TWO goal in the last 12 minutes were enough to give Clitheroe another three points against lowly Atherton Collieries.

A second game in three days looked to have taken its toll on the Blues as the visitors had the better of the first 10 minutes and were unlucky not to take the lead when a shot beat Clitheroe keeper Kris Richens and came back off the post to be cleared by Mark Stewart.

Clitheroe soon began to look like a top three team with Andy Cowking and skipper Neil Spencer taking control of the midfield.

Lee Buggie and Lee Cryer didn't have too many chances in the first half, but the Blues finished the stronger.

The chances began to come in the second half with Cryer having a couple of headers and a penalty appeal turned down.

The Atherton attacks became less and less and it was only a matter of time before a goal came.

A punt up the field was misjudged by the Colls centre half and razor-sharp Cryer nipped in to slide the ball under the keeper into the net.

It had taken 78 minutes for the first goal, but a second soon followed in near identical fashion, when Cryer once again got the better of the defence from a through ball and finished in a similar fashion to the first.

Seven out of nine Christmas points will please manager Lee Sculpher, as will the three clean sheets to go with it.

"Sometimes the performance comes a long way second to the three points," he said. "And today was one of those days."

CLITHEROE...2 ATHERTON COLLIERIES...0