Strugglers sunk
EVO-STIK WEST DIVISION RAMSBOTTOM UTD ....... 2 GLOSSOP NORTH END .. 0 JON HASLAM
RA M S B O T TOM United hosted a struggling Glossop North End on a sunny Saturday afternoon at the Riverside looking to build on last weekend’s superb FA Trophy win at Trafford.
They showed two changes in the starting line up from a week ago with Joel Bembo-Leto and Jerome Wright replacing Luke Thompson and Khalil Osi-Efa respectively.
The visitors arrived with a newly installed management team making their debut in the dugout alongside the perhaps inevitable change of personnel with the Glossop line up showing four new recruits in their starting eleven.
The contest started at a frenetic pace with the away side fully playing their part, but the hosts made the breakthrough just seven minutes in when Ruben Jerome outpaced the visitors’ defence down the right-hand channel before sending a pinpoint cross from the byline onto the head of the unmarked Nialle Rodney who made no mistake from six yards to give the home debutant his second goal in two matches for the Rams and the hosts had the early lead they craved.
With the confidence of taking the lead so early in the contest, the home side almost doubled their advantage when a deep cross found the head of Jerome Wright before the ball fell kindly to Jerome but the striker’s effort hit the upright as the pressure began to mount on the Glossop rearguard.
Minutes later, recent recruit Rodney showed his skills when a spectacular overhead kick narrowly missed the target as the home side started the match very much in the ascendancy.
Glossop were forced into an early substitution midway through the first half when Boyle was replaced by former Ram Darryl Mason, and as the half continued the visitors began to get more of a foothold in the contest as they looked to impress their new joint managers.
Still, it took until just after the half an hour mark for Sam Ashton to be tested when a well struck free kick from Thornton was comfortably held by the Rams stopper.
The home outfit responded with a swift counter attack, but with Jack Higgs in a promising position to strike at goal the Rams midfielder fell to the ground injured.
Sadly, he was unable to continue and had to be replaced with Jamie Rother taking to the field.
The remainder of the half would be a fairly even, yet watchable contest with neither team seriously testing the oppositions goal keeper and as the first forty five minutes ended it was the Rams that held a single goal lead.
With no changes made at the break the home side began the second period with some attacking intent and created a flurry of chances in the early minutes of the half, firstly a superb cross from Kyle Jacobs found the head of the well placed Jerome but the header sailed wide of the target before efforts from distance from Ryan Ellison and Wright failed to test Saunders in the Glossop goal.
With the hour mark reached and the lead a slender one there was still a feeling that the Rams would need another goal to ensure the three points stayed in Lancashire as Glossop pushed forward looking for an equaliser.
It is worth noting that before this game Ramsbottom had only kept one clean sheet in the league ●● Nic Evangelinos is denied by a point blank save during Saturday’s clash against Glossop North End this campaign so the lead was far from secure.
With the match finely poised it was the home side that almost increased their advantage when an in-swinging free kick from the lively Nic Evangelinos