BIG-SPENDING Kidsgrove, with one eye on the NWCL first division title, were a bridge too far for Clitheroe on Saturday.

The Ribble Valley side - missing five senior players through injury - looked like the long season had finally caught up with them in a disappointing display.

The Blues' 10th defeat of the league campaign leaves them sixth in the table with five games still to play and player-manager Lee Sculpher admitted his side looked jaded.

"For the first time we looked a tired side," he said.

"We huffed and puffed and gave our best but we never threatened a goal really and Kidsgrove had the edge."

The fact that they had something to play for made a difference and they coped a little better with a bone dry uneven surface.

The home side's first two goals had an element of good fortune about them, opportunist long-range shots falling conveniently at the feet of first Steve Walton (36) and then Darren Twigg (52) to put away.

Clitheroe tried hard to force the issue after the break and Lee Cryer was unlucky to see a shot scream across the face of goal before Steve Tobin made the points safe for Kidsgrove five minutes from time.

"It was not a good game to play in and although they scored three times we were never under any great pressure," added Sculpher. "But we were unable to force many chances ourselves and never looked like scoring."

KIDSGROVE...3 CLITHEROE...0