MATCH: Ramsbottom United vs Kendal Town
VENUE: Harry Williams Riverside Stadium
COMPETITION: Northern Premier League West Division
DATE: Saturday 9th April 2022
KO: 3:00pm
ADMISSION:
You can pay on the gate – adults £9, concessions £5, students (age 17-18) £6, children under 12 £1 (with a paying adult). Pie and Peas available throughout the evening – and tea and coffee in a proper mug! Programmes are £2 each.
OVERVIEW:
Four games to go. Four games left in this season of ups and downs but four games in which security in NPL Division One West can be clinched or nervously treaded. In manager Lee Donafee’s first season in full charge of a team, he has seen his side perform admirably at times but also horribly – it has definitely been a tough introduction to life as a boss.
Some might say that Rammy have the perceived ‘easier’ run in to the end of the season. And that starts with the visit of already relegated Kendal Town to the Harry Williams Riverside Stadium on Saturday.
A team 11 games into a winless run, with not a single point since New Year’s Day and a 1-0 victory away at Colne, the Mintcakes travel south with just pride left to play for.
And that alone makes them a very dangerous animal.
Because the Rams need three points. They must take three points from this game to ensure that the dotted line, still four points beneath us but now held by Newcastle Town, remains as distant as possible.
However, with no goals in their last 448 minutes of action since Billy Hasler-Cregg’s second minute strike against Prescot Cables on March 12, there is a fear amongst some supporters that that run needs to be broken – and fast!
It is not through lack of effort, lack of attempts or lack of chances. But ‘Mother Football’ has a nasty streak of not rewarding endeavour and she needs to start smiling upon the Rams once again – before it becomes too late.
Two solid performance against title chasing sides in Workington and Warrington Rylands 1906 – both resulting in unfortunate 0-1 defeats – plus a dogged 0-0 at Kidsgrove last time out has shown that this Rammy side has mettle. However, ‘nil’ has been the overriding factor of those scores.
Against a side who have conceded 86 goals this season – can it change? Kendal will not be coming to just lay down.
LEAGUE FORM GUIDE (most recent game first):
Ramsbottom United: DLLLWL
Kendal Town: LLLLLL
HISTORY:
You can read all about the history between the Rams and Kendal Town in our comprehensive “Have We Met” article, which is below – written back in August.
TEAM NEWS:
Manager Lee Donafee has a fairly clean bill of health amongst the squad but knows the importance of this game.
“This is a game we know we must win come Saturday against Kendal. As a group we are aware of how dangerous this game will be,” he said.
“The effort in the last couple of months has been getting better, although the results have not been good to us, we have taken plenty of positives from the games.
“The effort this week has been brilliant and we have certainly focused on what we believe will make us stronger and hopefully it will show on Saturday.”
He has a full strength squad to choose from although there are a few niggles but “nothing major”, he admits.
