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I . CUTHEROEADVERTISER&nMES


wwwclitheroeadvertiser.co.uk Thursday,January9,2014


Thursday,January!),2014 www.clitheroeadvertiser.co.uk


CLITHEROE ADVERTISERSTIMES SPORT ALL THE LATEST FROM LITTLEMOOR


Villagers start the year with a win


• Crosby St Marys RUFC__...32 ClitheroeRUFC....................23


Clitheroe’s rugby men made


y _ the long trip down to’the flat-' lands of Crosby stillfeeling the effectsofChristmas.


S -.With a number of players still prolongingthefestivesea-


.. . son elsewhere, resources were stretched mighty thin.


. .. But there was a recall for centre Chris Waddington’


0 .fresh from a Barmy Army trip down under.


' AlsobackinthefirstXVjer- sey was Dave Watson, squeez-


• inghisframeintothenumber nine.DrChrisKayslottedonto the wing, with front line goal kicker Greg Birch moving to


.


fullback. The pack was full of the


regular characters - a mobile back row of Andrew Rigby,


•. Sam Thor nber and Luke Hay- ton providing an interesting blend of age and experience. Will Jones was back at


prop, along with the improv­ ing Tom Hardman and Adam Penney at hooker. Clitheroe were a trifle slow off the mark, and took most


- of the first half to find any rhythm or accuracy. There were a couple of clean line breaks from Stuart _ Railton, the first of which pe-


• teredoutwithlackofsupport. The second, however, led all the way to the try line. Progress was held up at


the foot of the posts, but after a tremendous scrimmage in the midst of a pile of bodies,


Andrew Rigby


Rigby pounced for the score.. Crosby had, by this time,


scored two tries of their own, but a penalty from Birch re­ duced the arrears to 10-7 at the interval. • ; The home team started


with a bang in the second half. Two tries conceded but an­


other Birch penalty gave the visitors a glimmer., • The score suddenly be-.


came 20-17 after a well de­ served tryfor Railton. ■ Crosby hit back with an­ other try, but Clitheroe were ■ just about hanging on. • ■ ’1


Another couple of kicks


from Birch and the Maroons were just 25-23 behind. . Nowit was all Clitheroe; on


top at scrum time with Penney grabbing a couple of strikes against the head, it seemed the momentum would swing the game Clitheroe’s way. But on the stroke of no side


the hosts scored in the corner and the kicker converted the hardest kick of the day to seal it.


.


- AbigderbygameonSatur- day at Littlemoor, with Colne and Nelson the visitors, kick­


‘ >


Valiant effort at Crosby, but hosts hold on to take victory in first game of 2014 The visitors regained their


off 2-15 p.m. • : Clitheroe seconds wel­ comed Colne and Nelson to


. Littlemoor to mark the begin­ ning of the New Year. - The visitors hadsome en­


forced changes in their line up duetoinjury and unavailabili­ ty, but the squad was strength­ ened by the return of Atkinson and Nuttall. The visitors who started


strongly and Clitheroe seemed lethargic and slow out of the starting blocks. ■ Colne and Nelson have a


young, energetic side, and they soon tested the hosts’ de­ fence with a number of strong carries from their forwards. Clitheroe gradually woke


up and gained territorial ad­ vantage, but all too often they gifted possession to the oppo­ sition. • The set pieces were evenly


matchedafterinitial superior­ ity from the visitors, and the line outs proved problematic at times for both teams. Gretton, making a rare ap­


pearance at scrum half, mar­ shalled his forwards well, with Doherty showing the way with his work rate and excellent tackles. Harrison, returning at


lock, also made some strong runs and showed good tack­ ling, and his play in the .loose was a thorn in the side of the visitors. Clitheroe were unable to


turn their possession into points, however.


initial energy and started to play their rugby in the Clithe- roehalf.Followingatransgres-. sion, a penalty was converted and the visitors led 3-0. Clitheroe were on the back


foot and only good defensive work by Morris and Caunce prevented Colne and Nelson from going further ahead. In the second half, Clit­


heroe, despite going further behind to another penalty, started to play. The visitors infringed on


the halfway line, and Craig Procter took a quick tap pen­ alty, beat five players and touched down under the posts for a wonderful solo try. Morris added the extras


and the hosts were in the lead.. This galvanised Clitheroe


and the backs started playing well, with Podeyn joining the linefrom full back and Preston and Cummings running some great lines. A flowing move saw Bleas-


dale touch down in the cor­ ner with an excellent finish and Keogh converted from the tightestofangles. Morris add­ ed a penalty and the hosts led . i7-6going into the last quarter. Following a charged down clearance from the visitors,


'the ball fell to Cummings, who displayed blistering pace


. to score in the corner to mark an excellent performance from the centre. The conver­ sion was missed and the final score was 22-6 to the hosts.


Rock Rovers Reserves......1 Rimington Reserves.........2


Rimington began the new year with this deserved


■ win overaRockRovers side who sit a place above them in the league table. Chances were few in a


first half in which defences tended to have the upper hand.


Rimington should have taken the lead on two oc-


• casions, firstly when the Rock keeper made a good save from Oliver Quigley when put though on goal and secondly following a corner, which Mark Leach headed wide. The second half began


with both teams intent on breaking the dead­ lock, but the Rimington defence confidently dealt with Rock’s muscular for-


• ward line. • On the hour, James


Hartlebury made a pene­ trating run down the right before slipping the ball to Quigley, whose deep cross was headed into the top corner by Eddie Drake. A second goal followed


in the 75th minute when an astute through ball saw Leach beat the off-side trap and cooly slide the ball home. Rock managed to pull a


goal back following a quick breakaway. There was still time


for Stephen Dewhurst to bravely block a goal bound effort as Rock sought an undeserved equaliser and Luke Green to have a goal disallowed for off-side.


SPORT GARNER’S MEN SHIP SIX IN NORTH EAST


Afternoon to forget for Blues at Darlington


Away woes continue for Garner’s side at Heritage Park


Darlington1883.................. 6 Clitheroe............................. iO


Clitheroe were compre­ hensively put to the sword by high-flying Darlington, whose muscular brand of


■ football coped more easily with the heavy conditions. • There was a debut for re-'


turning keeper Ben Proctor, and he will be hoping for qui­ eter days in his Clitheroe ca­ reer. The tone was set in the


opening minutes as Dar­ lington had a couple of good chances. On five minutes, the home side took the lead as prolific striker Steven Thompson gathered a short pass, moved across the de­ fence and slotted home. • Four minutes later the


lead could have been extend­ ed when Proctor misjudged his punch and the ball settled in the mud on the goal line be­ fore it was smothered. On 16 minutes, Darling­


ton made it two when a regu­ lation clearance was popped


■ over the defence and David Dowson slipped it under the •keeper. Darlington were play­


ing at a high tempo, not giv­ ing the Blues a second on the ball, and that work rate didn’t dropallgame.Awickedlydip- ' ping free kick on 24 minutes almost took the home side


■ further in front, but they on­ ly had to wait another minute when an inswinging free kick from the left was met unchal-


Lloyd Dean, who ploughed a lonely furrow up front, had Clitheroe’s best chances on a miserable afternoon'


lenged by a sweet, glancing header from Amar Purewal. Further good chances fell


•Darlington’s way, and it was not until the 37th minute when a Sean Miller free kick was fumbled, that Clitheroe registered their first chance. - Just before half time,


Lloyd Dean, ploughing a lone­ ly furrow down the middle, wriggled free of the defence and fired at goal.


The second half followed a


similar pattern.Proctormade a great save with his legs af­ ter another chip over the- defence, before Ross Dent’s smart shot required atten­ tion from the home keeper. On the hour, Darlington


chased a lost cause, the ball was centred and fired in by Thompson. . Two minutes later, James Walker lost his footing as a


skied clearance came towards him, the ball ricocheting off his heels to send Purewal through to make it 5-0. • Further Darlington chanc­


es came and went before, on 83 minutes, the goal of the game came from a surging run down the left, pulled back at pace and slammed home by Nathan Fisher.


■ Twomoregoalscouldhave come in the dying minutes


when a goal line block and a post came to the rescue.


' There was no disgrace losing to a side of this pedi­ gree, but Clitheroe’s woeful away form will need to be ad­ dressed. . Clitheroe: Proctor, Wedge,


.


Walker, James, Cartwright, ■ Dent, Lee, Wilkins, Dean,: Miller, Garner. Subs: Byrom, ' Freeland, Johnstone, Heap, Parr.


Steve starts newyear


in winning style


Steve Worrall started the New Year instyle when he won Mytton Fold Golf Club’s first 2014 round of the Winter Singles at the weekend.


His 36 points over the short- ®


. ened i6--hqle winter course left him twopoints clear of the field. Nigel Fairhurst’s 34 points


wasbetterthanRichardPalm- er’s 34 points on countback and gave him the runn'ers-up


•slot. Mike Chatburn failed to


match his 3-Club Competi­ tion winning score, but his 33 points gave him fourth spot 0


■ aheadofduellingJohnParkin- son and John Berry who were a further two points in arrears. In the Winter Order of


• Merit, Nigel Fairhurst’s sec­ ond spot enabled him to chis­ el away at Jim Bridge’s lead 19H which is now down to just


. seven points. With just one ‘two’ on the day, Dave Clegg was a very


happy man having-birdied . the ninth. Top lady was Taija Wilson


with Hazel Sellars and Past Captain Doreen Hammond filling the remaining podium positions.


Saturday’s mild and.calm •


conditions were replaced by more seasonal faire the fol- lowing day as a number of the Winter Pairs went out to add to their league points. Top team of the weekend _ were Nigel Fairhurst and W


’ Gary Ashton. Their score of 40 points was their best of the season and one more than the pairings of Steve Worrall/ Dave Griffith arid Dave West-, wood/Richard Palriier could muster. At Whalley Golf Club on


Saturday, Chris Summers en- - 4


joyed the first 2014 Order of Merit competition by coming first with 30 points.


margin for error after draw with Rock Rimingtbn .................3 Rock Rovers..................... .....3


0 . see us retaining the league : now.” -


Rimington came from behind to take a point; but boss Terry : Braithwaite admitted: “I can’t


- The first half was a fairly -


• • poor start to the new year by both sides, although debutant


'^■ Dan Blackburn had a snap ■ shotearly on which flew wide. ■ ■


■ The visitors had the best


early chance as a striker won the baR on the edge of the area, his attempted chip over Ker­ shaw sailing over. They took the lead, how­


ever on 34 minutes, Kershaw beaten to the ball; before the


. forward rounded him and slotted into the empty net. But the champions were7


soon level, as Conti played the ball inside to Walmsley, who


sent Walsh away to calmly lift - the ball over the diving keeper The visitors regained the


lead as a break down the left resulted in the ball being cut back from the bye-line to be rammed home with ease. . In the second half, the


first chance came when Con­ ti crossed for Blackburn who should have done better than fire over, and on the hour mark the home side changed


their formation with Robin­ son replacing Conti to form a five-man midfield. .This paid immediate divi­


dends as Rimington swarmed into their opponents’half. McLean burst down the


right before crossing for Ben- field to fire in the equaliser. ~ Two minutes later, Hick-


ling crossed from the left, Robinson headed down and Blackburn slammed in his


first for the club. But the visitors dragged


themselves back with an at­ tack down the right, the ball played into a forward who turned and shot, and although Kershaw got an arm to it, the


ball trickled over the line. There was still time for


Benfield to head over, but the points were shared.’


'


Saturday sees Rimington" make the trip to Calder Vale.


Terry Braithwaite


Hurst Green Reserves........5 Bolton County Reserves..... .1


The ever-excellent Smithy Row pitch ensured that this was one of only a handful of


. West Lancashire League fix­ tures to survive the weather. ' The game started quietly,


with both sides looking a lit­ tle sluggish after the seasonal break.


However, Green started to


move through the gears. On 16 minutes, Mort sent


Foley through on goal, but the keeper managed to stretch'


out a fingertip to turn the ball over the bar. From the resulting corner,


Cattermole fired the ball into the near post; allowing cap­ tain Bamber to glance the ball home off his shoulder. Four minutes later, Green


thought they had doubled their tally when Oily Bolton lashed home another Catter­ mole corner, only for the ref­ eree to cancel the goal out, having seen a handball. •While not firing on all cylinders, Green were com­


manding in possession, and continued to attack. On 32 minutes, Mort beat


the off-side, and despite a stumble in the box, managed to regain his footing, skipping past three defenders before sliding home. The two-goal cushion


perhaps caused Green to relax too much. With half­ time in sight, Young missed a clearance, and when Bam­ ber slipped in the box, Coun­ ty took advantage and fired past Joyce.


Despite seeing their team


dominate, co-managers Young and Holden demand­ ed an improvement in the second half, and the team re­ sponded. A fizzing Foley.strike was


fumbled past thepost by the keeper, and five minutes lat­ er, veteran forward Hayes rode several challenges in a mazy run into the box, allow­ ing Mort to strike home off thtepost. On 68 minutes, the County keeperflappedataerossfrom


Bywater, finding only Foley with his clearance, who fin­ ished confidently. Foley had his second five


minutes later. Receiving the ball on the


edge of the box, a dummy threw the defender and his-


■ unstoppable strike left the keeper with no chance. The win took Green sec-.


ond in the table ahead of the dery with Longridge Town on Saturday, again at Smithy Row.


# Second place was Stuart T


Andrews, who. also had 30 points but was beaten on a card play-off.. Paul Chalker came in third 0 with 29 points, placing him in w' ..


joint first place in the order of merit with K. Moore with 21 5


points. In second place is M. Earle with 18 points, with T. Thorn-


berthirdwithi7points. There were four twos on % •


the day, a brace for P. Fletcher and one each for T. Thornber and C.T. Elliott The next order of merit


competition takes place on ; Saturday, January 18th.


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