Both strikers, Carl Lomax and Anthony Johnson, were on target in a seven-goal thriller at the Genix Healthcare Stadium.

But the Blues still managed to make hard work of a disappointing home side, who have somehow been made one of the favourites for promotion.

A lightning start to the game saw Anthony Johnson head Craig Sargeson's left wing cross just wide after only three minutes.

But at the other end, James Mann was called upon to make an instinctive double stop to deny Mark Piper, after he was put through by Chris Brown.

Carl Lomax was furious with Sargeson after he failed to play him through in a three-on-one break, before Lomax himself almost flicked in a header from a quick corner routine.

But they did have the lead soon after, as Lomax played in Johnson, who turned his man in the box before firing past Gavin Phillips.

Brown fired a volley just wide from Nathan Kamara's clever pass, but a rush of blood from Mann just after ended with him bringing down Brown, with Piper sending the keeper the wrong way from the spot.

Within two minutes, Lomax was delightfully played through, and he beat the keeper with a curling shot from outside the box.

Lomax was denied his second by two successive saves from Phillips from close range, and watched as his curling effort rebounded back off the inside of the post just after the restart.

Garforth's Lee Connor had a header cleared off the line, but he wasn't to be denied as he rose unmarked at a corner to head past Mann.

However, a slice of magic from Sargeson saw him restore the lead within a minute, beating two defenders before firing home.

And the game looked to be won when a quick break saw Gary Stopforth play a lovely crossfield pass for Lomax, who headed the ball down for substitute Ryan Fisher to score via a mistake from Phillips.

Town substitute Dominique Blair did set the pulses racing with a third goal as the game ticked into stoppage time, taking advantage of a mistake from Ian Flannery to fire past Mann, but Clitheroe had done enough to take the points.