Another Close Call for the Maroons

Another frustrating afternoon at Radcliffe Road for the town team and another very close defeat. That makes five games this season we have lost by 5 or less points.
There could be a pattern? In this game however a sluggish start gave Bury an early lead which left Clitheroe playing catch up throughout. Aided and abetted by an excessive amount of errors and questionable decision making left the team with too much to do in the final quarter even as they scrambled back strongly to within 3 points.

A biting chill wind but a decent enough playing surface and just a hint of drizzle in the air, but overall not too bad for an early February Saturday.

The Clitheroe selectors were once again forced to spread the net wide as the usual raft of injuries, under the thumbers and workers, disrupted preparations.
In came the super dependables - Austin Wensley, Nick Good and Cam Bate to bolster the bench . Joe Clarke started in the centres and there was a welcome return, after a couple of years, to rugby for Jack Reynard, who had transformed from back row to full back in the intervening years. Well anything goes now.

Bury looked sharp in the first quarter of the game and scored a converted try early on and kept pressing dangerously. Clitheroe weathered that particular storm and eventually clawed their way back into the game. A long range penaly went a begging and a much closer kick was spurned in favour of a scrum. Slight eyebrow raised from the sidelines. It seemed to have paid off though; after a series of raids on the Bury line, Pete Wombat Mitchell was bundled over. Alas the ref , perhaps unsighted, deemed it held up.
So no further score and just 7-0 at the interval.

Bury extended their lead shortly after the restart with a penalty and with the threat of the game slipping away Clitheroe upped their game.

Suddenly they found their rhythm and started making decent yardage and when they got close to the line it was Josh Burns who burrowed over for a trademark try. His 6th of the season - all from the same distance!

Bury were far from a spent force and scored a peach of a try in the corner, the winger catching a kick-pass on the full. Fair dos.

The game opening up now and the recipient was Nick Roberts who capped another good game by crashing over under the sticks to close the gap to 3 points.
Stung by this affront Bury went straight back and scored again to extend their lead to 10 points with as many minutes left.

Clitheroe came roaring back and looked threatening . But it was Austin Wensley himself who dived over in the corner to peg the home team back and with a super conversion from Nathon Burns suddenly Clitheroe were finishing strongest.

Clitheroe worked a position in the Bury 22 and it almost looked like they might nab an unlikely win. But it wasn't to be as time ran out on them to leave them wondering what could have been.

Clitheroe were at least in the fight to the end and gave themselves a chance of winning; but earlier indiscretions were their undoing. On the plus side was the form of Clarke who's time in the gym seemed to have paid off, Reynard looked decent on his return, but just needs a few games to get match fit but will be an asset. Up front Wayne Tierney has recovered well from injury and Joe Aspin was almost back to his terrier like best.

This week we host Fleetwood at Silcock Park