RAMS RUE MISSED CHANCES AGAIN
The Bowl on the Isle of Man, the venue for the Rams first ever flight to an away match.
Another frustrating defeat after the Rams first-ever flight to an away match.
No matter how hard they try, this side continues to struggle to pick up the points they have deserved, and this game was the latest example.
Having begun in confident mood, with both Kuda Chingwaro and Oscar Lucas firing in efforts which missed the target, the home side’s first meaningful attack after 19 minutes, saw them take the lead, against the run of play.
A long ball over the top of the Rams defence from Eoghain Sharrard fell into the path of Sean Doyle who had the simple task of prodding the ball home from three yards.
Seven minutes later the homesters doubled their advantage when the ball broke kindly to Charlie Higgins on the right hand corner of the penalty box, and he fired an unstoppable volley into the far corner.
So, from a comfortable position, the Rams found themselves facing a mountain to climb.
As if to confirm the lack of luck the team are enduring at the moment, a ball played through to Oumar Camara, saw the striker aim for goal, and with the ball about to cross the line, IoM defender Philip Kelly’s last-ditch lunge managed to scoop the ball away with the Rams appealing to the referee’s assistant that it had gone over the line.
Debutant Theo Butterworth managed to deny the home side a third as half-time approached, but the Rams left the field for the break feeling somewhat hard done by.
If there was little between the two sides in the first half, then the second forty-five found the Rams in the ascendancy.
Kelly again proved to be the spoiler as he was on hand just six minutes in when, once again, he managed to clear an effort, this time from from Henri Ogunby, off the line, and as Chingwaro wasted a good chance on the hour mark, it looked like being another one of those nights for the visitors.
However, just three minutes later, Chingwaro made amends.
He sent over a testing free-kick from the left, and the ball eventually found Oscar Radcliffe who poked it home from close range to deservedly halve the arrears.
At that point, a Rams revival looked on the cards, but the home side refused to give in, and twice came close to extending their lead.
A poor clearance from Chris Thompson found Ryan Gartland fifty yards from goal, and his speculative effort looked like embarrassing the Rams debutant keeper, only to thankfully drift inches wide of the target.
Then a thirty-yard piledriver from Jack McVey suffered a similar fate much to the relief of the away defence.
Kuda was inches away from levelling the scores as his low drive sailed inches wide of the far post, before Harvey Hayhurst failed to make the most of an excellent chance. The ball sailed over from the right, and as he raced to meet it in the penalty area, he badly sliced his first-time effort wide.
Matty Birchall slid in Luke Sephton as the minutes ticked down, but his chance was snuffed out by the home defence, and despite an additional five minutes, the Isle of Man held out for a victory that was a little fortunate, and certainly tough on the hard-working Ramsbottom United team.
Analysing yet another defeat, manager Steve Wilkes was in a philosophical mood.
“I thought for the majority of the game we were the better side and created good chances, especially at 2-1.
“The talking point will be whether the ball crossed the line when we thought Oumar had scored in the first half.
“I’m proud of the group of players that came out as five were unavailable due to work commitments.
“A massive thanks to the fans that came out and supported the players, the lads really appreciated it.
“On to Tuesday night at Chadderton for another tough game”
RAMSBOTTOM UNITED: Thompson, Lawless (Mayyoub 91mins), Hayhurst, Walker, Radcliffe, Butterworth, Ogunby (Tavakoli 58mins), Lucas, Camara (Birchall 79mins), Sephton, Chingwaro. Subs not used: Whittingham, Onasanya
Att: 824
