There might not be a Rammy game today but, we at RamsbottomUnited365, are able to look back and see what happened on previous Saturday’s in our non-league semi-professional history. And, it will be centered on 2010, 2004 and 1999.
SATURDAY 4th SEPTEMBER 2010
MAINE ROAD 0 RAMSBOTTOM UNITED 3
(Richard Isaacs’ report from the very old RUFC website)
The Rams bounced back to form with a clinical thrashing of Maine Road, winning 3-0 as the visitors played all the football and the hosts relied heavily on the long ball.
Appropriately, on what was decreed “Non-League Day”, the events at Brantingham Road were best described by a Felixstowe Town supporter who was in Manchester for a wedding, but who decided he would rather join the spirit of non-league friendship and come to a game instead (that no doubt went down well!) He declared that Ramsbottom played all the football, whilst Maine Road relied on the long ball.
Games between these sides are usually entertaining and controversial, and this was no exception.
The controversy came as early as the seventh minute when Road’s O’Shea outwitted the visiting defence and bore down on goal, only to be brought down by Grant Shenton in the Rams goal. A red card looked inevitable, but the referee decided that the ball was going away from goal and produced just a yellow. To rub salt into the wounds, Shenton then celebrated his escape by producing a fine save, diving to his right to deny O’Shea for a second time.
The rest of the game supplied the entertainment as both sides played a neat passing game with the visitors holding the upper hand throughout.
Before the penalty drama, the Rams could have taken the lead when Mark Sharples fed Lee Gaskell, but his effort was blocked by Jones in the home goal, and Jones was in action after 17 minutes when a through ball found the tireless Mickey Saunders scampering down the middle only for his shot to be smothered.
At the other end, a long ball over the Rams defence found Beckford on the right and his perfect cross was somehow turned over the bar by Inyang.
Saunders then sent over a cross for Gaskell, but the keeper intervened just in time, and he then had to deal with a fierce drive from Bernard Morley to keep the visitors at bay.
However, the deserved goal wasn’t long in coming, and spectacular it was, too, for after 31 minutes Morley played the ball into the right hand side of the penalty area, where a stunning over head kick from Saunders found the on-rushing Gaskell, who opened his account for the Rams with a fierce header past the bewildered Jones.
Two minutes later the visitors increased their lead when Eddie O’Neill fed Saunders, and the tiny striker outpaced the Road defence to score with a shot that deflected off the keeper on it’s way in.
The home side had the chance to reduce the deficit when a poor ball from Morley set up a cross into the Rams box, but fortunately no one was on hand to convert.
Just as the half-time whistle was due to be blown, Andy Dawson sent in a rasping free-kick from 35 yards that the home keeper did well to palm over the bar.
The Rams continued to dominate in the second half, with Maine Road struggling to get through the hard-working United defence, and it was no surprise when the visitors added to the lead after 66 minutes. Home substitute Rowe had only just come on when he slipped and allowed a through ball to reach the ever-alert Saunders, who, not for the first time, raced down on goal and beat the advancing custodian to score his second and the Rams third of the afternoon.
Morley had a close range effort stifled by the keeper, then needed too much time to control the ball at the edge of the box following an excellent run down the left by Phil Dean.
The visitors then seemed to back off and allow the home side to take the game to them. The flat back four were caught out on a number of occasions, and twice Shenton had to be at his best to deny the home side a consolation.
At the other end, Joel Pilkington should have done better when he sailed through the home defence only to see his shot palmed away for a corner, then Anthony Johnson really should have made it four. Excellent work by Andy Sensale on the right hand side of the area saw him round the home keeper before playing the ball back for the unmarked player-manager who somehow contrived to hit a post with a gaping goal ahead of him.
The final piece of action saw Shenton brilliantly deny the home side a goal when his foot did just enough to clear the ball off the line, and thus maintain the clean sheet that he deserved.
All in all, a solid, professional performance from the Rams, and a deserved three points from a hugely entertaining game.
RAMSBOTTOM UNITED: Shenton, Warrender, Dean, Pilkington, Dawson, Flannery, Gaskell(Sensale 75mins), Morley, Saunders, Sharples(Johnson 75mins), O’Neill(Drew 60mins) Subs not used: Blackley, Campbell
NEWS: As well as new signing Lee Gaskell who had a fine debut in midweek against Padiham, and who scored a spectacular goal at Maine Road, the Rams have also signed former Witton Albion player Mark Drew from Curzon Ashton. He came on in the second half at Maine Road and put in a fine performance in midfield.
SUB NOTE: Playing in this game for Maine Road was one Edward Moran, as he was listed on the teamsheet!!
SATURDAY 4th SEPTEMBER 2004
RAMSBOTTOM UNITED 3 EVENWOOD TOWN 0
FA CUP EXTRA PRELIMINARY ROUND
(Chris Boothman’s report via the Lancashire Telegraph archives)
FA Cup Preliminary Round: THIS season’s tilt at FA Cup glory was ushered in with a convincing win over Northern League outfit, Evenwood Town, struggling in the lower reaches of the Northern League Division Two.
Victory has set up a lucrative tie in the next round against Unibond outfit Colwyn Bay.
Manager Derek Egan once again made changes with Lee Buggie and Matt Edgington replacing Chris Mackay and Kyle Ingham.
Both sides started well and it was the visitors who gained the early initiative with the Rams struggling to get their passing game into play.
Credit must be given to Evenwood who set out their game plan to dismantle any flowing moves the Rams attempted to play, and for the majority of the first half this was successful.
However, the Newcastle-based side had their goalkeeper, Mark Bell, to thank for keeping the score line goalless when both Michael Saunders and Adam Cook spurned good chances.
But the best chance of the opening exchanges fell to Evenwood’s Darren Tate, fortunately for the Rams his snapshot from inside the area was dragged wide of the target.
This let-off inspired the home side to push forward in search of the opener and Saunders was unlucky to see his delicate lob soar wide of the upright with Bell in no man’s land.
On 36 minutes Cook again found space on the left wing and his low drive flew marginally wide of the post.
Goalless at the break the Rams made an almost instant impact at the beginning of the second half.
Edgington was given the ball on the right and his inviting cross was met by Buggie who made no mistake from eight yards, powering his header beyond the motionless Bell.
Saunders, along with Edgington and Cook were becoming key figures for the Rams, their trickery and pace causing Evenwood all sorts of problems.
Adam Kozlowski almost doubled the lead on 64 minutes when his strike with the outside of his boot was expertly saved by Bell.
The Rams then introduced both Chris Mackay and Matt Henry and this combination enabled the home side to extend their lead on 78 minutes.
A deep corner from Mackay found Henry whose header despatched the ball powerfully into the corner of the net.
Evenwood were totally outplayed throughout the second half and their only chance fell moments after the Rams had doubled their lead when a looping header hit the crossbar twice but bounced away to safety.
On 85 minutes a long clearance from the back appeared to be easily dealt with by Bell, but an awkward bounce saw the ball loop over the head of the stranded keeper and Saunders sneaked in behind the defence and slotted the ball into the empty net to seal an impressive victory for the Rams.
RAMSBOTTOM UNITED: Dryden, Raywood, Brooks, Kozlowski, Robertson, Blackley, Edgington, Morley, Saunders, Buggie, Cook. Subs: Skarratt, Mackay (for Cook), Fletcher (for Blackley), Henry (for Buggie), Lynch.
SATURDAY 4th SEPTEMBER 1999
RAMSBOTTOM UNITED 1 FLEETWOOD FREEPORT 2
(Report from the Lancashire Telegraph archives)
UNITED gave their unbeaten opponents a two-goal lead before a stirring fight-back had Fleetwood on the ropes, but the home side failed to find the vital knockout blows.
Ramsbottom’s dream of a second successive FA Cup run started brightly when Brendan O’Shaughnessy threaded a delicate pass through to Chris Barlow, whose shot was blocked at the expense of a corner.
Big defender Neil Wallace got in a strong header from the flag kick but the ball flew a yard over.
In the opening 30 minutes there was nothing to choose between the two sides as play moved from end to end, although neither goalkeeper had any serious problems.
The Rams looked to be shading a close contest against their unbeaten visitors when Andy Maines struck a fierce 20 yard shot that Rams keeper Mike Kelly had covered as he dived to his left, but a wicked deflection off Warren Brierley left him helpless and Fleetwood had the breakthrough. The goal came on 37 minutes and although Ramsbottom applied some serious pressure, with David Yorke-Robinson and Steve Brennan going close, the visitors hung on to their fortuitous lead until half time.
Within two minutes of the restart Freeport went two up, substitute Paul Ludlow picked the ball up just inside his own half and was allowed to make a 50 yard run completely unchallenged before beating Kelly with a low shot into the bottom corner.
To their credit Ramsbottom put this appalling error behind them and took the game by the scruff of the neck and deservedly pulled a goal back on 65 minutes.
Yorke-Robinson and Brennan combined on the right before Yorke-Robinson whipped in a left footed cross to the near post and the hard-working Andy Clarke placing a downward header into the Freeport net.
In the final 20 minutes it was all Ramsbottom as they searched for a deserved equaliser and Barton in the Fleetwood goal, made two fingertip saves from Yorke-Robinson.
A string of successive corners saw some desperate defending by Fleetwood, and in the final minute, defender Dave Roach hit a thundering drive from the edge of the box that flew through a crowded penalty area, only to finish a foot wide of the upright.
This was the Rams’ first home game of the season…. read our other article today to find out why!!!
