CLITHEROE skipper Phil Bishop won't be taking anything for granted when his side go to Whalley tomorrow, even though there could hardly be a bigger contrast between the teams on current form.

Whalley are the Vaux Ribblesdale League's rock-bottom strugglers who, after six matches, have still to register their first point.

Clitheroe, on the other hand, are starting to fancy their chances of mounting a serious title challenge.

But an injury doubt over professional Jonathan Fielding has clouded the build-up for the Chatburn Road side and made Bishop a little more wary.

"We are on a bit of a roll at the moment and we're hoping to keep on winning," said the Clitheroe captain.

"But we know all the Whalley lads and we have every respect for them. We wouldn't dream of taking anybody lightly. "Besides, Station Road has been a big of a bogy ground for us in recent years.

"When we won the league two years ago, Whalley knocked us out of the cup in the first round and went on to win it."

Clitheroe are in a batch of clubs chasing leaders Read and believing that there is everything to play for with only half a dozen league games gone.

Five points, in fact, cover seven teams behind Read and Bishop added: "There's a long way to go.

"We're a fair-weather team and we haven't had any summer yet. When the sun shines we play, when it's cold and wet we're hopeless."

Fielding pulled a muscle during last weekend's high-scoring win over Cherry Tree and faces a late fitness test.

Clitheroe are optimistic he will be fit but will probably arrange a little "insurance" by having a substitute professional on stand-by if possible.

Leaders Read, whose professional Shahid Nawaz has been in superlative form, will be hopeful of strengthening their seven-point advantage, as they visit Ribblesdale Wanderers.

Earby have now joined Barnoldswick in joint second place and, boosted by victory over champions Padiham, will be aiming to do likewise against Earby at the Applegarth.

Tomorrow's games: Barnoldswick v Settle, Cherry Tree v Gt Harwood, Earby v Baxenden, Blackburn N v Edenfield, Osw Immanuel v Padiham, Ribblesdale W v Read, Whalley v Clitheroe.

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