used to.”


By Adrian Capstick


WHALLEY’S Elizabeth Highton has emulated the success of her older sibling in being crowned Under 17 British Tetrathlon champion. The 15-year-old, her sister Louise and three fellow


Ribble Valley Modern Pentathlon team members, all travelled down to the national championships held at Bath University recently.


_ • But where Elizabeth succeeded, Louise lost out, as


the former champion finished second in the Under 19s event and relinquished the national title she had held for the last two years. - Fellow Under 19s competitor Sam Murray finished


fifth overall, joined by Sara Burns in 10th. And completing the quintet was 11-year-old Alice


Fitton, who finished seventh in the Under" 15s com­ petition. The two-day event started with the shoot on Sat­


urday which saw Liz achieve sixth for the Under 17s and Sani and Louise achieve second and fourth respectively.


• •


. 'The fence followed and saw Liz and Louise domi­ nate their respective age groups recording just nine defeats between them from 58 bouts. . And the last session of the first day was the swiniT


mirig in the evening which saw all four Ribble Valley girls finish within a split second of ond ahpther. Liz took the overnight lead thahks to a third place =


^ finish and atime of 2.22.54, while Louise went second: overall with sixth in her,race (2.22.36),^just behind; Sam who finished fifth in the same race with 2.22.11. That left the 2000m' run the following day, which,


with a 42 second advantage over her nearest rival, Liz held on to her lead by a second to claim the title and record a new personal best into the bargain. Under 19 runners Sam and Louise finished second


and third respectively in their 3000m run. -. And Alice Fitton achieved third in the Under 15s run and fourth in the swim, to finish seventh overall.


' ' Formerly Nice’s Italian Restaurant Nearly £1.4 million has been spent on a total


"fefurhishincttt} creating an amazing'-contemporary setting and a warm welcome awaits


UNDER 17s Tefrathlon champion Elizabeth Highton and Under 19s runner up Louise Highton with medals and trophies that they won in Bath. (A23020G/1)


Anna caps great season


• VERSATILE athlete Anna Griffiths crowned an out­ standing season by, winning the Wigan Athletics Club


‘ Junior Ladies’. Trophy at a presentation evening at the Robin Park Indoor Com­ plex. • The night rewarded high-


achievers from the famous club for performances last season, with Anna the overall Under 20s ladies’yviimer. She was Lancashire and


Lancashire Schools’ Hep­ tathlon Champion, Lan-, cashire AA 400m Hurdles and Shot Putt winner, and was placed sixth in the AAAs 400m Hurdles. Anna also won a number


of silver and bronze medals in a variety of events. She was selected to repre­


sent Lancashire Schools at the English Schools’ Cham­ pionships in Birmingham, and the North of England in ■ Abingdon, Berkshire.


72490336511909


formerly Nice's Whalley Rd, Langho'


Tel: 01254 247998 or 07971171887 Opening Times


. . . ,


Mon-Thurs 5.30pm-11.00pm FrI 5pm-12 midnight


] ‘ ' Sat 1.00pm-12 midnight , ,


, Sun1.00pm-ll.00pm.,." Ample Free Parking


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