Clitheroe 0 - 3 Bamber Bridge (19/09/17)

Mark Hornby reports as Brig collect all 3 points at Shawbridge.

Bamber Bridge made the short journey up the Ribble valley to take on Clitheroe at Shawbridge, looking to make further progress after their narrow 1-0 win over Ossett Albion on Saturday.

The first chance of the game went to Clitheroe when a corner was headed over by Russell after just three minutes. Brig rallied when a couple of minutes later a great run down the left wing into the box by Regan Linney gave Alistair Waddecar a chance but he put it wide.

Dan Mooney kept up the pressure for Brig with a surging run and shot from distance which went just wide on ten minutes. A lively game was producing chances at both ends, but after good work from Adam Dodd down the left wing, Regan Linney had a shot saved at close range by Chris Thompson in the Clitheroe goal.

The Clitheroe keeper was again called into action on 21 minutes when he gathered a dangerous looking cross from Regan Linney on the right wing with Lee Carsley closing in. Just before the half hour mark Carsley again charged into the area but his shot was blocked by Thompson.

With five minutes to half time Clitheroe had another chance when Carroll shot from the edge of the box but it ended up well wide.

The breakthrough came on 42 minutes when Dan Mooney crossed from the right and Brad Carsley fired Brig into a 1-0 lead.

Another chance came just before half time when Waddecar charged down the left wing and cut into the box, but his shot was saved.

Half time: Clitheroe 0 – 1 Bamber Bridge.

Clitheroe started the second half brightly, but the first real chance of the half fell to Brig on 50 minutes; Adam Dodd linked up well with Dan Mooney down the left flank and the Clitheroe keeper pushed Mooney’s shot wide. Two minutes later a shot from distance by Clitheroe’s Willoughby went just over the bar.

Brig were close to a second on 56 minutes when Regan Linney attacked down the right but his shot came back agonisingly off the post. It was only a matter of time though and more good work from Linney on the right wing created another chance for Carsley and he made no mistake to put Brig 2-0 up on 62 minutes.

Just a couple of minutes later it was three when Dan Mooney cut in from the right and shot from the edge of the box to put the game out of Clitheroe’s reach. Oscar O’Neill came on for Danny Forbes and Chris Marlow for Dan Mooney as manager Neil Reynolds looked to conserve his resources for the next match.

Any thoughts that Brig would cruise to the final whistle were dispelled as O’Neill first had a shot saved from close range, then fired over twice from the edge of the box in the last ten minutes.

A final substitution came when Matt Dudley replaced Regan Linney as Brig secured a comfortable away win that lifted them to fourth in the table.

Full time: Clitheroe 0 – Bamber Bridge 3

Full gallery of match photos available here.