SEASON DEFINED IN ONE MATCH
Burscough nearly turn the game on its head completely as they hit the post late on.
This was a game that was could be defined as the embodiment of a microcosm of the Rams season to date.
It had the lot. Great passing football, excellent goals, injuries, dismissal, defensive collapse, lack of confidence, frustration, and finally disappointment.
It had to be seen to be believed.
At half-time, the Rams players came off to an encouraging reception from the travelling fans after an excellent first 45 minutes that had them three goals to the good.
What followed had those same fans holding their heads in disbelief.
Debutant Oumar Camara made a dream start to his time with the club as he opened the scoring after just seven minutes. A great through ball from the returning Kuda Chingwaro, split the Burscough defence, and the on-rushing Camara calmed slotted the ball past Kier Barry in the home goal.
That instilled the confidence that had been missing in the team of late.
Whilst the home side attempted to level things, the Rams defence held firm and it was no surprise when the free-flowing passing style led to a second goal from the visitors on 27 minutes.
Once again, Chingwaro provided the assist as he cleverly flicked the ball over the defensive heads and into the penalty area, leaving Henri Ogunby to fire past the home keeper from 12 yards.
On the stroke of half-time the lead was extended to three goals, as some fine footwork by Harvey Hayhurst saw him cross to the far post where he found Maine Walder who headed home to give the travelling band an enjoyable half-time cuppa on the back of a deserved three goal lead.
As the teams came out for the second forty-five, those same fans were expecting more of the same.
How disappointed they were to be.
After an uneventful opening, the Burscough fightback began on 63 minutes, when a right-wing corner was nodded home by Harvey Sample. As the ball was being brought out of the net a petulant kick towards a home player, innocuous as it seemed, was spotted by the referee who brandished Walder the red card.
That perked up the men in green, and within ten minutes they had levelled the score, as the Rams defence, not for the first time this season, crumpled.
Firstly, Anthony Walsh cut in from the right and fired in from the edge of the box an effort that was parried out by Rams keeper Austin Wood, straight to the feet of Stephen Rigby who slammed the ball home from close range.
That was to prove the end of Wood’s afternoon, as an injury suffered early on in the game, recurred leaving the Rams to replace their keeper with an outfield player, Kayle Power, for the second consecutive Saturday. Yet more injury woes.
Minutes later came the inevitable equaliser. A corner from the left sailed over everyone, but as it was returned into the middle, more shoddy defensive work allowed Callum Sandle to tap home from close range.
At that point it looked as though the Rams had thrown in the towel. Losing three goals in quick succession, losing the goalkeeper to injury and losing a player to a red card.
Credit then, that they somehow managed to repel further attacks from the home side although they were fortunate to see a fiercely-driven free-kick bounce back off the foot of the post, yet they created a couple of chances of their own.
Harvey Whyte saw his free-kick sail inches past the upright while Dylan McMahon fired in an effort that only just cleared the bar.
The Rams went down to nine men when Luke Sephton’s frustration got the better of him, and he was sin-binned for comments made to the referee, before the last chance of a crazy game went the way of the hosts. A cross into the box led to a header from five yards out, but fortunately for the visitors, it sailed straight into the hands of stand-in keeper Power.
A game that the neutrals would have loved but which left the Rammy contingent shaking their heads in disbelief.
Manager Steve Wilkes was an angry man as the final whistle blew. ”Words are beginning to fail me. I thought the first 45 minutes were the best we’ve played in a long time and that was even with the goalkeeper who pulled his hamstring ten minutes in.
“Second half we were comfortable until a lack of discipline saw us down to ten men, and then it’s game on.
“They scored three goals in ten minutes, thankfully we saw the game out with once again an outfield player in goal, yet had to chances to win it in the last ten minutes”
RAMSBOTTOM UNITED: Wood (Power 72mins), Hayhurst, Walder, Walker, Radcliffe, Lent, Ogunby (Whyte 77mins), Whittingham (D.McMahon 67mins), Camara (Bartram 94mins), Sephton, Chingwaro (Birchall 77mins)
Att: 138
