VALLEY SPORTS STARS OF 2006


-PAGES 46 AND 47 I r Thursday, December 28th, 2006 with your sports team of Edward Lee, Chris Boden, Phil Simpson and Adrian Capstick Makeshift Blues’ derby loss By Adrian Capstick


er's hands have been tied during a difficult Christ­ mas period, due to injuries and suspensions, but he insists the quality new additions joining the team in 2007 are cause for cele­ bration. He and fellow manager


month, the side will be set­ tled and looking onward and upward. Reynolds said: “As soon


as the calendar turns to January 1st, four or five new boys will be onboard and I can’t wait for it. "By the middle of Janu­


iVr is coming in, who is stop­ ping and, hopefully, have everyone back from sus­ pension. There is no excus­ es from the middle of Jan­ uary - no excuses." Reynolds and Smith


ary I should have a settled team. I should know who


have just put seven days on a young, proven Uni- Bond Premier striker with Conference and Football League experience, and Darryl Dicken.and Steve Mannington will join the


that they will give every- one a chance and are still assessing the situation, but come January there will be proven players vying for those places. So, by the middle of next


Peter Smith have done well to bring in the players they have so far. They have made it clear


CLITHEROE Football Club will bring in more than the New Year on Jan­ uary 1st, according to Neil Reynold' resolutions. The joint player-manag­


squad in January. I understand the man­


surgery. Any good side in the UniBond has 20, 21 players to choose from, who are available. I’ve got a lot of injuries and a lot of. suspensions, and I don’t just want to bring in play­


there are similarities, but . he won't be following the same path: “When Paul took over he came in and perhaps gave lads too much of a chance. He stuck with the players when it needed changing. “This time it does need


Paul Byron came in as manager, Clitheroe were in a similar situation to what they are now. Reynolds agrees th a t


heavy defeat against War­ rington. I t won’t be an easy place to go, but if anyone is under pressure i t ’s their manager, Peter Davenport, because they’re paying out a for­ tune for no return." Two seasons ago, when .,


have to bide their time on Saturday in Wales, before the new game plan kicks into action: "Colwyn Bay will be the last time that we will go into a game without the quality of players that we want in the squad. I can guarantee everyone that in Clitheroe. ‘They've just suffered a


list is the left-sided Russ McKenna, who has just been released by Rossendale and will look to link up with the Blues in the next couple of games. However, the Blues will


agement team have anoth­ er striker and centre half lined up too. The sixth man in that


Clitheroe...................... 0 Rossendale V t d .......... 2 CLITHEROE swapped and changed to try and make the pieces fit at home to Rossendale on Boxing Day. 'Those available to play


wyn Bay there will be a coach leaving Shawbridge at 11 p.m., cost £5 each.


done, and due to Dean being contracted to the Blues, there will be a fee involved. For all fans going to Col­


probably be playing his football elsewhere when he returns from suspension, as Nationwide Conference side Northwich Victoria want the prolific striker. The deal is practically


on Saturday but Jason Jones and James Dean both sit out their last games of suspensions. However, the latter will


few more options, but we don’t want to flood it, we want to give the lads every chance. I ’ve got Will Exton back in January, I haven’t seen much of him and he could turn out to be a real gem." Simon Garner returns


the lads collectively are good enough and with a few more additions we won’t be a bad side." He added: “Pete’s got a


thing they’ve got, and if everything isn’t good enough, then we’ll have to look somewhere else, but I’m not going to say that lads we’ve already got aren’t good enough. “What I will say is that


that the players that have come in over the Christ­ mas period are just filling shirts, but for me they’ve come in, rolled up their sleeves and tried to give a good account of them­ selves, and you can’t knock them for that . “They’ve given every­


ers to fill shirts. “Some people will argue


played, and, but for an effective strike force, the Blues gave their Rossendale rivals, an at times, heated encounter. The visitors took the


Smith came on for the last half hour and injected much needed, pace to the game on the right wing, but still Clitheroe bore no fruit as frustration took hold, and both sides were issued a hand of yellow cards.


Rossendale's half more reg­ ularly after the break, but couldn't break down a comfortable Rossendale back line. Joint manager Peter


pay off and the Blues' best opportunity of a nullified first half came from a spec­ ulative 35-yard half volley, served up by player man­ ager Neil Reynolds, that struck the top of the cross bar. Clitheroe ventured into


had paired new full-back John Osbourne and Mick Howarth in another new strike partnership, in the hope that their combined pace would free chances. Unfortunately it didn't


already been called into making a good save to deny Phil Eastwood after the striker slipped in past Chris Heslop. but the goal came when the ball got past Tom Benfield, and Euan Purcell got a foot to it to poke past the outcom- ing Clitheroe keeper. The swaps and changes


lead as early as the seventh minute. Paul Horridge had


As a result, Anthony


Heslop (Avery), Bcnfield, Anderson, C.Howarth (Smith), Daniels, Reynolds, Osborne, M.Howarth (Bowker), Roberts. Wakefield.................. 2 Clitheroe.................... 0 A MAKESHIFT Clitheroe were undone by two second-half strikes at relegation-zone Wakefield on Saturday. The Blues had opportu­


nities to wrest at least a point from this fixture, but given the list of first team regulars missing, the end result was perhaps no surprise. Plenty of effort was


seen from the side tha t featured six new additions but it didn’t just come off for them in front of goal. An even first half saw


very little offered up from , either side on a ravaged pitch. The Blues defence quickly came under trial, and Owen Roberts had a troublesome time in deal­ ing with right winger Brighton Mugadza. A cameo appearance


was made by Ryan Parr in the centre, returning to the side in its time of need in the wake of 12 absen­ tees. New signing John


Osbourne, joining from Kendal Town, also made an impact at right back, as did Chris Heslop, as


beyond any doubt, Rossendale's Adam Cook launched home an rnistop- pable 25-yard free kick high in to the top comer of the Clitheroe god five min­ utes from the end. Clithcroc: Horridge, Nay,


Daniels will now miss a game sometime early Jan­ uary for a fifth yellow card of the season. Then, to put the result


brother’s Chris and Mick Howarth, from Blackpool Mechanics, completed the hard-working line up. Gregg Anderson made a


to be on his toes to pull off a couple of good saves to keep the Blues level with­ in the opening half hour. But player-manager


Neil Reynolds gave his all in his first game, and had a rasping goal-bound shot th a t could quite easily have opened the scoring at the opposite end, only to be denied by Wakefield keeper Andy Woods. However, the second


of probing free kicks almost come off in the box, the firs t finding Anderson a t the back post, only for the defender to put wide, and another nearly paydng off for strik­ er Gary Bowker. Unfortunately it didn’t,


and Wakefield struck on 65 minutes from a long throw in. The ball into the middle of the box wasn’t dealt with, and it ran free, out to Mugadza on the edge of the area, who tucked away his low shot at the far post past a stranded Horridge. Parr found the side net­


ting from a Roberts free kick,,and substitute strik­ er Chris Heslop looked as


half saw Wakefield come a t Clitheroe from the wings, something that the Blues struggled to repli­ cate. Mugadza gave Roberts problems, but Clitheroe coped with the home side’s attacks from open play. Reynolds had a couple


good last^man intercep­ tion to deny Wakefield striker Demi Kyriacou a free route to goal as early as the fourth minute And Paul Horridge had


though he had scored when he flashed a header across the box from anoth­ er Reynolds free kick. But it was quickly back


to the other end where Wakefield were quick on the break. The Yorkshire side did not net directly from such a move, but from a forced corner the ball was bundled home by Kyriacou at the near post eight minutes from time. This wasn’t a p re tty


game and it certainly did­ n’t bring much festive cheer. Injuries, suspension and unavailability of over a full team of players has tied the hands of man­ agers Re3molds and Peter Smith, who, without the luxury of coming to the team in pre-season, are having to quickly pick up the pieces, soldier along and do the best they can. To replace four players


in one swoop, including a new untested strike part­ nership, will struggle to bring instant results. I t takes time to form a


settled side and it takes longer to rebuild an unset­ tled one, unfortunately both are judged on results rather than reason, and th a t first point or three can’t come soon enough as the bottom of the league looms ever closer. Horridge, Osbourne,


Roberts, Parr, Anderson, C. Hewarth (Benfield), Daniels, Rej’nolds, Bowker (Heslop), M. Howarth (Smith), Johnson.


977096336522552 9 __________


RLUES HAVEA ROSY YEAR!


-SEE NEXT WEEK


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