PREVIEW – LITHERLAND REMYCA (A)
The first Saturday of 2024 and we head west to face a side we have never met before. And having turned in a positive performance, despite the defeat playing with ten men for half the game against table topping Wythenshawe Town, the Rams travel to Liverpool with some hope.
MATCH: Litherland REMYCA vs Ramsbottom United
VENUE: Litherland Sports Park, Boundary Road, Litherland, Liverpool, L21 7LA
COMPETITION: North West Counties League Premier Division
DATE: Saturday 6th January 2024
KICK-OFF: 3:00pm
ADMISSION: Adults – £6, Concessions – £4, U16 with adult FREE
OVERVIEW:
It was a real case of ‘what could have been’ on Wednesday night against an impressive Wythenshawe Town side that went top of the table courtesy of the 4-2 win at the HWRS. But manager Steve Wilkes was certainly pleased with the work rate of his charges, especially when they were frustratingly reduced to ten men just before half time, thanks to some hystrionics by a number of the yellow wearing players!
So it was a defeat to start the new year and we make the trip to Litherland to face a side who have been in the goals of late, bouncing back from a four match losing streak to score 11 goals in their last three games in wins over Burscough and AFC Liverpool and collecting a 3-3 draw away at Glossop North End just before the turn of the year.
Another of the bunch of clubs all dreaming of higher honours, they are in eighth place with 39 points from the 27 games – six points but two games clear of us in 15th. But they are another of the sides who have shipped a great number of goals – in fact, of the top 15 sides in the league, only REMYCA’s goal difference of -6 is worse than ours at -5!
With just two league wins from our last six games, the Rams continue to scratch their heads trying to find the right formula if they are to mount a serious charge up the table and be in the shake up come the end of April. Whilst time is not really running out, with each game, the chances get slimmer if results don’t start to collect three points on a more regular basis.
Being on a three game league losing streak for the first time this season – a feature Rammy supporters were all too familiar with in 2023 (3 match, 5 match, 3 match runs all earlier last year) – wins need to start to be mounted up like they were in 2012 and 2014, famous promotion seasons that saw winning runs like no other at the start of the year.
Litherland will be a tough prospect for sure – they have won eight of their 12 home games this season – and have Kai Calderbank-Park in their goal who we saw for a short spell and a free-scoring former Accrington Stanley, Scunthorpe United, Rochdale, Blackpool, Fleetwood Town, Wrexham and Radcliffe striker Bobby Grant, who has scored six in the last three games.
Can the Rams go on a run and start to make their move? Let’s get behind the lads and make the trip west to give them plenty of support!
HISTORY:
It’s a first ever meeting between the sides and the first of the two fixtures, the second coming on 3 February at the HWRS.
They were formed in 1959 as REMYCA United but only joined the North West Counties in 2014/15 and are enjoying their best season in the Premier Division to date, having finished in 10th place last season.
STEVE WILKES’ THOUGHTS:
“Games are coming thick and fast as we travel to Litherland for our second of nine games this month!
“Like ourselves The Remy had a midweek fixture, fortunately for them though they won their game 4-2. We know every time you travel to face a team from Liverpool it’s a battle and Saturday will be no different.
“If we show the spirit from the second half and the performance from the first half on Wednesday then we’ll give ourselves a chance of getting out of this dismal run we’re on.”
