ABBEY HEY PREVIEW
Happy New Year – welcome to 2025! And after the festivities and the excitement of the Gigg Lane draw and the last gasp winner against Squires Gate, focus turns to the remaining 17 league games to see whether 2025 can be “The Year of the Ram”.
MATCH: Abbey Hey v Ramsbottom United
VENUE: The Abbey Stadium, Goredale Avenue, Gorton, M18 7HD
COMPETITION: North West Counties League Premier Division
DATE: Saturday 4th January 2025
KICK-OFF: 3:00pm
ADMISSION: Adults £7 | Concessions £4 | Children £2
OVERVIEW:
It’s been a fantastic season so far, just like the good old days. The Rammy faithful will be hoping that the new year will see a continuation of the thrills and spills that has seen their side up at the top of the table, challenging for honours in the first half of the season.
The Rams came out unscathed from the hectic nature of the Christmas schedule, taking seven points from the possible nine and, but for a highly dubious penalty award on Boxing Day that pleased 5,400 of the viewing NWCFL Premier Division record crowd, could have maxed out.
But focus now turns to mid-table Abbey Hey as we head down to the Abbey Stadium for the first time in over 15 years. However, take this game lightly at your peril as the hosts will be looking to complete a triumvirate of results against the top three teams, having defeated Chadderton 2-1 on Boxing Day and taken a point away from Gigg Lane within their last four games.
The Gorton-based side are unbeaten in their last four fixtures, winning last Saturday 1-0 away at Cheadle Town to lift them to 40 points from their 29 games played and are firmly in the pack of chasing sides looking up at the play-off places just 10 points ahead of them.
As for the Rams, the unbeaten league run stands at 17 and they come into 2025 and this fixture level on points with Bury having played a game less and only goal difference separating them. Chadderton, who the Rams face next weekend, are five points adrift having played two more games.
Is it a two horse race for the title? Definitely not … Lower Breck are quietly going about their business too and – oh yes, we travel to Merseyside in two weeks time! One thing is for certain, the next four months are going to be quite something! Buckle up, Rammy fans, it’s gonna be fun!!
HISTORY:
Abbey Hey are a side that we have played a lot in the past, starting off in the Manchester League and subsequently in the NWCFL Division 1 and Premier Division throughout the 2000s.
This will be the 27th competitive fixture between the sides and the Rams have an impressive 16-6 head-to-head record (four draws) and a commanding 42-18 goal tally.
We met for the first time since 2010 in the July sunshine earlier in the season when the Rams came through 3-0 to the good, thanks to goals from Luke Sephton, Oscar Radcliffe (pictured above) and an own goal. But, prior to that, the Rams had won the previous three and have gone 363 minutes against Abbey Hey without conceding, winning the last four games 1-0, 2-0, 1-0 and 3-0.
Our record at the Abbey Stadium is very good but don’t expect many goals! In the 13 previous matches, the Rams have won 9 to Abbey Hey’s two (2 draws) and the goals tally is just 18-6 in the Rams favour and it was 2004 that the Rams last went there and returned empty handed, eight games ago.
STEVE WILKES SAYS:
“Happy New Year to everyone!
“Phew, that was a nailbiter on Saturday. Sometimes you just have to win games ugly and that’s what we did against Squires Gate. Full credit to the players who never gave up right to the end.
“But we head into this game against very difficult opponents in Abbey Hey, who have showed in recent times that they are not scared to get stuck in as they took a point from Bury and beat Chadderton so they will be looking to do a job on us too.
“We have to show them maximum respect, which we will, and play the way that we have done over the last few months.”
