Colne bowed out of the Emirates FA Cup in their derby clash at Clitheroe on Saturday. The Reds looked the better side for much of the game but it was the Blues who came out on top with two second half goals to go through to the next round.
Colne made a lively start to the game and Owen Watkinson had the ball in the net twice in the opening five minutes only to be denied by an offside flag. And the Reds continued to threaten the Clitheroe goal with some good attacking play with Jack Doherty opening up the Blues defence on the left wing with some penetrating runs and Craig Carney seeing his chip just clear the home crossbar after 12 minutes.
A minute later, Colne came close again when Doherty again provided the chance from the left wing before Carney’s shot was parried by Chris Thompson in the Clitheroe goal and Watkinson’s follow-up was deflected wide for a corner.
At the other end, Sefton Gonzales threatened but was well shackled by Tom Dean and Harry Winstanley in the early stages. However as Clitheroe pushed forward on the right wing with Waqas Azam providing crosses into the area, Gonzales and Billy Priestley posed a greater danger with their aerial threat but their headers failed to trouble Hakan Burton in the Colne goal.
After 40 minutes, Tom McCann’s through ball released Watkinson for a run into the Clitheroe penalty area and only a great tackle by Blues central defender Cameron Lancaster prevented an opening goal for the Reds at the expense of a corner.
As the second half began, Colne pushed forward again and Doherty tested the Blues defence with a series of shots from half chances around the Clitheroe penalty area. But after 52 minutes, a Clitheroe corner at the other end resulted in a serious injury to Colne keeper Burton as he collided with Gonzales when collecting a high cross and he was replaced by Danny Thorpe in the Colne goal.
Clitheroe began to create chances and Jamie Edwards saw his diagonal shot from the right wing fly high over the Colne goal. And after 71 minutes, the Blues took the lead when Ross Dent cut in from the right wing and scored with a low shot under the advancing Thorpe.
Clitheroe pressed for a second goal and Thorpe showed good handling to cut out some high crosses. But Colne suffered a further setback when central defender and captain Harry Winstanley was badly injured in a tackle causing him to leave the game.
In the closing stages Colne pushed forward looking for an equaliser and Thompson was at full stretch to punch away a high cross from a corner off the heads of the Reds strikers after 85 minutes. And three minutes later, Thompson was relieved to see Adam Mayor’s deflected shot spin inches over his crossbar in a spell of Colne pressure.
With the game in injury time, Clitheroe made the game safe when Max Cain added a second goal as he converted a low cross at the far post to round off the scoring at 2-0.
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