Clitheroe 2 Lancaster City 0 (ht 0-0) Att 684

A dominant 5 minute spell in the second half saw Clitheroe safely through to the FA Trophy 1st Round Proper for the first time since the 2005-06 season.

Veron Parny flashed a first minute free kick just over the bar and just a minute later a freekick from Connor High was gathered at the second attempt. The visitors first real attack came after 9 minutes but that was blocked for a corner. There were Blue calls for a penalty after 16 minutes as a Lancaster City defender went through the back of Emerich Poilly but the referee wasn’t swayed. Jacob Hanson then had a chance on goal soon after before the visitors created a good chance on 28 minutes. Their forward burst into the box but pulled his shot wide.
Another Connor High freekick into a crowded box on 33 minutes was nudged over the bar by Louis Potts. Jacob Hanson had to be alert in the 43rd minute to clear off his own goal line. Clitheroe had a great chance to go in with a half time lead when Emerich Poilly’s 44th minute shot ricocheted off a Lancaster defender and fell to Louis Potts on the edge of the 6 yard box but his effort was powered over the bar.
The Blues started the second half brightly and a storming run out of defence by Sam Olawumi saw him break down the right wing and drive into the penalty area but his low cross eluded everyone.
Clitheroe took the lead in the 58th minute when Veron Parny picked up the ball on the halfway line before driving through left midfield at pace and squaring for Luke Gill to dink the ball round the keeper and stroke into an empty net. Lancaster looked for a quick equaliser but a poor header at the back post went out for a goal kick. Clitheroe doubled their lead in the 62nd minute. Louis Potts squared the ball in midfield and Veron Parny’s first time sublime flick on saw Jacob Hanson advance down the right wing and into the box. His cross was blocked by a City defender but he managed to lay the ball back to Emerich Poilly. His attempted pass into the box was also blocked but his forward momentum somehow managed to take the ball with him to advance clear and have a shot on goal. The Lancaster keeper did well to save it and a follow up effort was cleared on the line but the loose ball was then slammed home by Louis Potts from close range.
A flurry of substitutions slowed the pace down and for a while chances for both sides were reduced. City then had a great chance in the 79th minute when Dom Lawson drove forward into the Clitheroe box but his low shot was pushed out for a corner by Hakan Burton. The resulting corner was met with a glancing header but that sailed wide of the post. In the 84th minute Sefton Gonzales broke clear down the left wing and his perfect low cross found Miles Storey free on the penalty spot with just the keeper to beat. The Lancaster keeper did very well to advance and keep out not only the initial goal attempt but the follow up effort too.
A corner in added time saw Sefton Gonzales head narrowly over the bar and then the Blues did enough to play out the remaining time to ensure a comfortable passage into the next round.

TEAM: 1 Hakan Burton, 2 Jacob Hanson, 3 Matthew Clarke, 4 Sam Olawumi (C), 5 Mark Hughes, 6 Charlie Hayes-Green, 7 Connor High, 8 Luke Gill, 9 Louis Potts, 10 Veron Parny, 11 Emerich Poilly. SUBS USED: 14 Richard Baker, 15 Miles Storey, 16 Sefton Gonzales, 17 Sajjad Elhassan. Not Used: 12 Sean McConville.