Prior to the game, player boss Neil Reynolds spoke of his desire to hit the ground running.But they did quite the opposite, as the visitors were full value for their two-goal victory.

The Blues rarely, if at all, tested Mossley keeper Liam Higginbotham, on a day where nothing seemed to go right for the Blues.

And Reynolds summed up his emotions on numerous occasions, clutching his face in frustration time and again.

Clitheroe never seemed to get going in the early stages, and it was visiting striker Mike Fish who was the thorn in their side.

He sent out an early warning with an angled drive that was well blocked by Jonathan Smith, before the impressive Dave Hanlon stung the hands of James Mann.

Clitheroe's first real attack of note saw neat interplay between Gary Stopforth and Owen Roberts end with the ball taken off the toes of the latter, before Carl Lomax expertly volleyed home only to have the goal disallowed for handball.

And minutes later, the visitors went in front when Fish waltzed past two Clitheroe defenders, leaving them for dead before tucking the ball neatly past Mann.

Danny Toronczak almost forced home an equaliser in a goalmouth scramble following a corner, before Higginbotham was quickly out to smother Lomax's run on goal.

But at the other end, Fish was in fine form, and he doubled the lead with a smart finish after being played in on the counter attack by Hanlon.

Clitheroe came out with more purpose in the second half, with Anthony Johnson and Craig Sargeson both introduced, but it was Dave Hakin who somehow fired over from close range.

Lomax's angled drive beat Higginbotham only to come off the post, but the ball didn't seem to want to go in.

An incident 10 minutes from time saw Higginbotham collide with his own defender Nick Challinor, with the defender eventually stretchered from the field in a neck brace.

But despite nine minutes of added time, Clitheroe still failed to find the target, with Lomax firing wide at the death on a frustrating afternoon.

Clitheroe: Mann, Clarke (Pilkington), Roberts, Flannery, Smith, Morley, Hankin, Stopforth, Toronczak (Sargeson), Lomax, Ward (Johnson). Subs: Reynolds, Fearon.