We once again dip into the Ramsbottom United archives to see what happened on this respective Saturday in our non-league semi-professional history. And, it will be centered on 2010, 2004 and 1999.
SATURDAY 25TH SEPTEMBER 2010
WINSFORD UNITED 3 RAMSBOTTOM UNITED 5
(Chris Woolfall’s report from the very old RUFC website)
Ramsbottom United climbed to second in the Vodkat League Premier Division but not without some nervy moments as they defeated nine-man Winsford United 5-3.
In ten years of watching Rammy I don’t think I have seen a game so bizarre, it had eight goals, one missed penalty, four Winsford players taken off injured. One unfortunately needing hospital treatment, hopefully it was not too serious.
Winsford ended up with only nine men on the field after 36 minutes but to their credit they took the game to Rammy clawing their way back from two nil to two each before succumbing to the obvious.
On 5 minutes Warrender beat the offside trap to have his shot parried by the keeper only to see Phil Dean following up to score.
11 mins Rothel beats the offside trap yet again to see his shot tipped over by the Winsford keeper. The speed of the Rams attacking is causing no end of problems for Winsford and on 13 mins Dean flies through on the left and his perfect cross is tucked away by Gaskell.
It was almost 3-0 on 22 mins when only a last ditch tackle prevents Pilkington from getting on the score sheet. At this point Rammy fans are drooling and looking forward to a rout! This all changed 4 mins later when the no.5 for Winsford sustained a nasty injury in an innocent collision with a Rammy player. The game was held up for 20 mins with an ambulance having to be called, apparently it looked like injuries to his ribs that was causing breathing difficulties.
On 36 mins yet another Winsford player gets injured and was carried off on a stretcher by Rammy players who where all still off the pitch when the ref blew to restart the game! Winsford are now down to 9 players but if anything it served to galvanise them and on 39 mins they got back into the game. Flannery gave away a corner and from it Thompson rose above the Rammy defence unchallenged and its 2-1.
When the half time whistle eventually came it was ten past four, an hour and twelve mins since kick off.
2nd Half – Rammy started the half very nervously making silly mistakes with many passes going astray, Winsford nearly equalise on 49 mins when Shenton blocks a goal bound shot after a defensive mix up. At this point you could be forgiven for thinking it was Rammy who where 2 men down not Winsford!
60 mins and Winsford get a deserved equaliser when Stewart hooks the ball home from short range as Rammy fail to clear their lines.
One minute later Gaskell is brought down in the Winsford area by the keeper, all Rammy fans are praying he does not get sent off thereby causing the match to be abandoned! Gaskell takes the penalty but the keeper makes amends with a fine diving save. Nothing is going right for Rammy now as Sharples blazes wildly over on 65 mins
66 Smalley replaces Drew
67 Morrison is booked for leading with his elbow as the team seems to be both losing shape and discipline.
69 Morley returns from suspension and replaces Dean, 7 mins later he is booked for a two footed tackle
78 Rammy get back in front, Smalley crosses from the right and Morrison is at hand at the far post to tuck it away.
80 The two goal difference is re-established, Morley beautifully chips the defence and Gaskell smashes the ball into the net.
Jitters over? Not so as on 84 mins a free kick is lofted high into the Rammy area. Shenton calls for it but is nowhere near when it arrives allowing McCallister to head into an empty net. Winsford are not out of it yet and its going to be a very tense last 6 mins.
89 Rammy break away and race up field en-masse outstripping the Winsford defence, it seems Gaskell must score but the keeper who has had a good game makes another fine save,
90 mins and the coup-de- grace is served, again a break away, Morrison shoots his shot is parried and and Gaskell puts the rebound away for his hat trick.
If you were a neutral you would be thinking the admission was money well spent, as for Rammy fans it was wildly beating hearts and more grey hairs. As Winsford much credit should go to them for making a game of it.
RAMSBOTTOM UNITED: Shenton, Warrender, Rothel(Shuttleworth 69mins), Pilkington, Dawson, Flannery, Gaskell, Drew, Johnson(Morrison 72mins), Sharples, Dean(Saunders 82mins) Subs not used: Blackley, O’Neill
SATURDAY 25TH SEPTEMBER 2004
NEWCASTLE BENFIELD SAINTS 1 RAMSBOTTOM UNITED 1
FA VASE 1st QUALIFYING ROUND
(Report via the Lancashire Telegraph archives)
A COMBINATION of determination and good fortune ensured the Rams gained a second bite at the cherry, after a hard fought 120 minutes of football could not divide the two teams.
Rams’ boss Derek Egan was forced into reshuffling his side, with both Lee Buggie and John Blackley unavailable, midfielder Shaun Spence becoming a makeshift centre back.
Liam Denning was given his first start since the opening day of the season, with Mark Andrews preferred to Steve Dryden in goal, producing a superb performance to almost single-handedly help the Rams to a draw.
The early exchanges saw the Rams looking to push forward and much of their play was going through pacy and powwerful target man Ewan Purcell.
On five minutes a hopeful ball found him and he cut in between two defenders and rounded the stranded Andrew Grainger, but unfortunately he lost his footing with an empty goal in his sights.
For the Saints Tony Ross and Anthony Woodhouse continuously broke through the left side of the defence, and only some resolute tackling and outstanding goalkeeping from Andrews prevented them taking the lead.
The Rams opened the scoring on 14 minutes when a crossfield ball from the left found Matt Edgington, he cut inside the full back before unleashing an unstoppable left footed drive that flew into the top corner.
This lifted the visiting players and the threat on the Newcastle goal increased with Adam Kozlowski and Edgington testing Grainger with stinging shots.
After Andrews pulled off another stunning save from a Woodhouse strike, the Rams almost grabbed the vital second on 40 minutes, when a swinging corner from Adam Cook fell kindly to Purcell, but his effort crashed off the underside of the crossbar and was swept away to safety.
Moments after the restart the Saints grabbed an equaliser through Kevin Gustard.
The ball was knocked on by Woodhouse and Gustard was able to find a gap in the Rams’ backline before sliding the ball underneath the legs of the advancing Andrews. This led to Rams’ boss Derek Egan substituting Kyle Ingham for Spence.
On 55 minutes Newcastle almost grabbed the lead when Karl Baston powered a header towards goal but was once again foiled by Andrews.
Throughout the second period he was called into action on a number of occasions, although another effort from Gustard rebounded off the upright.
As the clock approached 90 minutes a series of corners culminated in a header from Baston across goal hitting the bar, the follow up being struck sweetly against the head of Bill Robertson, who somehow diverted the ball to safety despite his apparent lack of knowledge over what had happened!
Both sides failed to create any meaningful chances in the extra time, and the replay takes place tonight at the Riverside with a 7.45pm kick-off.
RAMSBOTTOM: Andrews, Raywood, Skarratt, Kozlowski, Robertson, Spence, Edgington, Denning, Purcell, Brooks, Cook. Subs: Morris (for Purcell), Mackay, Fletcher (for Edgington), Ingham (for Spence), Dryden.
SATURDAY 25TH SEPTEMBER 1999
WASHINGTON IKEA 0 RAMSBOTTOM UNITED 7
FA VASE PRELIMINARY ROUND
There is very little about this game – can’t even find a reference to the team we played! Maybe they didn’t exist very long after they were hammered 7-0 at home to the Rams with goals from Brendan O’Shaughnessy, David Yorke-Robinson, Steve Brennan and Russell Brierley.
Steve Orrell wasn’t available as he was at a wedding while assistant manager Mike Kelly remained in goal – not that he had much to do!
