Clitheroe 1st XV entertained highflying Chorley at Littlemoor on Saturday with full squad and a fine balance of players, with the pitch looking at its best for many a week after mid-week work on it they were confident of entertaining the home crowd. Blustery, torrential rain in the warm up did little to dampen spirits within the squad.
Clitheroe kicked and Chorley caught to set the ball up nicely after some aggressive tackling from Rigby and Chamberlain. A recent influx of rugby league players into the Chorley ranks has given their back line even more direct running lines and they used these to good effect to get into the Clitheroe half. A transgression at the breakdown and some quick thinking from the Chorley pack saw their bulky forward charge on from a quick tap penalty to score, with the try converted the visitors moved in to a 7 point advantage.
Chorley were now buoyant and began to run the ball back with a vengeance, Clitheroe met the attacks with resolution and organised in their defensive effort. Good defensive play in their own half gave Clitheroe the ball at a turnover and looked to attack. Good work done, a mix up in the ranks saw the ball spilled and Chorley snaffled it up and with Clitheroe in an attack formation easily broke the gain line to score under the posts. Suddenly Clitheroe were looking at a 14 point deficit and needed to knuckle down and get into the game. This they did and the pressure told with Clitheroe awarded a penalty which was duly converted to claw 3 points back on Chorley. The ascendancy of the Maroon & Gold was short lived as Chorley pressed again to score in the corner and they went into the half time break with a 3 – 19 score line and the visitors must have been very content with their 40 minutes work. Stark words from the coach during the break give Clitheroe the wakeup call they needed and although starting the second 40 minute section 16 points down is far from ideal, it was not an insurmountable task.
Some changes in the home team line up gave the home team some fresh legs with Jim Smith being replaced by Atkinson and Keough by Kino. Clitheroe started to play some better rugby as the half progressed, with good defence and first time tackles being made not missed the home team started to claw their way into the Chorley half. With an excellent pick and drive game beginning to pay dividends, their progression into the Chorley 22 metre area. Chorley transgressed and needing the points Clitheroe opted to continue running at the visitors defence – at last their persistence was rewarded with a try for Kino after some excellent drives from Hough, Atkinson and Graves who as ever were supported well by the other forwards. The score clawed back to a more reasonable 8 -19, Clitheroe looked to attack further, with 20 minutes remaining there was plenty of time to notch up more points and get right on terms with Chorley.
The backline were now running hard and fast into Chorley territory, ably backed up by the forwards it was all Clitheroe for a good spell in the second half – however, as ever, the danger in putting everything into attack means you can leave yourself wide open to counter attack. This was the case for Clitheroe as Chorley scored a breakaway try in the corner to extend their lead and a further try with 5 minutes to tick the scoreboard over into 8 – 29 margin, which is where the game finished. Although the final 5 minutes was again all Clitheroe as they pressed the visitors line form a succession of penalties conceded by Chorley as they defended.
Next week Clitheroe face the tough trip away to Carnforth, where they will be looking for a disciplined game to take on the Carnforth attack.

by O.McE