Borough grind out a point

BACUP.............................. 2 ATHERTON ..................... 2 BACUP Borough – in their opening home game of the season – got themselves one point in what turned out to be an entertaining game.

Bacup welcomed back Kelvin Trippier ahead of his pending foot surgery, which was a timely boost for manager Brent Peters as he had lost the services of his midfield partner Darcy O’Connor with a badly bruised foot.

The deadlock was broken on 26 minutes when Anthony Hall’s good movement resulted in a clumsy challenge, leaving the official with the obvious outcome – a penalty.

Up stepped Matthew Barlow who made no mistake.

Eight minutes later Atherton were on level terms.

Bacup defender Andrew Foster, facing his own goal, made a horrendous decision by playing the ball towards his goal, and team-mate Adrian Bellamy could only slice it into his own net. The second half got under way with Bacup winning a free-kick at the edge of the Atherton box but agonisingly Matthew Bryan struck the ball well over.

It was the visitors who took the lead, which incidentally came from a Bacup Borough corner.

The Atherton keeper gathered before a long kick down the pitch from which their lively striker got the better of the last Bacup defender before finishing well.

The lively Anthony Hall once again proved too much for the rearguard and another clumsy challenge resulted in yet another penalty.

Once again Matthew Barlow stepped up to take but this time the keeper read the spot kick and saved – but could only push the ball into the path of the taker who finished the follow-up.

The home side had chances to have gone on to win the game but some excellent keeping meant the sides shared a point. ●● Ramsbottom United in action against Blyth earlier this year RAMSBOTTOM .............. 1 SHEFFIELD..................... 2 SHELDAN KEAY

RA M S B O T TOM United were knocked out of the FA Cup at the preliminary round stage after suffering a defeat to Sheffield at the Harry Williams Riverside Stadium.

The early season optimism, driven by the new management set-up and squad, that was so evident after the opening day victory, has soured a little after two consecutive defeats.

The loss at Kendal Town in the league was disappointing, but hopes were high that a home tie against Division One South outfit Sheffield FC would see the team back to victorious ways – and a healthy increase in the bank balance.

Alas, a disjointed performance and a poor game left the fans a little dejected, although still aware that it was ‘early days’.

On a wet and windy afternoon, chances were at a premium, but although the Rams edged it in terms of possession, it was the visitors who created the better opportunities. In reality though, this was a match that soon faded from the memory.

While the arrival of the experienced Paul Linwood after a prolonged attempt to gain International Clearance, helped the defence, both of Sheffield’s goals were poorly conceded.

On 31 minutes, overlapping full-back Hafeez Hamzat was allowed acres of space to stride down towards the left hand corner flag, and his cross was deflected by the diminutive Reece Treasure, totally unmarked, past Chris Cheetham and into the far corner of the net.

Up until that point, the home side had done most of the running, but efforts from Linwood and Jay Hart had failed to dent the opponent’s goal, and Damian Magee almost doubled the Yorkshire sides lead on 36 minutes when he headed inches wide from a corner.

The Rams found a way back into the contest thanks to a fine strike from Alex Meaney, five minutes before the break.

He gathered the ball, centrally, around 30 yards from goal, and hammered in a fierce low drive that sailed under the diving body of keeper Chris Butt, to bring the scores level.

The second half was equally poor, with the first chance not falling until the 63rd minute when dangerous Sheffield substitute Alec Denton sailed through the Rams defence, only to be halted by the legs of Cheetham.

Minutes later the visitors thought they had retaken the lead. An almighty scramble in the area saw the ball hurtle towards the net, but with arms raised in anticipation of a raised flag from the referee’s assistant, the hope turned to disappointment when he called that the whole of the ball had not crossed the line before being hacked clear.

Sheffield did not have to wait long, though, before clinching the winning goal. On 75 minutes a free-kick from ●● Ramsbottom have been knocked out of the FA Cup the left caused confusion in the six yard box, and Cheetham could only parry the high ball before attempting to punch it clear. The punch however, merely ricocheted back off the head of the challenging Lee Cooksey, who watched on with

The keeper could only parry the ball and then attempted to punch it, but it ricocheted in off the challenging Lee Cooksey