PLENTY OF KUDOS FOR KUDA
The winger became the first Ramsbottom player since February 2003 to notch four goals from open play (Russell Brierley managed this against Flixton 20 years ago), and on another day he could have added to the tally.
As early as the tenth minute, he found space in the box but his effort clipped the top of the bar.
Seven minutes later another attempt cleared the bar, but his endeavour finally paid off in the 35th minute when at the end of an excellent move, the ball fell at his feet, and he delightfully dinked it over the prostrate body of the Pilkington keeper to open the scoring.
He really should have added another before the half-time break when an unselfish Henri Ogunby presented him with an ideal opportunity but he wildly hammered to ball high and wide instead of taking his time to pick his spot.
The second half began with the hosts on the front foot, with the Pilkington stopper being in the right place to keep out a Harvey Whyte free-kick, but on 51 minutes Kuda found himself in space in front of goal to convert a left-wing cross that had been nodded on by Matt Dudley to give the Rams a two goal lead.
Alas, as has happened on a number of occasions, a defensive lapse enabled the visitors to half the advantage within three minutes, when a low drive was parried by young keeper, Harry Moss allowing Callum Laird to sneak in and score from close range.
This time, though, the Rams fought back and within six minutes had regained the two goal advantage on the end of a superb flowing move.
Whyte raced down the right-hand side, before slipping the ball in to Dudley, whose deft flick sent in Kuda to slam the ball home for his and the team’s third.
On 69 minutes, Kuda once again had an ideal opportunity to net his fourth as the visiting keeper failed to gather a high cross, but with the ball falling kindly to him, the goal-scoring hero was unable to convert thanks to some desperate defending, which resulted in a corner.
From the resultant kick, Kuda made amends as he again found himself in the right place to fire home from ten yards out to give the Rams a 4-1 advantage.
However, the goal of the game was still to come, and this time from a different, and unexpected source.
Left back Maine Walder found himself over on the right, and as the ball fell to him, a full 35 yards out, he hammered home an unstoppable shot that had the Pilkington keeper beaten all ends up.
A win that will inject much confidence into the team as they attempt to climb the table into the play-off places.
Ramsbottom coach Scott Campbell was delighted with the performance, “There are no easy games but it has been a robust and difficult start to the season in as much as we have been playing twice a week, but the lads have responded really well to this week’s training. We’ve been able to get some new ideas and principles in place and the lads have reaped the rewards today.
“We have two cup games coming up, against Nelson on Tuesday and Pilkington again next Saturday, and I can guarantee it will be a different Pilkington team we see on the pitch next week, so we can take nothing for granted.
“We need to move on and put on a performance on Tuesday night then train hard on Thursday and up our game to hopefully get through in the FA Vase against Pilkington.”
RAMSBOTTOM UNITED: Moss, Hayhurst, Walder (Roscoe 83mins), Walker, Johnson, Radcliffe, Ogunby (Redmayne 72mins), Sephton, Dudley (Ujahchuku 83mins), Whyte (Rigby 79mins), Chingwaro (Lockett 79mins)
Att: 241
