CRUEL KNOCK-OUT BLOW
Tom Hoyle scored the Rams equaliser just moments after the restart.
Had it been decided on points, then the Rams would have expected a positive result.
It was hard on the new-look team, who appear to have enough within them to mount a serious challenge in the league, having more than held their own against a higher-level opposition, who were grateful to leave with a victory under their belt.
The early gap in leagues was evident from the kick-off when the team from Tameside looked to take the game to the hosts. Aaron Chalmers fired over the bar in the first minute, but the hosts responded soon afterwards as Harvey Whyte sent a header just too high.
As a competitive game swung from end to end, Connor Hughes wasted a good chance for Celtic, whilst a delightful cross from Harvey Hayhurst connected with the Rams Luke Sephton but the ball fell kindly for former Ram, Charlie Monks, in the visitors’ goal.
A goalmouth scramble saw the visitors defence breath a sigh of relief when Whyte could only scoop the ball over the bar, seconds before Stalybridge took the lead on 30 minutes.
The ball fell kindly to Hughes, whose low dive appeared to take a deflection as it flew into the bottom corner of the net, but with the home defenders appealing for offside, the referee’s assistant kept her flag down and the goal was awarded.
Not to be too deflated, Tom Hoyle went close before the half-time break, which saw the visitors go in with a narrow one goal lead, that was probably a fair reflection of the first forty-five minutes.
Within two minutes of the restart, however, the Rams were level. Stalybridge failed to clear a free-kick from the left, and the ball fell nicely for Tom Hoyle to fire home from ten yards out to restore parity.
That visibly lifted the spirits of a home side, and once Harry Winstanley was on hand to clear a dangerous attack at one end, Rob Wilson almost gave the Rams the lead when his fierce drive rebounded back into play from the foot of the post.
The home side, generally regarded as the underdogs for this contest, began to wrestle control, and as the game wore on, their confidence grew and they looked the more likely to win the game.
However, with just five minutes to go, a foul in the box saw the referee pointing to the spot, and Celtic’s captain Liam Tonge made no mistake with the penalty, to deflate the home fans.
Three minutes into added on time saw the tie finally decided, as a free-kick just outside the area was expertly hammered home by Hughes to make the score a somewhat lob-sided 3-1, which was harsh on a Ramsbottom team that had produced another good performance which deserved nothing less than a replay.
It was not to be, however, but this team had the home fans buzzing with optimism, and if they can carry this type of play into the league games, then a successful campaign looks likely in the months ahead.
Manager Steve Wilkes had mixed feelings after the match: “A pleasing performance even if the result doesn’t show it. I thought we showed them a little too much respect for the first twenty minutes, but after that we matched them for the rest of the first half.
“Second half, we were the better team, even the Stalybridge manager agreed after the game.
“Football is about fine margins, and we’ve lost to two set pieces, a penalty and free-kick, and a deflected shot.
“All-in-all, I’m pleased with how we played. We need to take that into every league game going forward”.
RAMSBOTTOM UNITED: Rose, Radcliffe, Hayhurst, Teague(Turner 72mins), S.Sephton, Winstanley, Tinker, Wilson, Hoyle(Rigby 76mins), Whyte, L.Sephton(Chingwaro 78mins) Subs not used: Soares, Kandeke, Ogunby, Cliffe
Att: 455
