Lancaster City 2 - Clitheroe 1:
CITY CENTRE-BACKS SINK CLITHEROE
Lancaster City regained their 6-point advantage at the top of the Unibond First Division North as they came from behind for the 8th time in the league this season. Andy Teague and captain Michael Stringfellow both netted headed goals for their 7th and 1st goals of the season respectively.
Teague had an early half-chance to put The Dolly Blues ahead when a mistake let him through on the edge of the box, but his shot hit the side-netting. Adam Farrell had a shot blocked following a lovely one-two with Aaron Helliwell in the area. Farrell could have been the provider when his cross was met by a superb volley by Chris Ward that was well stopped by Danny Hanford. Just after the quarter of an hour mark Clitheroe went down to ten men. Aaron Helliwell and Jonathon Forbes both went in hard for a 50-50 midfield ball that Helliwell came out of worse. Referee Christopher Kavanagh’s decision to dismiss Forbes probably came from the cries of pain from Helliwell, because the challenge certainly didn’t deserve a red card. Fortunately, Helliwell hadn’t broke anything and limped off to be replaced by Rob Wilson.
For most of the game you wouldn’t have known who had the extra man because Clitheroe played so well considering the circumstances. Although Adam Farrell could have made the advantage pay off almost immediately when Jordan Connerton’s long diagonal ball found his strike partner, but the shot was tame. Paul Jarvis then had two chances, one when he beat the defender and had a shot tipped wide by Hanford, the second following a Connerton flick-on that Jarvis latched onto but Hanford came out to close him down. These two opportunities came after Zach Clarke had shot just wide for Clitheroe.Neil Marshall headed Jarvis’ corner narrowly wide and Martin Fearon brilliantly kept out a header at the other end by Gavin-Lee Ellison. Dominic Ward fired straight at Hanford after a run by right-back Rob Henry in stoppage time.
The second period contained many breaks but a lack of creativity in the final third by both teams. Nathan Taylor had a shot finger-tipped wide by Fearon straight after the restart and the next real chance was the goal that broke the deadlock and shocked everyone at The Giant Axe. Substitute Alex Brees’ through ball found Nathan Taylor who put Clitheroe one up with a great low finish with 20 minutes remaining.
Lancaster pushed hard for an equaliser and it was soon obvious that the visitors would just sit and try to hold on to their slender advantage. City knew that, based on events this season, if they got one goal they’d get another. Rob Henry looped in a high, curling ball to the far post on 75 minutes that went over Mark Jackson, however Teague came in with a bullet header to make it all square. Lancaster could see Clitheroe tiring and eager to sit on the edge of their own 18-yard box and be content with a point, which would have been an achievement against the league leaders. Michael Stringfellow had other ideas, rising above everyone with a glancing 12-yard header that was too powerful for Danny Hanford, even though it was straight at him.
City couldn’t get a third to kill the game but still held on to stay as league leaders.
Lancaster City: Martin Fearon, Rob Henry, Neil Marshall, Andrew Teague, Michael Stringfellow, Chris Ward, Aaron Helliwell (Rob Wilson, 21), Dominic Ward (booked) (Mark Jackson, 53), Jordan Connerton, Adam Farrell, Paul Jarvis.
Clitheroe: Danny Hanford, Jonathon Forbes (sent off), Leydon Hodgkiss, Ryan Fisher, Kevin Brown, Garner, Zach Clarke (Jason Jones, 58), Gavin-Lee Ellison, Alan Coar (Alex Brees, 58), Nathan Taylor, Danny Williams.
City: Teague- 75 Stringfellow- 78 Clitheroe: Taylor-70
Ryan McMenamin
Tuesday 2nd February 2010
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