TOP dogs Clitheroe are refusing to rest on their laurels at the summit of the Houldsworth Solicitors Ribblesdale League – and skipper Paul Gaskell insists he wants more from his men as they head into what could be a big double header weekend.

Gaskell’s Chatburn Road outfit, who were the pre-season title favourites, have only seen their colours lowered once this term when they were beaten at Whalley a month ago and the skipper wants to keep on reminding his team of what can happen when their standards slip as they bid to press on.

Clitheroe are on the road to Oswaldtwistle Immanuel tomorrow before Sunday’s big derby showdown with cross-town rivals Ribblesdale Wanderers and Gaskell will remind his troops of the defeat at Whalley ahead of two tough games.

“That was our only loss,” said Gaskell. “Fair play to Whalley, they beat us well enough on the day but we didn’t bat well at all that day – and that defeat hurt everyone.

“If anything we can use that loss as a positive, we can take the lessons from it – and we know that this season we need to be on our game every time we play.

“Make no mistake about it, this is a big weekend with two really hard games.

“Oswaldtwistle have strengthened well over the winter and are a good side and then we have the derby on Sunday. That’s always a big game and one in which anything can happen.”

Clitheroe have won five of their eight games to date with the loss at Whalley and two abandoned matches making up their list.

And Gaskell knows it is vital his men maintain their form, especially when the weather has had a habit of upsetting the weekends.

“It showed that when we beat Padiham the other week,” he added. “We got lucky that day because Read saw their game at Brooksbottom called off while we went out and won.

“That’s the way it goes sometimes – but it shows you need to be on your game every time you play.

“We are playing okay at the moment but I want us to keep on improving.”

Read are poised for any slip and they travel to Earby tomorrow.

That game has extra spice as Earby’s Matt Wilson faces Read skipper Kyle O’Connor, who he tried to sign when he was the captain of Lancashire League outfit Colne.