Rams keep cool
NPL NORTH WEST DIVISION RAMSBOTTOM UTD ....... 1 TRAFFORD ....................... 0 JON HASLAM
THE busy start to the new season continued as Trafford were the visitors to the Riverside on a sweltering Bank Holiday Monday as both sides lined up for their fourth match in the opening nine days of the season.
The home outfit showed four alterations to the side
● which drew against Winsford in the FA Cup 48 hours earlier with Sam Adetiloye, Eddie Moran, Teddy Perkins and Khalil Osi Efa gaining starting berths at the expense of Bleau, Lent, Naidole and Fawns.
It would be Trafford who began the contest positively as the Shawe View outfit looked for their point of their league campaign whilst looking to build on their FA Cup victory two days earlier but the first quarter of an hour lacked any serious attempts on goal to trouble either goal keeper.
However, moments late the Rams almost broke the deadlock when Ruben Jerome collected a pass before turning smartly away from his marker and firing a low shot from just inside the penalty area but Cooper in the visitors goal was equal to the effort as the in-form striker looked to continue his hot streak in front of goal.
The opening quarter of this evenly fought match struggled to live up to the early stages of previous games this season which has seen goals regularly hitting the back of the net in the opening twenty minutes or so and with Trafford looking fairly solid in defence, the only other further effort worthy of note occurred when Irywah Gooden received a pass from Eddie Moran but the wide man’s shot flew off target and with half an hour played the score line was blank.
Shortly after the thirty minute mark arrived perhaps the best chance of the contest arrived when Gooden again was at the centre of the action when Trafford played out from the back and a forward pass was intercepted by the hosts winger whose surging run took him past a couple of retreating defenders but sadly the shot lacked the necessary direction to trouble Cooper in the away goal.
The remainder of the first period contained plenty of endeavour from both outfits and could best be described as a cagey encounter, the rare sight of the teams taking a water break gave the participants a welcomed, if short, rest. With goalmouth action at a premium the opening forty five minutes came to a conclusion with the stifling conditions maybe the winner, allied to the fact that both teams had played a match in similar conditions just two days ago it was perhaps little surprise the game was goal less at the interval.
As both sides reemerged from the break unchanged Trafford made a bright start to the second half and fashioned their best chance of the match when Gabidon worked some space down the left wing before sending an inviting cross into the path of the onrushing Darius Palma but somehow the winger failed to convert from close range and the Rams had been given a reprieve.
The home side showed two debutants in defence with Sam Adetiloye having an accomplished bow at right back for the hosts and alongside Kelvin Lugsden in central defence was Burnley loanee Teddy Perkins who also had a promising debut for the Rams, despite the youngster picking up a booking for an over-zealous challenge the former Orient player looked as though he will be a very useful addition, whilst gaining some valuable first team experience during his stay at The Riverside, which hopefully can benefit both parties.
With the temperature gauge rising it became more apparent that the use of both substitute benches may ultimately have a positive influence on the remaining thirty minutes with neither goalkeeper being called into any serious action. Tthe Rams were first to dip into the replacements available when Nic Evangelinos took the place of Karl Jones but in truth the longer the game progressed the more it appeared as though one goal may prove decisive.
Trafford responded with two changes of their own as manager Tom Baker looked to introduce fresh legs around the three quarter mark of the game, Ramsbottom United perhaps looked the more likelier side to break the deadlock and ● Tom Kennedy’s free-kick beats the Trafford wall for the winning goal Gooden had a spectacular scissor kick attempt which sailed over the crossbar after a Tom Kennedy corner fell kindly to the youngster on the edge of the penalty area.
Then, with just over a quarter of an hour remaining, superb closing down by Ruben Jerome allowed the forward to dispossess visiting