The Bears were looking to keep up the pressure on the play-off places when they faced Clitheroe at the Cleric. Top scorer Max McCarthy was not in the squad, so Will Arnold moved further up and Owen Morris came into the back line.

The Bears began the game kicking up-bank but it was Clitheroe who had the early chances in a fairly even opening 10 minutes.The opening goal came on 12 minutes, Parny took the ball, moved forward and fired across Dave Parton into the far corner, 0-1.
The pressure then mounted from the visitors and a few minutes later Parny went close with a chip over Parton, but just wide. Dan Needham was agonisingly close to the equaliser when the keeper, Burton, miss-kicked Needham collected but fired just wide. George Sankey combined well with Matt Gillam and Ethan Hartshorn but his shot from outside the box was saved well.
It was the Bears turn now to apply the pressure and this resulted in several free-kicks in dangerous areas, but the Clitheroe defence worked well to keep out.
Against the run of play the visitors made it two on 40 minutes. A Bears attack was broken down and the ball moved quickly forward to Parny, his pass found Sefton Gonzales, who made no mistake as he fired beyond Parton.
A few minutes later an injury to Clitheroe’s Ross Dent saw him stretchered from the field.
It was not looking good for the Bears, but the faithful continued to urge them on and they gained a foothold back in the game in added time. The Bears attacked and a poor defensive clearance saw the ball fall to Dan Needham on the edge of the box, he looked up and hammered a shot beyond Burton.
Half Time Bears 1-2 Clitheroe
A Bears change at half time saw Tom Hampton come on for Owen Morris to give the Bears a ‘target man’ up front.
The visitors had the first chance of the second half as Parton was called on to tip a goal bound effort over the bar.
The Bears then upped the pace and started to play some great attacking football and it paid off on 56 minutes. They won a corner and Pete Williams played it deep to the back post, where Tom Hampton rose superbly to head home 2-2.
Things went from bad to worse for the visitors on 60 minutes when Cameron Lancaster got a straight Red card for a stamp on Tom Hampton.
The Bears took advantage of the extra man and pushed hard down both wings, firing balls to Hampton and Gillam. Gerge Sankey put the Bears in front on 67 minutes with a thundering header at the back post from a deep cross, 3-2 Bears.
The Bears were now in the ascendancy and causing major problems for the Clitheroe defence and won several corners as they looked to put the game to bed.
With 14 minutes remaining the fourth goal came and it was Sankey once again. He made a strong run down the left and finished superbly into the top corner, 4-2 Bears.
The final whistle brought a great game to a close and the Bears can be proud of the second half performance where they outplayed their Lancashire visitors.
The three points moves them up to third in the table with 36 points from their 20 games.