Mossley 3 Clitheroe 0

Buoyed by a great pre season and by an opening day win, Clitheroe travelled to Mossley looking to build on that feel good factor, but with a patched up team, they crashed down to earth with a deserved 3-0 defeat.

With the rain falling steadily and the firm surface becoming increasingly greasy, Clitheroe started the game the brightest. On 4 minutes, Miles Storey had a shot at goal, which he failed to connect with as he would have wished, but forced a corner nonetheless. Minutes later, Javaun Splatt picked out Veron Parny on the edge of the box, and as he moved the ball to his favoured left foot, he could not get sufficient power on the shot. Mossley were still bright and stand in keeper Mason Walker pulled off a stupendous point blank save after a whipped in free kick was headed goalward for a certain goal. On 17 minutes, centre back Harry Brockbank pulled up with a back injury and was substituted, and before Clitheroe had settled, Mossley were ahead. A regulation back pass from Splatt on the half way line eluded his intended team mate, instead releasing ex Blue Reece Webb-Foster, whose burst down the right was followed by a scudding cross. Walker went to gather, but the ball spilled out of his hands leaving the easiest of tap ins. Ten minutes later, another regulation cross into the box saw no clearance by any defender or call from the keeper, leaving the simplest of chances. Four minutes later, Clitheroe had the chance to claw their way back as a marauding Lee Pugh ran diagonally into the box and was fouled for his trouble. Louis Potts stepped up to take the penalty, which he blasted wide. Things worsened shortly afterwards, when a series of corners saw Walker drop a high ball at the feet of a forward who simply could not miss.
Danny Wilkins came on for the second half in place of Storey and was at the heart of most of Clitheroe’s best attacks. 18 year old Connor High also came off the bench and showed enough quality and maturity to suggest he could well make a significant impact this season. Clitheroe shaded second half possession but were reduced to long range shots and a Ross Dent turn and shot from the edge of the box which ballooned over the bar.

This was a game to forget and the whistle could not come soon enough.

TEAM: 1 Mason Walker, 2 Jacob Hanson, 3 Lee Pugh, 4 Domaine Rouse, 5 Harry Brockbank, 6 Richard Baker, 7 Javaun Splatt, 8 Ross Dent, 9 Louis Potts, 10 Veron Parny, 11 Miles Storey. SUBS USED: 12 Sean McConville, 14 Connor High, 16 Danny Wilkins, 17 Matthew Clarke. Not Used: 15 Michael Bartley.