Honour shared in good old-fashioned tussle

Before this game, Clitheroe and Colne & Nelson were only separated in the league by points difference and in essence that didn’t change. However, Clitheroe did manage to eek out a performance laced with some class and masses of endeavour, especially when considering that they lost three of their most potent backs during the game.

Apart from losing their influential prop Carins due to work commitments, Clitheroe fielded a strong side, especially in the back line where they believed the game would be won. Unfortunately, the home side didn’t start too brightly and conceded a try after only a few minutes to go 7-0 down. Clitheroe then realised that they had to be more resolute at the breakdown to out-muscle a strong Colne & Nelson pack. After 10 minutes or so they started to do just that and two penalties in quick succession, both converted by full back Lafranceschina got Clitheroe right back into the game. They were also starting to convert that pressure into good field position and with 20 minutes on the clock, centre Callaghan made a great line off fly half Watson back in field and breaking the C&N backline defence. He was hauled down about 10 metres short of the line and with the forwards backing up to good effect the ball was quickly recycled and sent out the Number 8 Curphy, who narrowly missed out on a try in the corner. Clitheroe plugged away and the ensuing scrum saw a fantastic strike against the head by hooker Penney and the turnover ball being expertly sent through the hands of nearly every back towards winger Hough who dotted down in the left hand corner. Lafranceschina narrowly missed the conversion out of the mud to take Clitheroe into the lead at 11-7. This was an excellent try from Clitheroe and it was evident to all those involved in training that the fruits of labour off the field were really starting to blossom on it.

Clitheroe were looking like the team they aspire to be and more runs from the backline saw them taking a significant territorial advantage. This paid off towards the end of the first half with replacement winger Keough, who had come on to replace the injured Birch, slicing through from relatively short range to score another try for the home team. This was one converted and Clitheroe were sitting on an 18-7 lead.

As well as losing winger Birch to a bad-looking knee injury, Clitheroe were to suffer yet further when fly half Watson, who had been distributing extremely well through to that point, was taken out late and suffered the same fate. He battled on for a few minutes afterwards but realised the injury was going to hamper the team’s performance too much so he hobbled off, much to the dismay of all concerned. With no more back cover on the bench, a forward came on instead which meant that the ever-versatile Curphy was once again pushed into service as an emergency centre.

During all these personnel changes, worse was to happen for Clitheroe, as Colne & Nelson pushed forward in determined fashion and managed to score out on the left just before the break and at half ti0me the score stood at 18-12 in Clitheroe’s favour.

The second half didn’t start to well either when centre and vice captain Bartle was also struck down with a knee injury- the curse of the bad knee! His replacement was veteran Number 8 McEntyre, who only just managed to take his place in the team at the last minute following a bout of illness. More reshuffling meant a second row out on the wing and a back row in the centre and Clitheroe’s attacking options were wiped away. All they could do was hang on and with some resolute defending from every single player, Clitheroe managed to only concede two penalties, despite the C&N onslaught that they knew would come.

The final score of 18-a-piece was overall a fair result with both teams showing endeavour and some aggressive defending. Man of the match was once again Paul Callaghan, a player who can make things happen with the ball in hand. Clitheroe remain in 7th place and must win all their remaining games to reach the goal of 4th place in the league- a task that’s not insurmountable if they can apply themselves just as they did in the first half of this game.

So to next week…. With a mounting injury list Clitheroe travel to Hawcoat Park in Barrow in Furness where they will undoubtedly be met by a side wanting revenge for the 30-0 drubbing they received from the Maroon & Golds at Littlemoor back in November last year.