Connor Bower put Ossett Albion in front against Clitheroe. Photo: Adam Hirst
Ossett Albion have started to eat back into the three deducted points after the 1-1 draw at Clitheroe in the Evo Stik Division One North.
Albion played up the infamous Clitheroe slope in the first half and it was the home side who started brightly and for ten minutes, Albion were under severe pressure.
More and more was seen of Albion as an attacking force as the half went on with Peter Collinge in home goal being kept very busy especially when he tipped another Connor Bower effort over his crossbar.
Albion took the lead in the 33rd minute inevitably through in-form marksman Bower whose 25 yard shot took an unexpected sharp bounce just in front of the diving Collinge deceiving the Clitheroe custodian and nestling in the corner of the net.
Bower continued to prove a thorn in the side of the home team’s defence and latched on to a shrewd through ball from Luke Sharry. As Bower raced clear, the first of the referee’s somewhat controversial decisions resulted in Connor being stopped in his tracks by the whistle, which he had blown for a late lunge on his team-mate Luke Sharry.
The second half began in a very even fashion and Albion should have extended their lead on a couple of occasions only to be foiled by weak finishing or an inadequate final ball.
The most controversial decision of the afternoon came on 66 minutes when Pat Lindley was adjudged to have fouled Louis Mayers just inside the Albion penalty area.
Clitheroe equalised through Jason Hart’s well struck penalty. This was their only shot on target all afternoon.
A long period of Clitheroe pressure ensued with Albion restricted to the occasional sharp break away from which Bower was, on at least a couple of occasions was very unlucky to be flagged offside.
Ossett Albion: Souter, Nicholson, Hardaker, Jones, Milnes, Lindley, Matthews (Walker), Sharry (Reece), Muller, Bower, Taylor. Subs unused: Grech-Brooksbank, Trice, Bennett.
Referee: Paul Ince
Attendance: 207