NEW Clitheroe boss Lee Sculpher made a winning start on his return to Shawbridge with a victory over East Lancashire rivals Rossendale.

It was The Stags who made the better start but it was the hosts who took the lead when Ollie McGee was left unmarked at the far post and he was able to head in a corner from the right.

Rossendale bounced back and Marcus Calvert cleverly tricked Flannery only to see his resulting shot unluckily thud against the bar.

On the half-hour mark, the Blues doubled their lead when ex-Dale man Craig Sargeson crossed and Dave Hankin was on hand to side-foot the ball home.

Rossendale were handed a lifeline on the stroke of half-time when Marcus Calvert was brought down in the box.

Player/manager Phil Eastwood saw his penalty saved only for Calvert to slam home the rebound.

Clitheroe restored their two-goal lead in controversial circumstances when Clitheroe were awarded a controversial penalty and Stags keeper Ben Proctor produced a fine save but all he got for his efforts was a booking as the referee has deemed he had moved off his line and ordered the penalty to be retaken, and this time Sargeson made no mistake.

The game then turned ugly and several players ended up in the referee’s notebook.

The visitors did score a late goal, again through Calvert, but it ended up to be no more than a consolation as the Blues hung on to avenge their defeat at Dark Lane earlier in the season.