OTS – 30th SEPTEMBER
Time to look back once again at what happened on the equivalent Saturday in our non-league history and today is Saturday 30 September …
2017 – RAMSBOTTOM UNITED 0 BAMBER BRIDGE 1
Northern Premier Division 1 North
It was sixth against fourth as the Rams entertained an inform Bamber Bridge at the HWRS as the Rams looked to get back to winning ways having slipped to three defeats in their last four games including a 4-3 loss to Clitheroe in midweek.
Unfortunately for Mark Fell’s side, that run would turn into one win in five and our slide down the table would continue apace.
The home side were without experienced keeper Martin Fearon and Tom Greaves so Danny Taberner and Max Hazeldine came in to the starting line-up, two of four changes from the side beaten at Shawbridge.
An evenly matched start, the Rams would be halted when Hazeldine was forced off on a stretcher with a suspected hamstring injury with Grant Spencer coming on for his first appearance of the season.
The play continued to be end to end with both sides having good chances – Spencer sent a free kick to the far post which Thompson headed back across goal but there was no Rams player on hand to get the decisive touch.
It continued to be a free flowing contest into the second period. Jerome Wright’s free-kick clipped the top of the Bamber Bridge crossbar before Ben Richardson had the ball in the net when a superb ball from Spencer found Wright who ran through and crossed to the defender to finished with aplomb but it was scratched off for a questionable offside.
A single goal was going to win the contest and so it proved with ten minutes left. Sadly it was for the high flying visitors when a penetrating run down the left hand side into the penalty area from Waddecar before pulling the back to the onrushing substitute Boyd whose low drive beat Taberner to give Bamber Bridge a lead they would ultimately not surrender while we did surrender our 100% home league record.
Manager Fell said afterwards, “I thought a draw would probably have been fair, they shaded the first half, we shaded the second. But if you don’t take your chances when on top you are susceptible to the sucker punch. Again we’ve hit the post, had a perfectly good goal disallowed and had for me a penalty turned down. Fact is we can’t keep saying we’re ‘unlucky’, we can’t sulk and feel sorry for ourselves, we go again on Tuesday night”
2006 – RAMSBOTTOM UNITED 1 NEWCASTLE TOWN 0
North West Counties League Division 1
The Rams picked up a third league win in a row with an impressive 1-0 victory over Newcastle Town – the visitors who would go on to season promotion from NWCFL Division 1 at the end of the season behind FC United of Manchester and Curzon Ashton.
A superb winning goal by Liam McManus maintained the Rams winning run, getting the all-important goal in the 32nd minute when Chris Steele whipped over a cross and McManus headed the ball past Richard Froggatt.
The Rams would finish the game with just ten men after Ryan Moor was given his marching orders late on but the Rams were able to hold on for the win.
2000 – RAMSBOTTOM UNITED 3 WOODLEY SPORTS 0
North West Counties League Division 1
The Rams bounced back from a disappointing away defeat at Prescot Cables in midweek to down Woodley Sports 3-0 thanks to two late Russell Brierley goals.
Both sides had good chances early in the game but it was the Rams who took the lead on 18 minutes. Mark Heyes was on target after Brierley did well setting up the chance. Heyes fired home from eight yards out.
On the half hour mark there were strong appeals for a penalty when Paul Cameron turned his marker and was brought crashing to the ground by two defenders. Frantic penalty appeals went up from the crowd and the Ramsbottom players, but referee Ismail Esat from Blackburn was having none of it.
Despite Brierley having a number of chances, he had to wait until the 84th minute to finally hit the net.
A corner on the left saw Brierley pull away beyond the back post and make room for himself to head in that vital second goal.
The Rams piled forward and in the 89th minute a terrific Danny Goodall cross was met first time by Brierley, who hit a first-time shot past Mason.
RAMSBOTTOM UNITED: Nield 8; Bowman 7, Goodall 7, Smith 7, Wallace 7, Grimshaw 8, G Gardiner 8, Cameron 7, R Brierley 7, Heyes 7, Yorke-Robinson 8. Substitutes: Briddon(for Grimshaw, 85 mins), Brookes (for Wallace 82), Vaughan (for Heyes 80).
1995 – STANTONDALE 1 RAMSBOTTOM UNITED 1
North West Counties League Division 2
Ramsbottom United came close to clinching a surprise victory against Stantondale, a side who had won six of their 10 games and losing only two prior to the encounter.
Andy Clarke gave Rammy the lead by glancing ome an inch-perfect cross from John Fleming.
Steve Johnson came close to making it 2-0 when his effort clipped the post while Tanner forced a fine save from Stantondale’s keeper Gates.
Stantondale, a side from Orrell Park in Merseryside who would fold in 1998, equalised through Lee Haugh after 59 minutes with a left-foot shot but United continued to create chances.
Isherwood hit the crossbar, Andy Clarke’s strike smashed against the post while Johnson also went close.
Towards the end, Clarke was unlucky in an one-on-one situation with Gates.
