Clipstone lose end-to-end battle at Cleethorpes

The first five minutes had Clipstone on the back foot, with Cleethorpes twice coming close to opening the scoring.

The first time keeper Ed Eley saved magnificently with his legs after the Cleethorpes’ striker should have buried it.

Clipstone pulled their socks up from then on, coming close themselves through Keiran Watson.

The opening goal came on 15 minutes from a set piece. Cleethorpes won a corner after good defensive work by captain Rob Austin.

Taken by Luke Maskell the flight of the ball missed out everyone except Lee McFarland, who nodded across the face of goal and into the far corner of the net.

Moments later Clipstone could and probably should have been level.

Carl Haslam picked up the ball just outside his own area, turned and ran the full length of the pitch, passing several defenders along the way.

He reached the edge of the home 18 yard box and pulled the trigger but somehow mistimed his effort and the ball trickled towards the far post, making it easy for the Cleethorpes’ keeper to dive to his left and pick up the ball with both hands.

The rest of the first half was of a similar nature, both sides on the attack and defensively looking solid.

The start of the second half was then a carbon copy of the first with both sides going at it hammer and tongue.

But Clipstone eventually took better control of the midfield and on 52 minutes drew level.

Gary Armstrong put in a high ball from the halfway line. The defensive clearance was sliced and came to the feet of Haslam wide on the left side of the pitch.

He ran on 10 yards and fired a thunderous shot, which hit the back of one of the defenders and looped over the keeper to make it one apiece.

Parity was only restored for 12 minutes, and Cleethorpes again netted from from a set piece.

They won a free kick on their left 15 yards in the Clipstone half.

The ball was swung over in the middle of the area, again most players misjudging the flight, except Darren Hemslip, who put his effort passed the wrong-footed keeper Eley.

Once again Clipstone had the better of the possession and the better half chances.

Substitute Pete Stubley played in Watson on the right side of play. He ran just inside the penalty area only to see his placed shot drift wide of the far post.

Moments later Stubley himself found himself one-on-one with the keeper, over-stretching at the final moment as the keeper came out to smother and the ball went out for a corner.

Haslam also went close again with a one-on-one, chipping his effort over the diving keeper, the ball again drifting wide.

In the final moments Clipstone won a direct free kick 25 yards out, fairly central to goal. Jason Edwards, Nathan Millington and Kieran Watson all stood over the ball and eventually Watson struck a rising effort over the bar.

Cleethorpes then decided to run the ball into the corner at the other end of the field, frustrating the Clipstone defenders, to see out time.