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ROY IS NEW WHALLEY CAPTAIN


-PAGE 46 Thursdavj April 27th, 2006


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CHAMPS TN TOWN!


ACCRINGTON Stanley are coming to Shawbndge on Monday.


I r i : P-


It?;" p- ■ It? ■


The Conference champions will be in


town to play Clitheroe in a friendly promised by Stanley chairman Eric


will be on display and Stanley will field a full strength squad in what may well b^their final full-blown swansong to non-league football.


ities first arose back in January, Whal­ ley was one of the first people acting


Clitheroe chairman Carl Gamer turned to for advice.


1.5-


^ At the time it proved to be invalu­ able and a gentleman’s agreement was made that if Stanley achieved their goal of league promotion, Whalley would return with the side to his old stomping ground for this fundraiser. In his time at Shawbridge during the


1980s, Whalley arguably led Clitheroe through the most successful period of their long history. Just like Stanley have undergone a meteoric rise through the top flight of the non-league pyra­ mid to return to the football league after a 44-year absence, Whalley was


----- When Clitheroe’s financial irregular­


Whalley to his old club in its time of need. The Nationwide Conference trophy


working his magic on a smaller scale 20 years earlier with the Blues. As under his managerial guidance


the club achieved the incredible feat of winning the Third, Second and First Division of the North West Counties


League in consecutive seasons before he left to join Stanley. At that time Clitheroe were in the


same league ^ Stanley, but unlike the Accrington side, they didn’t progress due to a lack of floodlights and the


ground grading needed to enter the next level. The Blues are currently in the same


league Stanley were seven years ago before John Coleman took them up the pyramid and Garner wants to give


them the non-league send off they deserve He said: “This is Accrington’s last


full blown game before the summer break and the testimonials kick in. It is unlikely this fkture will come together again as their pre-season is already mapped out and they certainly won’t be playing non-league sides in their preparation for league football. ■ “So this is the last opportimity to see


the full Stanley side play as a non­ league club, a full time pro team against non-league Clitheroe. I just hope that loyal supporters and people of the Ribble Valley alike come and


-----------V-COOlUilO.


applaud Eric’s champions and take the opportunity to see the trophy.”


He added: “I would like to thank


Eric for keeping his word and agreeing to bring the Conference champions dovra to Shawbridge, as well as all the advice he has given me since January in regard to our financial problems.” Meanwhile, Clitheroe manager Mark


Smitheringale has a busy end to the season, playing at Stocksbridge Park Steels tonight, Bamber Bridge at home on Saturday (kick-off 3 p.m.) and cli­ maxing with the Stanley friendly on Monday (kick-off 2 p.m.). Blit he wouldn’t have it any other


way, Smitheringale said: “Stocksbridge still need the points to guarantee the play-offs so it’s all to play for. Bamber Bridge is a local derby and wouldn’t


expect anything else of them but their all.


“And it would be nice to put on a


show against Stanley. It’s a great ges­ ture and a great occasion for the play­ ers and supporters alike to see the qual­ ity and skill needed to win the most prestigious trophy in non-league foot­ ball, showing what can be done when a club as a whole are heading in the right direction.”


Entry to the Accrington Stanley


game will be £6 for adults with £3 con­ cessions.


Mitchell strikes denies Blues


Warrington ........................................ .. continued to be Clitheroe ....................................... ..


A WONDER strike by Warrington’s Phil Mitchell beat Clitheroe on Tues­ day night and edged the Cheshire side a step closer to UniBond safety. Considering Warrington have been


playing three games a week to get all their fbctures in, there were no signs of fatigue from the fourth bottom side. Mitchell brothers Graeme and Phil


were razor sharp up front, and due to the poor condition of the pitch, there were plenty of long balls over the top for the pacy pair to run on to. The winning strike came in the 18th


minute when Phil Mitchell controlled a long ball on his chest, swivelled and volleyed home from 20 yards - a strike that Peter Collinge didn’t have a hope of saving as it soared over him. The goalscoring Mitchell and the rest of Warrington’s quick forward line


a real handful. Gregg Anderson was called upon to


clear the goal line having seen Collinge pull off an initial save, and the Clitheroe keeper had to pluck a close range header out of the air to deny right-midfielder Kevin Towey, just one of several great saves from the keeper. Bookings were also high in number


^ Clitheroe picked up another four to join the six from Saturday, but unlike the Rossendale game, the Blues did not enjoy the same reign on goal. In fact, just one second half opportu­


nity stood out for the visitors to equalise, but Danny Gorton put a


Craig Sargeson back-post cross inches over the bar. Mter the game, Clitheroe boss Mark


Smitheringale gave his reaction to his side’s last two outings: “Saturday was excellent as the team played, defended, created chances and matched


Rossendale man for man in the battle that we thought it would be.


“The referee was over zealous with


his decisions, but it was always going to be a keenly-contested derby. “We were at full strength, apart from Craig Sargeson, and it was good to see


Chris Coupe and James Featherstone play together.” He added about Mitchell’s strike:


“I’ve been incredibly frustrated at giv­ ing away soft goals in recent games and I’d said to the lads that it would be nice if we were to be beaten it was by a great


goal, but it doesn’t make it any easier to take. “We’ve got to bring more consistency into our games and Tuesday night, with the exception of one or two play­ ers, the performance was not good enough. That wasn’t down to effort though, but a lack of quality when


liicu-ciieu making that final decision on goal.” xin cn •G*:


Clitheroe...................... .. .2 Rossendale V ld .............0 RETRIBUTION was Clitheroe’s on Saturday thanks to goals from James Featherstone and Chris Coupe. Visitors Rossendale had


edged the la s t meeting between the two sides this season thanks to an unfor­ tunate own goal, but the Blues made sure there would be no repeat in this keenly-contested derby game at Shawbridge.


t ' im l d goal.


Duo’s first day tons in Clitheroe victory


WHAT a way to kick off the new season!


Clitheroe, billed by


many as strong contenders for the Veka Ribblesdale League t i t le this time around, began with a bang on Saturday. Earby were their vic­


tims, as a superb perform­ ance with both bat and ball handed Neil Bolton’s


side the maximum seven points. But it was three players in particular that were the


catalyst behind their suc­ cess. Professional Shahid


Nawaz excelled with the bat last season.


The Pakistani opener


finished third in the divi­ sional averages, behind Zahoor Elahi of Cherry


and Settle’s Mohammed Hafeez. But only Elahi amassed


more runs, as Nawaz fin­ ished with a massive 1,386. And he continued here exactly where he had left


off in 2005, as last season’s runners-up shot to the top once more. He cracked an unbeaten


112 as Clitheroe posted a huge total of 252-2 from their 45 overs. B u t it wasn’t ju s t


Nawaz who became a cen­ turion, as Naeem Ashraf also weighed in with a glo­ riously-crafted ton. Ashraf, ending th e


innings alongside his paid man, finished unbeaten on 103, after Clitheroe had


suffered a double early set­ back.


Skipper Neil B o lton


looked in'confident mood as he opened up alongside Nawaz, but after amassing 31, he snicked a James Thuratan delivery through to wicket keeper D a v id Watson.


And a matter of minutes


later, namesake Mark (2) followed him back to the pavilion after holing out to


Matthew Haines off Raja Arshad.


Arshad. Derby retribution for Smitheringale’s men ..........The game had barely got tie-happy referee who thelor-^i.^ The game had barely got


underway and Feather­ stone had the ball in the back of the net.


The Clitheroe forward


ran onto a long ball from his own half, and with only the keeper and back-track­ ing United captain Bill Robertson to beat, he drew the keeper and shrugged off the defender to roll the ball home from the edge of the area. The rest of the first half was blighted by the whis­


tle-happy referee who seemed intent on stoppmg momentum for the most trivial of incidents and innocuous of tackles. Eleven bookings v/ere


seen in total, six of which were Clitheroe’s. This means an unnecessary £250 fine for the club . There were also three red cards, one of which was for the opposing manager. The second half saw


much more action in front of the Rossendale goal for


the locals. Neil Reynolds had a


header wide of the mark and Coupe was denied on the line by left back Adam ()ook, before Paul Stans- field set the forward up with his first goal for the club.


Featherstone laid the


ball into the Clitheroe cap­ ta in ’s path and on the break he charged through the Rossendale defence, drew the keeper to one side and flicked the ball across


the box for Coupe to head home.


u... Unbelievably, . , the


Clitheroe striker was then booked by the man in black for celebrating with one of the spectators on the side- hnes. At the other end,


Clitheroe keeper Peter Collinge comfortably col­


lected everything that headed his way and was only really troubled when he was forced into a double save towards the end that


, .


he tipped over the bar. The one thing the referee


.


perhaps did get right was to send off both Feather­ stone and United captain Robertson for fighting min­ utes before the end. The Rossendale man


had a dig, Featherstone reacted and the spat con­ tinued off the pitch after the final whistle had gone. Rossendale boss Derek Egan was also given his marching orders for remon­ strating ivith the referee


But that was as good as


it got for th e Apple- 1 garthers, as Nawaz and Ashraf built a huge part­ nership to set the visitors up for success.


In reply, Earby lost


Jonathan Martin for one, ' before Watson followed him for f iv e , with both men having been clean- bowled by Josh Marquet. Marquet, who held the


professional ranks at Whal­ ley last season, finished with figures of 6-19 off 12.2 overs, including fellow opener Arshad for 12. Nawaz’s opposite num­


ber Ali Azmat came in at number three, but he was to end the innings in the middle ^ his partners col­ lapsed around him. Not one of the middle or


late order entered double figures, as Marquet clean- bowled H a in e s (1) and Gary M a r tin d a le (1), while trapping Thurstan v, leg before for six.


And the innings petered


out with Azmat stranded on 27, as Earby were skit- ' tied for just 78.


Clitheroe have made a ^


statement to the rest of _ the league with this victo- ^ ry


And they will hope for


more of the same on Sat­ urday when th ey host Baxenden a t Chatburn.


Road (wickets pitched 1- ' 30 p.m.).


977096336511917 '


CENTURIONS Shahid Nawaz (left) and Naeem Ashraf(s)


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