STALEMATE IN EAST MANCHESTER

Maine Walder threatens down the left in Saturday’s draw at Abbey Hey.

A point on the road sends Ramsbottom United back to the summit of the Premier Division.

Ramsbottom United travelled to east Manchester on a day when the weather saw many games postponed. Fortunately, a mild spell allowed the game to take place, albeit on a difficult surface.

Many goal-less draws are boring affairs, but that could not be applied to this one.

Both sides put in a shift that kept the crowd entertained until the final whistle, and a draw was a fair reflection of the effort put in by both teams over the ninety minutes.

Indeed, the home side created the better chances of the first half, with Rams keeper, Tom Davis, twice being called on to keep the clean sheet intact. He raced out of his goal to just about beat the oncoming forward, nipping in to clear the ball, and as the half-time whistle neared, he was alert enough to keep out an effort from Hey’s Saul Henderson.

The visitors, meanwhile, rarely troubled Connor Beard in the home goal, and could count themselves fortunate to go in at the break on level terms.

A half-time break did the Rams good, for they came out for the second half in a much more determined mood.

Within seconds, Richie Baker saw his effort sail just over the bar, before Rhys Turner raced to the by-line and his cross met the head of Luke Sephton who could only find the side netting.

Sephton was played through just minutes later, but under a challenge, fired his effort high and wide.

The home side continued to be pushed back, but they always looked dangerous on the break and Rhys Clooney should have done better than fire well wide from the edge of the box.

At the other end, Harvey Whyte tried his luck from 25 yards before what looked like a certain penalty for a push on Turner, was waved away by the referee.

Substitute Tom Hoyle came on and almost set up a goal as he fed Turner, but the experienced striker’s angled drive clipped the wrong side of the post.

Although the second half belonged to the Rams, as the first had to Abbey Hey, the hosts still ventured forward with determination but Jamal Crawford was unable to hit the target when played through.

As the game swung bak into the Abbey Hey half, Hoyle raced in from the left only to see some desperate defending sending the ball out for a corner, whilst one of a number of late corners had a home defender looking on relieved as his attempted clearance sailed just over the bar.

With the referee looking at his watch, another corner found the head of Luke Barlow, but a well-placed defender just managed to nod the ball out from under the bar, to deny a late decider.

So, try as both sides did to find the net, it was not to be, and the spoils were fairly shared in an entertaining, well-contested match.

For the Rams, a point was enough to take them back to the top of the table with a game in hand over most of their rivals.

RAMSBOTTOM UNITED: Davis, Radcliffe, Walder, Teague, Barlow, Winstanley, Baker, L.Sephton, Turner (Stacey 90+3), Whyte (Uppal 78mins), Lynch (Hoyle 60mins). Subs not used: Meadowcroft, Camara

Att: 216