Lowerhouse picking up momentum at right time

The West Enders have picked up three wins on the spin in all competitions, to climb to fifth in the Lancashire League Division One, 20 points behind leaders Burnley.

Heap’s side entertain Accrington in the Twenty20 competition on Friday night, before a league game at Clitheroe on Sunday, and he said: “We’re on a bit of a roll now. We’re taking nothing for granted, but confidence is coming back to the group now, and we’re a different team to what we were a month or so ago.”

With two games left in the T20, Lowerhouse are fourth in the JWL Bitter table, but Heap said: “It’s close – if we win our last two games we should go through.

“We’ve had a game abandoned, won one and lost one to Darwen, but that was a close game, so our net run rate is not too bad.

“We just have to look after ourselves and try and win the last two.”

The West Enders are then at Clitheroe in the league on Sunday.

Lowerhouse made a complaint to the league in 2017, which led to three disciplinary hearings into allegations that Clitheroe, champions in their first year in the competition, made payments to amateur players.

Clitheroe were subsequently cleared by the league.

And, ahead of the trip to Chatburn Road, Heap insists all that is behind everyone: “We’ve always enjoyed going there, both sets of players get on well with each other.

“We put that to bed last year, we had a good drink after the game, and it’s all water under the bridge now.

“Lots of the lads have played against each other for a long time – Clitheroe have a lot of former Nelson players – and it’s always a good battle.”