CHEADLE TOWN PREVIEW
It’s a Wednesday night away game next up for the Rams as they look to maintain their good form of one defeat in their last six games across September when we travel to Cheshire to face Cheadle Town.
MATCH: Cheadle Town v Ramsbottom United
VENUE: The Ground Up Solutions Stadium, Cheadle, SK8 2AN
COMPETITION: North West Counties League Premier Division
DATE: Wednesday 25th September 2024
KICK-OFF: 7:45pm
ADMISSION: Adults £8 | Concessions £4
OVERVIEW:
The Rams commence a run of four away games in the next five with a trip around the M60 to Park Road in Cheadle, hoping to open up the four point buffer at the top of the NWCFL Premier League table, a gap that was closed on Tuesday with victories for Chadderton and Bury.
With 11 points pocketed in the month of September, the Rams have found themselves in terrific shape, already having secured more than half the points we clocked up last season and a victory in Cheshire will be the tenth of the campaign – just three shy of the tally collected in 2023/24.
Standing in the way for match number 16 of the league season are 18th placed Cheadle Town, a side that started the season in terrific style with three wins from their opening five games but have since hit the buffers with a sole victory in their last eight, coupled with two draws and five defeats, including a 3-1 loss to Atherton LR in the FA Vase at the weekend.
It has left them with just 15 points from their 13 games thus far and they will be hoping to turn around a history against the Rams that has seen them win just once since our first ever meetings with them in NWCFL DIvision 2 in 1995, across a total of 14 games!
The Rams completed a league double over the red and whites, winning 2-0 at the HWRS in September 2023 before taking a 1-0 success from Park Road (Oumar Camara in action above) thanks to Matthew Birchall’s 33rd minute strike.
Of course, the only Cheadle Town victory in that time came in 2001 at the Riverside, a match etched in the annuls of Ramsbottom United history as it was the final match for manager Ken Bridge, who passed away that evening following the 2-1 loss.
Cheadle Town will always have a remarkable place in the history of our club, that is for sure but we are hoping to continue to quite amazing history we have over them!
HISTORY:
This will be the 17th competitive meeting between the sides and the Rams holding a 12-2 lead (with 2 draws) and a 37-15 goal advantage as well.
The Rams have not lost to Cheadle Town since 2001 as mentioned above and we have not lost at Park Road since 1995, taking a 2-0 victory in NWCFL Division 2 that season. We have won seven of the next eight with just a single draw coming in 1999.
STEVE WILKES SAYS:
“What was the most pleasing about the last game was that we didn’t play that well but still got the result and that’s a sign of how far we have come.
“It was always going to be hard for everyone after playing in front of over 1700 to then play in front of about 250 so to get that win was especially pleasing.
“The extra day off this week has been most welcome but we travel to Cheadle Town knowing that we must keep up our momentum and our performances. There is no let up.”
