A scorching display, again!

Again the autumn sun shone down on Littlemoor; again the play on the pitch sent the temperatures rising even higher as the Maroon & Golds scorched in 10 tries with some scintillating interplay between backs and forwards to bewilder the visitors Fylde Vikings.

From the kick off Clitheroe were highly motivated to protect their unbeaten home record this season and after the forwards gathered in the starting kick, some slick passing through the back line saw the exciting Basquill at full back bust into the line and gave a pass to the supporting stand off Peel. As if to personify the way the Littlemoor men are playing this season – prop Graves popped up in the back line, took the ball on and slipped it nicely to the other prop Carins who drove over for the score. One minute gone and Clitheroe led 7 – 0.

The faithful supporters had barely time to discuss the opening try when Cowgill won a turnover ball and flicked a pass on to Bartle at inside centre slick hands to Kino and with the support still with him he went himself and converted his own try. Two minutes gone, 14 – 0. A 3rd try after 8 minutes from the old warrior Rigby showed there was life in the old dog yet as he ran it in from 20 yards to score under the posts after backing up Smith’s break from scrum half. 21 – 0.

Stand off Peel was involved in the start and the finish of the next try as he popped the ball from the back of the ruck which ensued after debutant wing man Nathan Noblet had charged down the pitch to get close to the line. After passes out down the back line, Peel was there in support to finish the move. It was Peel again who was over the whitewash with an individual effort after scooping the ball up from the base of a ruck some 5 minutes later.

The next try was all from forward pressure, the Fylde Vikings lineout was messy, McEntyre pounced on the loose ball made some yards but failed to get the scoring pass away, Clitheroe won the ruck quickly though, Chamberlin drove on again and was felled inches from the line. Revitalised prop Graves found himself in the stand off position and cut inside and popped to Peel who touched down.

Half time called and Clitheroe were cruising 40 – 0, it was time for the shell shocked Fylde Vikings to re-group and they came out much stronger at the start of the second half. After a nasty looking blow to the chin, Peel left the field of battle and made way for O’Connor to slip into the centres with the hard running Bartle moving to stand off.

Fylde Vikings showed great spirit to lift their game and were deservedly rewarded for their efforts with a penalty which they took. Possibly the scoreline, possibly the disruption of Peel leaving the pitch or maybe the heat took the sting out of the Maroon & Golds for over 20 minutes before they got back into gear and added to their score line.

Some great forward interplay drove the ball up the pitch from deep, with hooker Penny involved several times like a tenacious terrier. Smith off loaded to Bartle who broke through the Fylde Vikings back line in trade mark style and popped it to O’Connor at centre who scored under the posts.

A further try to O’Connor after a lineout close in and another for flanker Rigby in the ensuing 10 minutes moved the score on to 59 – 3.

In the dying minutes of the game there was a fitting end, McEntyre picked up from the base of the scrum and timed his blind side pass to Birch who had all the work to do, he cut inside and went through several defenders to score under the posts. This was his last game before joining the RAF and he will be greatly missed by the squad.

The final score of 66 – 3 did not reflect the effort Fylde Vikings put into the match, but it did reflect the dynamic, fluid game Clitheroe are aiming to play this year and the squad fully deserved the complements received from their captain, coach and spectators.