Saturday, November 10, 2007

Clitheroe FC 2, FC United 1

A JOEL Byrom penalty and a second from the head of Paul Fildes, marked a tremendous league victory for Clitheroe over FC United on Saturday.

A crowd of 1245 attended the game at Shawbridge thanks to the numerous traveling support, 300 up on the Tuesday game last month, but unlike that night the Blues were solid throughout and creative to the end.

There was plenty of action at either end and the visitors were first to challenge on goal when Liam Foster sent Rory Patterson through with a 40-yard pass to call Paul Horridge in to action.

Clitheroe were soon challenging at the other end as Joel Byrom, Paul Fildes and new loan signing Mickey Saunders, had FC United on the back foot, calling for more than one goal-line clearance from Shaun Roscoe.

Horridge was again called on to stop Aaron Burns when the United striker was put through, but the former Manchester United player was kept quiet by the Blues back line.

But on the stroke of half-time another surging run forward in numbers by the Blues saw United's defence pulled this way and that, calling for goalkeeper Sam Aston to take down Byrom in the box and deny the attacking midfielder sight of goal.

The former Blackburn Rovers and Accrington Stanley man saw his initial spot kick saved, but to the jeers of the away support behind the goal, he made no mistake with the rebound.

In the second half, new Blues centre back Ian Flannery slid in to rob Patterson of the ball when close to goal to maintain the lead.

Before Byrom set up Clitheroe's second strike, by placing an impressive 40-yard free kick on to the head of Fildes for the former Padiham man to nod home at the back post.

United pulled a goal back with an outstanding free kick from Chris Baguley that saw Horridge at full stretch but unable to claw out from the top corner.

Time was added on to settle down the visiting support behind the goal, but it was the Blues who were boosted by the break and could have grabbed a third through the pace of Fildes, Saunders, and later substitute Gary Jackson.

Shots flew over United's cross bar as a result, while the visitors had a good effort to level near the end but substitute Peter Thompson was closed out and shot wide.

Clitheroe: Horridge, Kozlowski, J. Osborne, Flannery, P. Osborne (Overson), Fisher, Stopforth, Reynolds (Dempsey), Saunders (Jackson), Byrom, Fildes.

Last Updated: 10 November 2007 7:44 PM