CLITHEROE player-boss Lee Sculpher could not believe his eyes after his side's eight-goal thriller at Congleton.

In an incredible last five minutes the Blues let a 3-1 lead slip and in the end needed a last-gasp leveller to take a point.

"I have never played in a game like that in my entire life, But we have to make sure it never happens again!" said a thoroughly exasperated Sculpher.

"I'm not bothered about being entertaining. I'm more interested in getting three points."

And to most onlookers his NWCL First Division side looked to have them in the bag with 10 minutes to go.

The home side trailed 2-0 with the clock showing 80 minutes when Clitheroe defender Andy Cowking scored an unfortunate own goal to give Congleton hope.

Within 60 seconds that hope appeared to have been snuffed out when Lee Cryer - back after a lengthy lay-off through injury - latched on to a through ball and knocked the ball over the keeper to make it 3-1.

But in the 86th minute Congleton won a free-kick, which was floated into the penalty area and Tony Kirk headed home.

And a minute later a remarkable comeback was completed when Dave Shaw repeated the trick from another free-kick to make it 3-3. Then the unthinkable happened in the 89th minute when John Paul Jones hit a 25-yard screamer into the top corner to give them lead!

Clitheroe dug deep and in injury time Mark Stewart got on the end of a Martin Aspinwall cross to level the match.

"We should have had enough about us even when they pegged it back to 3-2 to close out the game and make sure we got all three points," said Sculpher.

Clitheroe had been given the lead in the first half by Cryer, on as a substitute for the injured Neil Spencer.

A Stewart header from a corner in the 68th minute looked to have sealed the victory for the Blues but that was before the late goal rush.

RESULT: CONGLETON TOWN...4 CLITHEROE...4