Yet again an attempt by the Ramsbottom United team to garner much needed points fell flat on a cold and windy day on Merseyside.
Desperate for points in an effort to escape the clutches of relegation, the Rams ultimately fell short and the points deservedly remained with the home side.
After a fairly even start, Cables began to exert pressure and Rams keeper Harry Turner was called upon to twice thwart the home side with fine saves.
However he and his defence were nowhere to be seen as the home side took the lead on 28 minutes.
Former Ram, John Murphy, was injured in a clash on the left hand side of the penalty area, and whilst waiting on the side-lines to return from treatment, the subsequent free-kick flew over the heads of everyone in the area, leaving an unmarked Tom Dean to nip in at the far post for the ten men and tuck the ball home.
With Turner having been called upon yet again to maintain the one goal deficit, it was somewhat against the run of play that the visitors grabbed a lifeline.
Henri Ogunby fastened on to a through ball but was bundled over in the penalty area, giving James Murphy the opportunity to score from the spot, which he promptly did to regain parity.
Going in level at the break seemed to be the tonic the Rams needed, as they came out for the second half much more determined, with a series of attacks and corners. Alas the home defence dealt with the threat and on 62 minutes provided a sucker punch as they regained the lead.
Jack Goodwin floated around the edge of the penalty area, riding two or three challenges before turning and firing home a low drive past the outstretched arms of Turner.
From that point on it seemed almost inevitable that the points would stay on Merseyside as the home side wrestled control and thwarted whatever the visitors could muster.
The killer third goal came on 83 minutes, and as so often is the case, it was the former Ramsbottom player, John Murphy, who did the damage.
He was in the right place as the ball fell to him in the area, and he confidently swept the ball home to kill off any remote chance of the Rams staging a fightback.
Another disappointing and disjointed 90 minutes for the Rams who really do need to roll up their sleeves for the forthcoming fixtures as the league table is causing much concern amongst the Rammy contingent.
RAMSBOTTOM UNITED: Turner, Collinge, Neville(Halfacre 84mins), Lugsden, Barlow, Osi-Efa(Southworth 79mins), Hasler-Cregg, McKenna, Ogunby(Croughan 67mins), Donaldson, Murphy Subs not used: Fitzgerald, Jennings
