Pinch and a punch! New month, new hope and, for the first time in a month, a road trip as the Rams switch their focus back to league matters at Glossop North End on Saturday afternoon.
MATCH: Glossop North End vs Ramsbottom United
VENUE: The Amdec Forklift Stadium, Surrey Street, Glossop, Derbyshire, SK13 7AJ (SK13 8GG for sat-nav purposes)
COMPETITION: Northern Premier League West Division
DATE: Saturday 1st October 2022
KICK-OFF: 3pm
DISTANCE FROM RAMMY: 27 miles, 40 minutes.
ADMISSION:
You can pay on the gate – Adults £10, Concessions £6, u16’s £2.
Admittance will be via cash turnstile. Programmes are £2.
OVERVIEW:
One win in seven league games so far – the brilliant 3-1 win over Mossley on Bank Holiday Monday – is all the Rams have to show for their efforts at that is certainly not the start that the players, management, supporters or anyone at Ramsbottom United would have been wishing for.
So the start of a new month dawns on Saturday and a chance to put the disappointment of conceding nine goals in their last two games behind them with a trip a trip to the Derbyshire Dales to face a side that the Rams have beaten this season already – a 2-1 FA Trophy success at the HWRS just three weeks ago.
Whilst it is far too early to be concerned – the team in sixth place only has six more points than we do right now – the Rams will certainly be targetting this fixture as one to boost their position against eighth-placed Glossop who have three wins, two draws and two defeats from their seven league encounters to date – and only recorded one win in their last seven played.
And after four games on the spin at home, the team are maybe looking forward to a game away … even if our away record isn’t the best.
HISTORY:
You may remember that the website used to run an article called “Have We Met?”. When it comes to Glossop and Ramsbottom, it is more of a case of “When Haven’t We Met?”!!
For this will be the 40th meeting between the sides since the first back in 1997 in the North West Counties League Division 1 – with the Rams winning 17, Glossop North End 13 and there has been nine draws.
Last season’s league clashes saw a 0-0 draw at the HWRS in September while the home side claimed a comprehensive 3-0 success at Surrey Street, with a goal from former Ram Jamie Rainford and a brace from Keaton Mulvey.
Leon Creech and James Murphy sandwiched Mulvey’s equaliser in the FA Trophy clash just three weeks ago but our record at Surrey Street is a real mixed bag – a horror show of a 3-0 defeat in February 2022 but a sensational 5-0 win in January 2019 being the last two games! Which one will come around this time?
STAT OF THE PREVIEW:
The last time we won a match on the road was 30 August 2021, the 3-0 win over Mossley. Since then, we have played 22 games away from the HWRS, recording six draws and 16 defeats!
TEAM NEWS:
Manager Lee Donafee is able to field a fairly full strength squad but will be minus long term absentee Owen Collinge. Luke Barlow, who limped off early in the Macclesfield defeat, remains on the sidelines while Leon Creech, who saw red just before half-time in that game, serves his one-match suspension. Khalil Osi-Efa is back in training but not yet fit enough to return while Seydou Bamba has joined Sandbach United on a dual registration to get himself some match time.
MANAGERS THOUGHTS:
Speaking to ramsbottomutd.com ahead of this weekends fixture manager Lee Donafee said: “We go to Glossop in search of a win on a lot of fronts,” he admits.
“Our performances away from home this season have been better and much improved on last season but the game will be tough but it is a game we will be looking to take to Glossop.
“We have had a hard week of training and hopefully it pays off tomorrow and we hope to give the Rammy fans something to cheer and enjoy.”
