Clitheroe manager Simon Garner couldn't stop using the superlative "Superb" after yesterday’s 1-1 draw against top of the league side Darlington 1883 and gave special mention to his new signings Carl Mercer and Laquan Esdaille who filled in on their debuts and showed great composure and strength to help their side to a famous point up in the North-East.

Garner raved about his sides fighting spirit that eventually led to them snatching a last minute equaliser through Sefton Gonzales. The draw was only the third time this season that the Quakers had dropped points at home this season and the Blues player-manager couldn’t speak highly enough of the way his players played; “It was a great effort from the lads, if we’d have converted our chances we could have possibly won the game and in front of a packed, hostile crowd we really showed everyone what we could do.”
The manager went on to say; “From number one to eleven and substitutes we played brilliantly.”
Aswell as Andrew Dawber and Sefton Gonzales who signed on contract terms this week, Friday saw the arrivals of new acquisitions Esdaille from Chorley and Mercer from Mill Hill St.Peters who both played a part in Saturday’s point at Heritage Park.
Blues boss Garner singled his two new signings out for special praise as he said; “Mercer came on and did well. He gives us options as he can play upfront and on the right hand side of midfield and he’s a great signing for us. He’s a strong wiry lad who will run all day and chase lost causes for us and he will give great support to the likes of Sefton and Jay Hart.”
Esdaille has had professional experience at youth team level for Manchester City and Oldham Athletic aswell as playing in the Conference North this year for Chorley. Garner was delighted with his new centre backs performance and could see his quality from the start as he finished off by saying; “Laquan had a superb debut. It was a baptism of fire for both of them and they were definitely thrown into the deep end away against the team that is top of the league but Esdaille did great. He came in and did his job, winning everything in the air. He played like he’d been at the club playing regularly for the last ten or eleven games and I was really happy with his overall performance.”