OTS – 20th APRIL
Here’s this week’s look back on the events in Ramsbottom United’s non-league history “On This Saturday”.
2019 – RAMSBOTTOM UNITED 2 MOSSLEY 1
Evo-Stik Northern Premier League West Division
(report from Ramsbottom United archives)
The Rams continued their play-off push with a 2-1 win at home to play off rivals Mossley.
Rammy manager Chris Willcock named an unchanged for a key game in the play-off race.
It was a quiet start to the game, in the first 15 minutes there wasn’t alot to report apart from a couple of half chances a side. Kyle Jacobs got a ball into the box but it was cleared by Josh Ollerenshaw in the Mossley goal & Andy Keogh for the visitors he had his shot caught by Rams’ keeper Sam Ashton.
Mossley had a penalty appeal turned down on 23 minutes, Max Leonard was the man who was brought down but the referee said no penalty.
It was a dramatic end to the first half when an off the ball incident occurred between Kieran Lugsden of Ramsbottom & Mossley’s skipper Andy Keogh they were both sent for an early bath just before half-time.
In the early stages of the second half both Rainford & Jacobs had shots for Rammy that went over the bar.
The game looked like it had a 0-0 written all over it until the 70th minute when the Rams took the lead through Jamie Rainford, he shot from the edge of the area it looked like it was going over but it hit the underside of the bar and went in.
The Rams doubled their lead 3 minutes later through Irwyah Gooden his shot came from just inside the 18-yard box and went into the back of the Mossley net via a deflection. Rams could have made it 3-0 on 78 minutes when a ball fell to the back post for Rother he just couldn’t get on the end of it.
Mossley got a conciliation goal with two minutes of normal time left, the ball fell to Adam Jones about 3 yards out who slotted home.
The Rams held on in added time to make it 3 wins from their last 3 games.
Ramsbottom United; Sam Ashton, Tom Kennedy, Kyle Jacobs, Eddie Moran, Luke Thompson, Kelvin Lugsden, Ruben Jerome (Irywah Gooden 67’), Jamie Rother, Jamie Rainford (Ryan Ellison 90’), Kieran Lugsden, Nic Evangelinos (Jason Carey 70’). Unused subs; Anthony Donaldson, Joel Bembo-Leta
2013 – MOSSLEY 0 RAMSBOTTOM UNITED 4
Evo-Stik Northern Premier League Division 1 North
(Tony Cunningham’s match report)
Ramsbottom United put their disappointing defeat at Cammell Laird behind them when they comprehensively put an end to Mossley’s nine game unbeaten run.
On a glorious afternoon, the Rams gave one of their best performances of the campaign in front of the home side’s biggest league gate of the season, which included a large number of visiting fans.
Mark Drew saw his effort charged down in the second minute before the home side almost opened the scoring on four minutes. From a right wing corner, Jason Gorton, at the back post nodded it on for Sam Madeley, but his header only found the side netting.
The deadlock was soon broken, however, when, on 6 minutes, Jon Robinson fed Lee Gaskell down the left hand channel, and he curled in a beauty from 20 yards to give the Rams the lead.
On 15 minutes, the visitors doubled their lead, and Gaskell it was, again, in the right spot to glance a header home from Drew’s inch-perfect right wing corner.
A third almost followed three minutes later. Grant Spencer and Gary Stopforth combined well on the left before threading the ball through to Robinson, and his angled drive sailed inches wide of the far post.
One of Mark Drew’s trademark free-kicks skimmed the crossbar, before Spencer fired in a low drive from outside the box which had Russell Saunders in the home goal at full stretch.
The Rams were well in control by this point, with Mossley’s only goalbound effort coming from a long-range shot from Gary Gee which hardly troubled Grant Shenton in goal.
At the other end, a half-cleared ball fell at the feet of Stopforth 20 yards out, and his volley went inches too high, as the pressure continued on the beleaguered home defence.
To make matters worse for Mossley, they were reduced to ten men on 39 minutes, when Chris Denham, already booked for what the referee decided was diving, appeared to repeat the action when tackled by Stopforth which had the official reaching for first a yellow then a red card.
A superb through ball from Drew sent Gaskell through on goal, but instead of claiming his hat-trick, he fired wildly over.
Early in the second half, Adam Mather attempted to reduce the arrears, but he fired well over, before Danny Warrender, at the other end, played in Robinson, but he was wide of the mark.
Madeley broke through the Ramsbottom defence but Shenton stubbed out the danger, before the visitors effectively ended the game as a contest on 55 minutes.
Dominic Smalley raced 60 yards down the right wing before picking out Spencer on the edge of the box. He picked his spot to perfection as his first time volley flew into the top right hand corner of the net to make it 3-0.
Mossley substitute Dan Broadbent was unlucky not to reduce the arrears when he dispossessed Phil Dean before firing in a drive that beat Shenton but bounced back into play off the crossbar.
On 65 minutes, another Drew corner found Robinson, whose close range header hit the startled Saunders on the goal-line. The ball was half-cleared by his defenders but straight to the feet of Spencer who fired home an identical goal to open up a four goal gap.
Another Drew corner found Andy Dawson at the far post, but he was unable to direct his header goalwards, as the Rams continued to dominate.
Drew then fired in another free-kick which Saunders had to deal with, before the home side were reduced to nine men on 73 minutes. Madeley and Ian Flannery collided in midfield, and as they both regained their feet, Madeley kicked out at the tall defender in front of the referee, who immediately reached for his red card.
Broadbent went close for the home side as they attempted to put some respectability on the score-line, but in reality, they could have no complaints about the final result.
Ramsbottom completely dominated the 90 minutes, and deserved the praise being offered by the home supporters as the final whistle blew to enhance their play-off chances.
RAMSBOTTOM UNITED: Shenton, Warrender, Hulme(Dean 45mins), Drew, Dawson, Flannery, Smalley, Stopforth(Edghill 64mins), Gaskell, Robinson, Spencer(Kuba-Kuba 67 mins). Subs not used: Purcell, Ayres
2002 – WOODLEY SPORTS 0 RAMSBOTTOM UNITED 1
North West Counties League Division 1
(report from Bolton News archive)
STEVE Orrell scored an 85th minute winner to give NWCL Division One side Ramsbottom all three points against Woodley Sports.
The Rams bounced back from a 4-1 loss to Fleetwood – their first defeat in eight games – with a hard-fought win.
Orrell getting the vital only goal of the game in the second half and defender Phil Porter nominated man of the match.
1996 – RAMSBOTTOM UNITED 1 TETLEY WALKER 2
North West Counties League Division 2
The hangover from the Thursday night triumph in the Division Two Trophy certainly put paid to the performance on the Saturday as they recorded back-to-back defeats to Tetley Walker.
The previous Saturday, they went down 4-0 to the same opposition but it was closer this time around but still managed to go down 2-1 as the league season continued to end with a wimper.
However, the victory on the Thursday night, the victorious 2-1 win over Cheadle Town, would continue to live long in the memory.
