GALLANT RAMS POINT OF FRUSTRATION

Rams Skipper Andrew Teague discusses the sending off with the match referee.

North End stopper Alex Brown earnt a man-of-the-match award as he thwarted numerous chances for ten-men Ramsbottom United down at Surrey Street on Saturday afternoon.

Glossop played well at the Riverside a few weeks ago and proved good value for the one one draw and a stubborn performance, so a chance to see whether progress had been made.

Remarkably this was the 23rd fixture in the 46-game programme and represents the league season’s halfway stage. The Rams have risen to the top of the table playing some delightful football, including a string of notable victories away from home.

Playing in their all red away strip, the opening 20 minutes were tentative as the Rams tried to get the wingbacks Hayhurst and Radcliffe involved but the ball was cleared and often out of play, producing an endless series of throw ins, and notable only for Harvey Whyte’s picking up of a yellow card for an innocuous challenge near the halfway line.

Rams persisted and started to find the rhythm their free-flowing passing game is based around and to push Glossop back.

However, another incident involving Whyte on the half hour led to a significant change in the game.

The Rams forward collected a pass on the turn and after a slightly heavy touch, stretched to successfully relay the ball on to a teammate while under close pressure. There was connection with the Glossop man after the ball was played and that was then deemed to be worthy of another yellow card, followed by the inevitable red. Whyte had to go – a big blow as he was starting to pull the strings. 

The man advantage encouraged Glossop, with both players and crowd responding and now it was time for the depleted Rams to be forced back. Things then got even worse as Luke Sephton was sent to the dugout for 10 minutes, sin-binned for the remainder of the first half and the opening moments of the second.

But marshalled by Teague and the outstanding Maine Walder, the visitors held firm and reorganised. The Rams had a strong shout for penalty when the ball clearly struck the arm of a Glossop defender, but the appeals were waved away – one of a series of decisions awarded to the home side to the annoyance of the Rams contingent.

Just before half time, the Rams reminded their hosts why they were top of the league. Walders’s dead ball usage is a potent weapon this season with a fine goal winning the game at Cheadle. Here a free kick about 35 yards out was swung in and tipped against the bar by the excellent Glossop goalkeeper. Unfortunately, in the ensuing scramble a series of prodded shots were unable to force the ball home, and the danger averted.

Nil-nil at half time, and a real test. How would they react to this. Would Steve Wilkes ring the changes, or would the visitors sit back and see the team defend for a draw?

Wilkes remained calm and the same ten came out and produced a remarkable battling performance. The Rams were excellent in the second half.

They pressed, they worked, and the gaps filled, as they continually forced the home side back. It was hard to believe that the advantage wasn’t the other way around, such was the prodigious work rate as the Rams forced a string of chances.

Luke Sephton saw an effort cleared off the line while Hoyle, Camara, and Teague all joined in on the action from a series of in-swinging Walder corners causing near panic in the home defence, but Rams couldn’t force the ball home.

When Glossop did try to fashion a breakaway, their intentions were either read by Walder, playing with real football intelligence, while a couple of longer searching through balls, were read by the immaculate Rose, who calmly stepped forwards and to gather the ball cleanly and with great assurance.

Rams kept pressing and, despite the exhaustion, the closing minutes saw one of the best moves as Tom Hoyle sprinted down the left channel before cutting inside and firing in a shot which was well was saved by home keeper in front of the massed home fans.

The best chance though arrived at the feet of Luke Sephton who, with minutes to go, fired goalwards only to again see the young debutant Glossop keeper, Alex Brown, who was outstanding all game, make a superb save to push the ball over the bar when a goal looked a certainty.

There was one last controversy as the full time whistle blew with the Tom Hoyle inside the Glossop box just as he was about to drill the ball across the six yard line! 

In recent weeks, the Rams have won 4-1 at Padiham, 6-0 at Burscough and 4-0 at Litherland. This performance however must rank alongside them. It might be recorded as nil-nil draw on a grey November day but was in reality one of the great away performances, one worthy of a team sitting proudly on top of the table at the halfway stage.

Manager Steve Wilkes cut a frustrated but proud figure: “Once again I’m proud of my players. To play for over 60 minutes with 10 men and still be by far the better team that created numerous chances, says a lot about this group.

“We are disappointed we didn’t take all three points with the chances we had but the effort was there for all to see.

“We’ve now played half our league games and we’d have snatched anyone’s hands off to be 6 points clear at this stage. We know we have a long way to go, but we’ll just keep taking one game at a time.”

RAMSBOTTOM UNITED: Rose, Radcliffe, Hayhurst, Teague, S,Sephton, Walder, Stacey (Lynch 72mins), L.Sephton, Camara (Khan 72mins), Whyte, Hoyle. Subs not used: Tinker, Ogunby

Att: 325