CLITHEROE'S hopes of ending the season with some silverware were dashed as they lost their third game to Mossley.

The Blues were out of luck in their Worthington Challenge Trophy Final showdown with the Manchester side at Bury's Gigg Lane.

A wicked deflection allowed Mossley to take the lead on 25 minutes and proved to be a hammer blow for Clitheroe, who finished second behind Prescot Cables in the North West Counties first division.

Lee Sculpher's side eventually picked themselves up to score a well-earned equaliser on 42 minutes after Barrie Hart's left-wing cross was caught in the swirling wind and fumbled by Mossley keeper Steve Hilton.

But Mark Phillips put the Lilywhites back in front four minutes into first-half injury time with a free header from Rob Matthews' in-swinging corner.

Clitheroe player-manager Lee Sculpher said: "Obviously it's disappointing but I couldn't fault any of the lads for effort.

"To be honest, the quality wasn't quite there, but that's just football. You could put that down to nerves. If it had been a league match we might have been more confident and passed the ball around a bit more."

Clitheroe had got off to a promising start with striker Neil Spencer going on an amazing run, skipping past two token challenges as he raced on to Andy Cowking's ball over the top of the defence, before having his shot cut out at the right hand post.

But, while the Blues' passing game was more fluent and their tackling the most solid, their attacking moves broke down and Mossley started to get more possession.

Clitheroe goalkeeper Kris Richens blocked Paul Taylor's downward header with his feet before Matthews had his shot charged down by Sculpher.

Mossley took the lead through Matthews as their pressure mounted, and it took a horrible deflection of Adam Gardner to wrong foot Richens.

Clitheroe upped the tempo in the latter stages of the first half but equalised in the most bizzare circumstances, with Hilton flapping at Hart's cross into the six-yard box.

But after Mossley went back in front on the stroke of half-time, Clitheroe found it hard to break them down in the second half as Mossley got men behind the ball.

CLITHEROE ...1 MOSSLEY ...2