What is better than a Tuesday night under the lights at the Harry Williams Riverside Stadium, with a cup of tea in a proper mug and a tasty pie and peas at half-time? Absolutely nothing… and so for the first time this season, the lights are on and we are up against old foes Workington with the Rams on a three-match unbeaten run.
MATCH: Ramsbottom United v Workington
VENUE: Harry Williams Riverside Stadium, Ramsbottom, BL0 0BS
COMPETITION: Northern Premier League West Division
DATE: Tuesday 6th September 2022
KICK-OFF: 7:45pm
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:
Whilst it wasn’t the best start to the season, Lee Donafee and his side have really picked up in the last ten days with a two deserved points on the road at Leek Town and 1874 Northwich and a brilliant Bank Holiday showing against Mossley that brought a 3-1 victory.
Arriving at the HWRS on Tuesday night are Workington, who find themselves in the very unfamiliar territory of 17th place with just a single win from their opening five league games, having only just missed out on promotion last season by a single point to Warrington Rylands and then going down in the play-offs to Marine.
That was enough for former Rammy manager Chris Willcock to be dismissed but new boss Danny Grainger has endured a tricky start although they were desperately unfortunate at the weekend, going out of the FA Cup at South Shields, courtesy of two very late goals.
So the Rams know that this will not be an easy prospect despite their upturn in form and will have to play at their very best against a talented Workington side that will want to be pushing their way back up the league table.
HISTORY:
This will be the 14th meeting between the sides since the first back in 1998 in the North West Counties League Division 1 – with the Rams winning 2, Workington 6 and there has been five draws.
Both meetings in the 2021/22 campaign went the way of the Reds, both by a single goal. Rowan Roache’s eighth minute strike was enough to claim all three points at Borough Park in September last year while former Rammy man Kyle Harrison’s injury time poke stole the vistory… ahem… “on a bumpy pitch”… at the HWRS.
The Rams’ last victory came in January 2020 – just before everything shut down – when Ruben Jerome and Josh Hmami scored in the first half to give the home side a 2-0 win in a crucial top of the table clash. Not that it meant anything in the end!
STATS OF THE MATCH:
The last time we played at home on a Tuesday night under the lights … was the match shown above against Workington – 22nd March 2022. Prior to that, we had won our previous two home Tuesday evening games – 3-1 v Colne and 2-0 v 1874 Northwich.
TEAM NEWS:
The only players out at the momenet are Seydou Bamba through injury and Kain Dean, who serves the second match of his suspension. Owen Collinge and Harry Turner are also out with their injuries too.
DIEGO SAYS:
Team manager Lee Donafee knows this game will be tough but is looking forward to the contest.
“I feel, as a team, we are progressing and moving in the right direction and this game will give us another chance in a tough game to prove it. As in recent weeks, this will be a game we will be up for and hopefully give the fans a good results.
“Workington are a top side stacked with quality players and they were unlucky on Saturday so will be wanting to put things right.”
