Khasa in to save a point
MATTHEW LAWSON DAISY HILL 1 BACUP BOROUGH 1 BOROUGH started an action-packed fixture schedule with a draw away at Daisy Hill.
Karl Price was back in Brent Peters’ starting 11 as Bacup looked to bounce back from last week’s defeat on the road at Chadderton.
Both, Bacup and Daisy Hill started brightly, but the hosts had the majority of the ball in the opening 15 minutes but failed to make the possession count.
Borough were well in the game and could have taken the lead midway through the first half when Josh Walne floated a deep free kick into the box to be met by Nathan Tayo free at the front post, but he couldn’t direct his header on target.
On the half hour mark, Peters was forced into an early change as midfielder Elliot Collinson was replaced by Jean Khasa.
With five minutes of the first half remaining, the referee awarded the hosts a penalty, which was converted by Michael Gervin sending Price the wrong way.
It didn’t take Bacup long after the start of the second half to get back on level terms, a well worked short corner between Benjamin Rhodes and Josh Walne, resulted in the later playing the ball into the box to be met by the run of Jean Khasa whose bullet header flew past Craig Haynes at his near post.
Both teams had their chances to take all three points in this tightly contested game, most notably Matthew Bryan whose curling free kick forced Haynes into a world class save high to his right to stop the ball going into the back of the net.
A quality second half display fwill give the lads a huge boost going into another away game as they were due to travel to second place Litherland Remyca as the paper went to press. ●● Phil Dean gets up high as conditions deteriorate ●● Lines being cleared with minutes to play RAMSBOTTOM UTD ....... 3 GOOLE ............................... 0 JON HASLAM
RA M S B O T TOM United defeated bottom of the table Goole on a snowy Saturday afternoon at The Riverside to record their first home league victory on a Saturday afternoon since September 23rd.
The contest began with the visitors starting the brighter side against a Rams team showing three alterations from their last outing against Ossett Town three weeks ago.
Indeed it was Goole that had the first shot on goal on 12 minutes when Sam Ashton was called on to palm away a stinging effort from the edge of the penalty area before pulling off an even better save five minutes later to keep the game goalless.
The Rams the opened the scoring just short of the 20-minute mark somewhat against the run of play when a long throw from Jerome Wright found Greg Daniels in the penalty box before the forward with his back to goal was adjudged to have been fouled by Walton and referee Wainwright pointed to the penalty spot.
It was Daniels that took the responsibility and confidently converted the spot kick sending Saynor the wrong way for the forward to register his seventh goal of the season.
As the half progressed it was Goole that threatened to restore parity with Luke Thompson making a well-timed block before some good play from the away side gave Schofield a headed chance at the far post which was scrambled off the line as the hosts looked to preserve their slender advantage.
With around ten minutes of the half remaining the Rams almost doubled their lead when a Daniels corner found the head of the unmarked Ryan Ellison but the defender’s header failed to trouble the Goole shot stopper and sailed wide of the target.
As the interval approached Ramsbottom United doubled their advantage after good hold up play from Daniels who then laid off the ball to Jamie Rother who played a sublime pass with the outside of his foot down the touchline straight into the path of Phil Dean who scampered towards the edge of the penalty area before sending a low drive past Saynor and into the far corner of the net.
A minute before half time things got worse from the visitors when a bizarre incident occurred as Goole substitute Sam Leigh was given a red card without entering the field of play after an altercation in the technical area.
The second period began with the Rams looking to take control of the contest with the added confidence that their two goal advantage had afforded them and almost added to their tally when Dean took a shot which was well saved by the Goole goalkeeper.
With an hour of the match played the visitors made a couple of substitutions in an attempt to change the flow of the game in their favour but the home sides midfield containing the returning Tom Brooks began to dictate the play with Dean Stott and Rother becoming an influence as the game progressed.
Goole were finding if difficult to master the conditions as a bitterly cold wind blew around the ground and it was the hosts that threatened again when a superb run and cross from Mohammed was scrambled to safety with numerous home players poised to pounce and put the result beyond doubt.
With three quarters of the encounter played the ●● Goalscorer Zehn Mohammed, left, and Luke Thompson close down a Goole attack away side were given a lifeline when the referee awarded Goole a penalty when a run into the box was halted with what the man in the middle decided was a foul.
Much to the relief of the Ramsbottom supporters Sam Ashton guessed correctly and made an excellent double save to deny Schofield and the hosts two goal lead remained intact.
As the match entered the last quarter the game