COLNE RES 0 CLITHEROE RES 7

SIX goals in the first 32 minutes turned this game into a personal nightmare for Colne manager Mick Molloy and - by way of contrast -a goal scoring bonanza for Clitheroe hot shot Ian Pilkington and his striking partners.

A stunning hat-trick from Pilkington, plus individual goals from Craig Dewhurst, Steve Grunshaw and Craig Shaw, threatened a double figure advantage by the break and Molloy, acutely aware of the possibility, swung into action.

No sooner had the sixth goal hit the back of the net, Molloy took off Chris Willan and Ian McKay and replaced them with Dave Riding and Martin Whittaker in a desperate attempt to halt the humiliating spectacle unfolding before his eyes.

The ploy seemed to work as Colne managed to restrict their visitors to a 6-0 lead at the interval. Molloy then ordered his players to remain on the pitch and let rip with a well deserved public dressing down.

From the opening minute Clitheroe steamrollered a hapless Colne side into submission, storming into the lead when Pilkington pounced onto a Grunshaw pass and hammered the ball past Colne keeper Steve Perry, from five yards out.

Petty had to dive at the feet of Shaw to prevent a second goal and then breathed a sigh of relief when a mistake by defender Kevin Richardson let in Pilkington and his rasping shot flew inches wide of the post.

A second goal was inevitable and it was Pilkington again finishing a clever move between Dewhurst and Shaw in the 18 minute. Dewhurst's ball into the box found Shaw who needed only one touch to flick the ball over the head of a defender where Pilkington seized the moment and lobbed Petty from 15 yards.

Four minutes later Shaw again provided the perfect pass, this time for Dewhurst, who cut inside his defender and drove the ball past Petty to make it 3-0.

In the 27th minute a glorious cross from Shaun Berry wide on the right wing totally wrong footed the Colne defence and was met by Shaw. Climbing high above his marker, Shaw powered home his header into the top right hand corner for the best goal of the game and Clitheroe's fourth.

A rampant Clitheroe hit a fifth in the 30 minute when Grunshaw took a Mark Wilson pass in his stride, before rifling home from 10 yards.

Colne restarted the game only to lose possession, allowing Mark Wilson to thread the ball wide for Shaw. Almost leaning on the corner flag, Shaw whipped in a great cross and Pilkington grabbed his hat trick, heading beyond the outstretched hand of Petty.

Clitheroe went straight on the offensive after the break with Wilson and Shaw going close in the opening minutes and Grunshaw almost grabbed his second when he turned a Wilson cross just wide of the near post.

Just when it seemed Clitheroe looked set for a repeat performance of the first half, their manager, David Burgess, made a triple substitution, removing three key players - Shaw, Grunshaw and Wilson - from the game and with it Clitheroe's attacking momentum. Colne pushed forward and for once looked like restoring some degree of pride as Alban Molloy's free kick was headed just wide by John Lister. Then Jason Heseltine forced a good save from James Ormond with a rasping shot from the edge of the penalty area.

But the last word was claimed by Pilkington, who worked hard as Clitheroe's lone striker against a much improved Colne defence. With the last kick of the game Pilkington collected the ball on the edge of the Colne penalty area and hit the back of the net for a well deserved fourth.

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