OTS – 12th AUGUST
Let’s have a look back at what happened ‘On This Saturday’ in Ramsbottom United’s semi-professional history – today being Saturday 12 August.
SATURDAY 12 AUGUST 2017
RAMSBOTTOM UNITED 2 TADCASTER ALBION 1
It was the start of our second season back in the Northern Premier League Division One North in 2017 and we faced North Yorkshire opponents at the HWRS in Tadcaster Albion.
Having closed out the end of the previous season in 14th place after our relegation from the NPL Premier Division in 2015, there was some encouragement as the Rams won their last two games against Radcliffe Borough and Burscough (having not won in nine prior to that).
So hope was, as normal, high as the campaign kicked off once more under the sole management of Mark Fell – having disposed of his co-partner Paul Fildes midway through the previous year.
With five debutants in the starting line-up, it took just eight minutes for the home fans to be even more encouraged when a through ball from Lee Gaskell found new signing Jerome Wright to confidently beat the Tadcaster stopper for the early lead.
And there was a prolonged period of pressure with Wright at the fore and Tom Brooks missed a great chance on 35 minutes as the Rams looked to extend their lead.
They couldn’t achieve it, only for the visitors to level five minutes from the break. A right sided free kick was flicked on and found the feet of the visitors striker Tom Corner who slotted past Martin Fearon in the Rammy goal.
This galvanised the away team and they came out strongly in the second period, maybe boosted by the Rams getting a little frustrated with the referee’s liberal awarding of free-kicks resulting in two yellow cards for Wright and Brooks prior to half-time.
As the match progressed, it was looking more likely that the Rams would get the winner as they were finding plenty of opportunities but without that killer edge.
The moment of the game came with 5 minutes remaining when substitute Max Hazeldine’s pace won a free kick on the right hand touchline, up stepped Jerome Wright to whip in a stunning free kick over the wall before hitting the post and bouncing just over the line leaving Ingham stranded, Luke Thompson was on hand to make sure bundling the ball into the back of the net but it was Wright’s goal and one worthy of winning any game.
The visitors pushed for an equaliser but the game had one last point of note on 92 minutes when Hazeldine was given a second yellow card for closing down and making contact with the Tadcaster keeper Ingham resulting in a red card for the Ramsbottom forward but it didn’t distract from the Rams getting off to a winning start.
Ramsbottom United: Fearon, Heathcote, Brownhill, Stott, Thompson, Roscoe, Brooks (Williams 81), Pierce (Moran 75), Gaskell, (Hazeldine 63), Daniels, Wright. Sub not used: Meaney, Rother.
SATURDAY 12 AUGUST 2006
RAMSBOTTOM UNITED 2 ATHERTON COLLIERIES 2
Ramsbottom felt aggreived after a 94th minute penalty robbed them of taking all the points against Atherton Collieries.
Ramsbottom started off the brighter of the two sides and created a couple of half chances before Ryan Moore took advantage of a poor clearance by the Atherton keeper in the 31st minute.
However, Atherton got back on level terms when Paul O’Shaughnessy allowed Anthony Pilkington to nip in and curl the ball past the stranded Campbell in the Rams goal.
The second half saw a much improved Ramsbottom performance and Steve MacDonald started to run the show on the left.
Ramsbottom had a good looking penalty shout turned down on 51 minutes when MacDonald was upended but they re-took the lead from the spot on 74 minutes.
Matthews was tripped just inside the area and MacDonald slammed home the kick.
But Atherton got a penalty of their own in stoppage time when keeper Campbell clattered into a Collieries striker as the visitors pumped the ball forward and they stole a point from the converted kick.
Ramsbottom United: Campbell, Holdsworth, Blackley, Rhodes, O’Shaughnessy (Steele 59), Matthews, McManus, Moore, Johnson (Smith 88), McDonald (Rogers 80), Cryer.
SATURDAY 12 AUGUST 2000 & SATURDAY 12 AUGUST 1995
We were still a week away from the start of the league campaign in these two seasons.
