LOWER BRECK PREVIEW
After a weather enforced weekend off, the Rams face a tough encounter against familiar faces as we head over to Liverpool to face fourth-placed Lower Breck at their fortress-like home venue of Anfield Sports Centre.
MATCH: Lower Breck v Ramsbottom United
VENUE: Anfield Sports Community Centre, Lower Breck Road, Liverpool, L6 0AG
COMPETITION: North West Counties League Premier Division
DATE: Saturday 18th January 2025
KICK-OFF: 3:00pm
ADMISSION: Adults £6, Concessions £4, Under 16’s £2, Under 13’s accompanied by an adult £0
OVERVIEW:
A point clear at the top of the table with a game in hand, the Rams sit proudly astride the division but, like cobras in the grass, there is a quiet foe going about their business, without fanfare and without being seriously spoken about.
With two games in hand over the Rams, Lower Breck are ten points behind in fourth. Unbeaten in their last nine, winning eight of them across all competitions and winners of the NWCFL Club of the Month award for December 2024, they are putting together a run that, whilst going quietly about it, will challenge the top three sides.
And they have lost just one game at home – the only other side in the division to do so alongside ourselves – when they lost 1-0 back in October to Stockport Town. Ten wins, two draws and a single loss from their 13 games – although Breck haven’t played a full game since before Christmas as the weather has put paid to their activity.
But this game pits the best team defensively away from home – the Rams have conceded just 12 in their 16 games on the road – against the second best defensive team at home, Breck have conceded 14 across their 13 games … only the Rams’ 11 from 14 games stumps that.
It probably goes without saying that this is match of the day in NWCFL Premier Division and will prove a stern test of the Rams’ credentials. After all, Breck did down Bury 4-3 back in November, holding on after going 4-1 up with 15 minutes to go.
Add into the mix a number of very familiar faces in the Lower Breck team and dug out – Fitzgerald, Collinge and Croughan plus Donafee and Hemmingway on the sidelines – they will certainly be out to stop the Rams remarkable unbeaten run which sits at 18 games.
3pm kick off over in Liverpool – the Rams need your support. Let’s get behind the lads!
HISTORY:
This will be the fourth league meeting between the sides since the first last year and the Rams did take all three points from the reverse fixture back in late August when goals from Harvey Hayhurst, Tom Hoyle and Oumar Camara was enough to see off the visitors, despite Tom Douglas equalising after ten minutes.
Our only visit to Anfield Sports Centre came in September 2023 and it was memorable for goalkeeper Ryan Hamer’s 22nd minute red-card which forced Luke Roscoe to don the gloves and be a rabbit in headlights as he conceded five second half goals from the 57th minute as the hosts ran out 5-2 winners.
STEVE WILKES SAYS:
“It will be good to get back on the park again after last weekend’s postponement but we know how difficult this game will be against Lower Breck.
“They have had a great season so far and are on a really good run of results, as well as having a terrific home record this season so we know it won’t be easy to go there and get a result.
“However, we have been to a number of places recently where we knew it would be hard to get a result and played well so we go into this game with the same mentality.”