In glorious sunshine at Littlemoor, HQ for Clitheroe Rugby Club, the crowd were treated to a show of 15 man rugby that produced no less than 9 tries in a dizzying dazzling display of all court running rugby.

Local rivals Burnley who came over the hill looking to claim a scalp, and although they huffed and puffed with some effect at times, they were no match for Clitheroe's pace and power especially in the back line and the back row.

The squad is developing a more settled look to it, where training paddock patterns of play can be reproduced at times on the pitch in the heat of battle. Although far from the finished article as yet there are understandings developing in the team and units within.

The back line showed on the one change from the previous week, with Chris Stewart returning at outside centre. Up front there were recalls for Ross Chamberlain at prop and Richard Slinger at openside flanker. Nat Dickenson made a first start for the 1st XV after impressing in training and several outings off the bench at the tail end of last season.

With the slight slope in their favour on a perfectly prepared surface Clitheroe were soon throwing the ball about in slightly cavalier fashion, and after a few dropped balls it was Burnley who were pressurising the home try line. But the defence held the early onslaught at bay and almost against the run of play up till then Clitheroe broke out of their own half. Good handling set Chris Stewart in for the first of his five tries of the afternoon.

In the following 30 minutes Clitheroe ran riot. Stewart nabbed another two and inside centre Garth Spencer and Slinger grabbed on apiece. Fly half Dave Kenyon was on target and slotted all his conversions to place Clitheroe in the box seats at the interval – a deserved 35-0 up.

The only cloud in this perfect scenario was the loss of skipper Richard Few, who limped off with a calf strain. Fortuitously for the maroon & golds there was a ready made replacement available in young pretender Joe Weld-Blundell who slotted in seamlessly.

Half time and to freshen up the pack on came the larger of the Dickenson brothers, Will to replace sibling Nat. Plus a popular return for new father and pocket Scottish rocket Struan Robertson, Welshman James Haynes making way for his Celtic cousin.

Second half – and for the visitors a horrible feeling of deja vu – as tormentor in chief Chris Stewart was again at it bagging a brace to complete his try scoring feats for the day.

Burnley proudly did not throw in the towel at any stage and mounted a brief rearguard action and after a series of close quarter driving claim their own try.

But Clitheroe were having no truck with a fight back and quickly re established their dominance in almost all facets of play.

Joe Weld-Blundell was next to profit from a tiring defence – showing a great eye for the gap and a nifty set of heels, claimed his début try.

To round things off Richard Slinger was just like a good No.7 should be, supporting on the shoulder and taking the scoring pass. Very well deserved for the rapidly maturing player who led the team by example after the skippers demise.

So in the final wash up, a pleasing performance for the first home game of the season. Open running rugby – plenty of tries – what more entertainment could an appreciative crowd want on a sunny afternoon in the Ribble Valley?