CHEADLE AND AFC PREVIEWS
It is time for a quick-fire double header as the Rams put their eight match unbeaten run on the line as Cheadle Town and AFC Liverpool head to the HWRS in the space of four days this week.
MATCH: Ramsbottom United vs Cheadle Town
VENUE: Harry Williams Riverside Stadium, Ramsbottom, BL0 0BS
COMPETITION: North West Counties Premier Division
DATE: Saturday 12th October 2024
KICK-OFF: 3:00pm
ADMISSION: Adults – £9, Concessions – £5, U12 – £1 (with paying adult) – CASH ONLY
MATCH: Ramsbottom United vs AFC Liverpool
VENUE: Harry Williams Riverside Stadium, Ramsbottom, BL0 0BS
COMPETITION: North West Counties Premier Division
DATE: Tuesday 15th October 2024
KICK-OFF: 7:45pm
ADMISSION: Adults – £9, Concessions – £5, U12 – £1 (with paying adult) – CASH ONLY
OVERVIEW:
First up is Cheadle Town, a side that if they were writing a preview of the game, they would probably pitch it in a similar way to the way that we did for matches against Colne! However, they proved a significantly tough nut to crack on a wet and windy night under the flight path of Manchester Airport just a fortnight ago.
Maine Walder’s 54th minute strike was all the separated the two sides as the Rams held out for a very hard-fought 1-0 victory which completely belied Cheadle’s 17th place standing as they played some attractive football and, on another night, could and should have taken something from the contest.
They will travel to the HWRS on Saturday hoping to turn around their form, not only in the league but also in games against the Rams who have won the last five meetings since the fateful 20 February 2001 2-1 victory at the Riverside, their only success in seven visits to our part of East Lancashire.
The Rams put their eight match unbeaten run on the line though having been forced to battle for a point at Barnoldswick Town on Tuesday night that stopped a run of five successive victories – as they say, you can’t win ’em all but Steve Wilkes was a relieved man at the end of the game to have come away with at least something.
Whatever happens in the Cheadle Town game, there is the standard – but for the last time in a month – quick turn around before AFC Liverpool visit the HWRS on Tuesday night.
The Liverpudlians, who share with Marine for their home games, travel currently in fifth place in the table with nine wins from their opening 16 games and one of the sides that are hot on the Rams heels and they will be hoping for a repeat of their visit back in March this year when they grabbed a 2-1 success despite Harvey Whyte’s first minute goal that was usurped by Luke Porter and Liam Paton either side of the break.
They have won five of their nine games on the road so far while the Rams have seven successes in home games from 10 starts – so it promises to be quite a tussle between two good sides. However, they have only won one of their last three league games, including a 7-1 home loss to Chadderton and a 3-2 loss at FC St Helens before bouncing back to form with a 5-1 victory against Burscough.
HISTORY:
This is the 18th meeting between Rammy and Cheadle Town with the Rams ahead 13-2 in the head to head stakes with two draws – the last of those coming in 1999 and the last at the HWRS, the first ever meeting in 1995!
Since returning to the NWCFL in 2023, the Rams have won all three games against Cheadle Town and have not conceded a goal, scoring four in the process, including the 1-0 win just a couple of weeks ago.
Just the five previous meetings with AFC Liverpool, the first coming in our promotion season and the pivotal 2-1 loss on 29 February 2012 that caused the managers to stay late into the night at Prescot Cables (before they were kicked off as the staff wanted to go home!).
But the meetings last season were shared with two away wins – the Rams winning at Marine Travel Arena 3-2 before AFC Liverpool returned the favour 2-1 in March. The Rams led 3-2 in the head to head and 13-7 goals wise – boosted by a 5-0 FA Cup preliminary round win in 2013.
STEVE WILKES’ THOUGHTS:
“We definitely got away with one on Tuesday! After a hard weekend on Isle of Man, we looked to be out on our feet.
“But missing key players in Maine, Harvey and Rob, it was always going to be tough and I can only give credit to the players for keeping going when it was clear that they weren’t at their best.
“However, we cannot dwell on that game and move forward to our last back-to-back game for a while starting with Cheadle Town, who gave us a tough game last time out at their place and we did well to come away with all three points.
“Then it’s AFC Liverpool who are having a good season and are in the play off places, so neither game is going to be easy but we are going well right now and the lads are showing a lot of class and hard graft for us.”
