ATHERTON LR crashed out of the UniBond League Challenge Cup at the first round stage last night.

The defeat brought LR's eight-game unbeaten run to an end but it was certainly a close-run thing.

Club director Brian Seddon says: "It was certainly no disgrace to lose out in a match like that because it was the best game of football that I've seen for many, many seasons."

LR's goals came from Lee Cryer (his fifth in the three meetings over the last 10 days between the two clubs), and Steve Gavin, but strikes from Malc O'Connor (two) and Shaun Pickering put LR out. Atherton Colls 1, Clitheroe 2

ATHERTON Colls went down but certainly put up a tremendous showing against last season's beaten FA Vase finalists.

"I just couldn't believe we'd lost it," said joint-manager Steve Walton. "We played really, really well.

"It was 1-1 at half time and their goal had only come about as a result of an interception on the halfway line. Graham Dodd cracked in a superb equaliser for us. After half time we literally camped out in their half but just couldn't score.

"Their winner summed up our luck. Keeper Keith Schofield came out of his box to clear a long ball down the middle. He sliced his kick and the ball went over his head. We still had two defenders running round to clear but they both slipped and the lad tapped home. Still, Clitheroe are a class side and we more than held our own."

Paul Rushby and Mark Sapple made excellent debuts for Colls but it was centre-back Andy Pendlebury who picked up the Man of the Match nomination.

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