HALF SEASON REPORT – SO FAR SO GOOD
Pre-season got underway all the way back in early July with a 2-1 win against Rossendale at Marl Pits.
Fortunately, most of his targets agreed to join the Rams, and in came the likes of Andy Teague, Scott Sephton, Rhys Turner and Rob Wilson, all experienced players at non-league level.
To counter the experience, he also brought in highly rated youngsters in goalkeeper Brad Rose and forward Tom Hoyle, and the addition of these players to those already at the HWRS has proved immense.
Although there was an early shock when the campaign opened at Pilkington in July, when a last minute strike gained us our first point in a game the fans had gone to expecting an opening day victory.
Those victories would come in the league with four on the bounce following, giving the team an impressive 13 points from the first 15, with just a disappointing early exit against NPL Stalybridge Celtic in the FA Cup spoiling the run.
Then came the game away at Colne!
The home side were bottom of the league and we were top. However, the record against the Pendle-based club in recent seasons has been woeful, so there was a feeling of expectation more than disappointment when we returned home on the back of a 0-1 defeat – Colne’s first win of the season!
Lower Breck and South Liverpool were seen off at the HWRS as the impressive league start continued, but, having taken an early lead at the wind-swept ground of Longridge Town, the wheels came off as the home side totally dominated the rest of the game and deservedly won 3-1.
The home form then began to dip as the away performances improved.
Struggling Glossop North End wrestled a point from the Rams before Isle of Man arrived and came from behind to take all three points in a disappointing encounter.
However, as if to blow away any cobwebs, it was followed just days later with a trip to Burscough. Having let a three goal lead slip there last season, many were wondering whether history would repeat itself as the visitors again raced into a three goal advantage. Three more goals did indeed arrive, but this time for the Rams, and a superb 6-0 victory rebooted the campaign.
Games during the first three months of the season were coming thick and fast, and within days of the Burscough game, hot favourites Bury came to town. With a gate of over 1700, the Shakers returned to Gigg Lane with just a single point courtesy of a late leveller, then the other Bury Borough side, Prestwich Heys made the short journey, but went back down the A56 pointless.
A horrible Wednesday night saw a win at Cheadle Town in driving rain, before the return game against Colne.
Could we finally rid ourselves of the hoo-doo? Well, at last, the answer was “yes”, and a comfortable victory saw us back on top of the league and about to embark on an impressive run of league games without defeat.
A penalty shoot-out at West Didsbury and Chorlton, saw us progress in the league Macron Cup, whilst the league action continued with an excellent away victory on the Isle of Man.
After a tiring few days, a 1-1 draw at Barnoldswick Town was probably understandable, but this was a game that last season would have seen us defeated, as the home side turned the screw in the second half. Fortunately, this years Ramsbottom United squad is much more resilient.
Cheadle Town and AFC Liverpool were both defeated at home, whilst Euxton Villa suffered the same fate in the FA Vase.
An uncompromising 4-0 victory at the Litherland REMYCA sports centre was followed by a trip to old foes Glossop North End, where a contentious dismissal had us playing most of the game with ten men, yet returning disappointed with just a single point.
An early exit in the FA Vase then occurred over the Yorkshire border at Silsden, where another dismissal did not help, but in reality we were the better side but could just not convert chances on the day.
A comfortable home win against Pilkington came just ahead of the first of the bad weather which saw our Macron Cup game at home to Stockport Georgians postponed.
The following Saturday we made the journey back to West Didsbury, this time for a league encounter, with congratulations to the home side’s ground staff for allowing the game to go ahead in dreadful conditions, but we were glad it did as a superb performance saw us return home with a fully-deserved three points. The only downside being a nasty injury to the imperious Scott Sephton that could well keep him out for the rest of the season.
Further progress was made in the Macron Cup when the game against Georgians finally took place, before a draw at Irlam kept the Rams top of the table with just over half the league fixtures played.
So, all-in-all, an encouraging first half of the campaign.
Disappointing that the two FA competitions did not see us enjoy too much progression, but the number one target from the beginning of the season has always been to win the league and regain our position back in the NPL.
To that end, we appear to be very much on target.
The performances in most games this season are a million miles ahead of those from the last campaign. The squad, constantly being improved as the season progresses, is much stronger, and the supporters are certainly enjoying the journey, having endured some pretty poor years previously.
The Rams are still in the Macron Cup, so a possibility of silver-wear is on the horizon, but the league remains the number one objective.
It will need a second half of the season to be as good as the first.
Bury remain strong favourites, but we are not allowing them to race away, whilst at the same time, appreciating that the likes of Chadderton and Lower Breck are chasing our coat-tails.
It’s been highly entertaining so far, and with so many games now out of the way, the hope is that the weather over the next four months, improves dramatically on that from last winter, and that the Rams assault on the title continues uninterrupted, as we return to playing, most weeks, just one game every seven days.
