Charnock drew 3-3 in their season opening friendly against Evo-Stik League outfit Clitheroe. Carl Grimshaw, David Burrows and George Craddock scored the goals for Charnock.
As manager Andy Westwell explained in the programme this was just a friendly game to give players match time but nevertheless it turned out to be an entertaining game with plenty of good football and some exciting goalmouth action. For the record Charnock took a 2-0 lead but Clitheroe reduced the arrears before the interval. The second half was evenly contested but two gifted goals in a minute saw Clitheroe take the lead for the first time in the game but in the closing stages Charnock nicked an equaliser for the game to finish in a 3-3 draw.
With most of last season’s squad re-signing and five new signings there were 20 players in the squad so Andy Westwell chose to give each player one half each. Only Liam Hayton out of the ten out-field players who played in the first half started the second period.
It was a warm afternoon which, when the sun came out, made it hot. There was a slight wind blowing from the Mawdesley Plantation End and Cltheroe had the benefit of this for the first period. There was an excellent attendence of over a hundred spectators. Most spectators had been watching the World Cup in South Africa when the cream of footballers were performing but there was more excitement in the first ten minutes of this game than in many of the World Cup group games. In the opening minutes Clitheroe had Charnock defending desperately and twice shots were cleared off the line. A few minutes later it was Clitheroe having to clear a Carl Grimshaw header off the line and then block, on the line, a follow up shot. Play was end to end with both sides producing some neat football. Carl Grimshaw was played clear by Sanderson but the advancing keeper blocked the shot. David Burrows was showing well with his pace and close control and he quickly established a working partnership with Carl Grimshaw. Charnock took the lead on 29 minutes when Burrows was played clear, he was caught by a defender before he could shoot but, under pressure, he managed to squeeze the ball to CARL GRIMSHAW who’s low shot, across the keeper, found the corner of the net. Charnock increased their lead after 34 minutes, Dashti hoisted in a high ball, Grimshaw got up well and headed the ball to BURROWS who found room to hit a cross shot into the corner of the net. With five minutes of the half remaining a neat ball through the centre opened up the home defence and a delicate lob left the advancing Baldwin in no-mans-land. It had been an encouraging half for the Villagers, as well as the striking partnership gelling well up front Mike Fletcher had fitted in well playing just in front of the back three. Andy Pendlebury had also looked comfortable in the back line.
With a totally different team in the second half Charnock lacked the cutting edge of the first half but, with McFayden and Craddock up front, and David Prout prompting well from midfield, the visitors' defence was still kept occupied. With two newcomers in midfield Rob Howarth and Tom Morgan alongside Andy Roberts it was a case of getting-to-know-you. The second half was not so exciting and neither team could carve out the type of chances seen in the first period. It looked as if the game was going to peter out with no more goals but Clitheroe netted twice with ten minutes remaining. A poor back pass failed to reach Baldwin and a nippy forward turned the ball home and then a goalbound shot which Baldwin had covered took a deflection and Clitheroe were in the lead. Minutes later, CRADDOCK was quicker to a through ball into the left side of the penatly area and he neatly lobbed the advancing keeper from a very tight angle to equalise the score.
