ABSOLUTE relief was the expression on Clitheroe boss Lee Sculpher's face after his side saw off the challenge of underdogs Nelson to reach the third round of the FA Vase.
The NWCL Division One side reached the semi-finals of the competition last season and the new manager Sculpher knows it will be a hard act to follow.
And he admitted he needed a bit of luck against NWCL Division Two side Nelson who forced them into extra time and a replay in the first game at Shawbridge and who took the lead against Clitheroe last night.
"I am just absolutely delighted," said the player-boss. "I can't describe it. When they went in front I couldn't believe it.
"Whenever we have been in front this season we have always won so I knew we had to score first. But we did come back within ten minutes and we needed that."
After an end to end first half, Nelson boss John Bailey thought his side had taken the lead a minute after the restart when Lee Coleridge - scorer of the goal in the first game - got on the end of a Scott Gilchrist ball.
Clitheroe keeper Kris Richens came out but hadn't quite made the ball safe and the right winger took it out of his hands and fired home.
The referee blew for a foul and the goal was disallowed.
"Sometimes the ref gives them sometimes he doesn't. I think we were a bit lucky," said Sculpher.
Bailey said; "They usually favour the keeper on those decisions so we just had to accept it."
But within four minutes, Nelson did take the lead. Coleridge charged forward, took out two defenders and pulled back for Nigel Coates who fired in a shot which came off Jonathan Irvine in the six yard box and into the net. Gilchrist had a great chance to make it two, minutes later when he got passed a number of Clitheroe defenders but he perhaps delayed too long and his effort was blocked.
But on 62 minutes Clitheroe were back in it, again thanks to a bit of luck.
Martin Aspinwall's ball in from the right was headed into his own goal by Nelson skipper Mick Charlton.
"He hasn't scored for about 15 years and he goes and gets that one!" groaned boss Bailey.
Sculpher said: "Martin had been causing them problems all night and there were two of our players waiting beyond the Nelson man so I would like to think we would have got it in anyway."
Goal number two for Clitheroe followed just after when a poor back pass fell to Richard Fogarty on 65 minutes and he did well to nip in and take the ball past Mark Canning and slot it home.
"It was just a catalogue of errors and it is disappointing to give two silly goals away like that," said Bailey. "Clitheroe are a good side and you can't give them chances like that."
Richens then did well to deny Coates at the other end but it was Clitheroe who made it safe on 77 minutes when, after the Nelson defence had thrown their bodies in front of a number of shots, Neil Reynolds scored a wonder goal from 20 yards out.
So it is a trip to Northamptonshire now for Clitheroe to face Cogenhoe United.
"The pressure is off a little bit now," said Sculpher. "We were expected to beat Nelson and they made it difficult for us.
"Now it is unknown territory for the players, the fans and the club. I don't think we will have any problems raising ourselves for the game."
RESULT: NELSON...1 CLITHEROE...3
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