NEIL REYNOLDS wants to win the FA Vase this year - and dedicate it to half of Clitheroe.

The 24-year-old wants to win it for the manager, the club's groundsman, his teammates and the fans. Especially the fans.

They watched their side storm through to the Vase semis last year only to be knocked out 8-4 on aggregate - after losing the first leg 5-0 - and then miss out on the First Division title.

And Reynolds wants to repay them for their support by going one further on both counts this season.

"They have been superb," said the free-scoring midfielder, who has grabbed eight goals so far this season, including the equaliser in the FA Vase second round tie against Nelson at Shawbridge on Saturday, which finished 1-1.

"They're always worth a goal, singing and chanting."

Reynolds also scored a wonder goal in the Vase replay at Nelson on Wednesday - a dipping shot from 20 yards which wrong-footed the Nelson keeper Mark Canning - and went straight to the fans to celebrate.

"I wanted to dedicate the goal to them, and the rest of lads as well.

"We hope we can go one better in the Vase than last year. It is Keith Lord's (Clitheroe's groundsman) 50th year so we'd like to do it for him as well."

The Blues stuttered through the second round - the level they entered the competition at this year - against Nelson, needing the replay on Wednesday, which they won 3-1, to finally dispose of their neighbours.

"There is such an expectation at the club in the Vase and it makes it difficult in the early rounds," said Reynolds, who works at Preston College, teaching sport and leisure.

"We played Holker last year and got through thanks to two penalties and the Nelson game was similar.

"Nelson came at us on Saturday and fair play to them, they played really well.

"It was like when we went to Chippenham last year in the Vase, everyone wrote us off but we put in the best performance of the season. I think their performance was one of their best.

"But I think our fitness and composure in front of goal took us through on Wednesday.

"I thought Martin Aspinwall did brilliantly down the right and even though he doesn't think he has been playing well recently I thought he was our man of the match."

The Blues travel to Cogenhoe, who are the champions of Northamptonshire's United Counties League in the next round. They are one of the best sides in the competition, but Reynolds says the Blues won't be intimidated.

"They were champions but we came second in our league and reached the semi-finals of the Vase so they will have as much to worry about in us."

Reynolds left Shawbridge earlier in the season for UniBond First Division side Kendal Town but returned after two games, something he will be grateful of if the Blues reach the final stages of the Vase again this year.

They reached the final in 1996, the quarter-finals in 1998 and the last four last year.

"In a way I am glad it didn't work out at Kendal," he said. "I knew as soon as I got there that I hadn't done the right thing so I rang Dave (Burgess) up and he said I could come back. I only missed two games in the end."

Many thought Clitheroe, who finished second in the NWCL First Division last season, would struggle to replace Dave Burgess, whose resignation just a few games into the season rocked the club.

But Burgess's assistant Lee Sculpher has taken the step up without a problem.

"When Diddy left everyone thought it would be hard. Lee said 'I'm still one of the lads but the buck stops with me'.

"He's got a lot of respect from the players and his training and team talks are second to none."

THE Blues face Newcastle Town at home in NWCL Division One tomorrow.