The form book
Iyrwah Gooden was blatantly tripped up with the referee pointing to the spot and Kennedy coolly converting to make it 2-1 after 64 minutes.
With the Rams’ passing ability improving in the second half, it was again though from a set piece that a two-goal lead was carved out after 78 minutes following a right-foot blockbuster of a free-kick from Nic Evangelinos that screamed past a helpless defensive wall and keeper with the power and accuracy of an Exocet missile.
Another defender’s trip - the Pikes incurred five yellow cards in all to two shown to Rams players on the day – saw the ref again with little choice other than to award another penalty but this time Kennedy’s spot-kick was too close to the keeper who palmed it away.
Pickering also brought on subs before Iwan Heeley lofted a wedge shot from a good 35 metres out which surprised everyone including the home keeper to reduce the lead to 3-2 with six minutes still left on the watch.
In the end, the Rams were relieved to hear the final whistle.
The experience could be looked at in two ways. Three points were achieved on a day - when the four main other contenders were pegged to draws - lifting the team to second place in the table.
However, the lacklustre nature of their first-half performance ought to be seen as a warning-sign against any risk of complacency creeping in to the mind-set.
No doubt sterner tests lie ahead which will determine final placings at the end of the season.
INTEGRO LEAGUE
CUP FIRST ROUND RAMSBOTTOM UTD ... 2 BAMBER BRIDGE ........ 1 ADAM CLARK
THE Rams progressed to the second round of the competition after beating Bamber Bridge in a League cup tie originally scheduled to be played back in September!
The Rams starting eleven had a different look about it with two players from the club’s development squad making their senior competitive debuts in the shape of central defender Ben Stanton and left back Will Alberto.
The opening ten minutes were fairly even but visiting keeper Roccia was called into action when Iyrwah Gooden forced the Brig number one into a flying save to deny the Rams winger the game’s opening goal as the first shot on target was registered.
Marlow header bounced off the crossbar and Blackpool loanee Rowan Roache forced home gloveman Brad Wade into a smart save before Gooden again brought the best out of Bamber Bridge stopper Roccia with another well struck effort.
Gooden had an effort ruled offside but before the interlude the home side edged in front when a clever piece of skill and astute forward pass from the returning Greg Daniels opened up the Bamber Bridge defence and midfielder Daniel Naidole capitalised, sliding the ball beyond the onrushing Roccia.
After a number of off target efforts from Bamber Bridge it was almost at the hour point when Bradly Wade in the Rams goal was forced into any action of note in the second period when a Roache shot looked goalbound but the youngster responded with a save to deny the forward.
As the encounter ticked towards the last fifteen minutes both managers made double substitutions with two more members of the
Ramsbottom United Development squad getting their competitive first team bows with battling midfielder Matthew Royle replacing the excellent Will Alberto and 16-year-old goalkeeper Jake Parsisson taking the place of Wade between the sticks.
Then, with the clock showing 80 minutes, came the decisive moment of the contest arrived when Reuben Jerome replaced Greg Daniels who again showed some sublime touches and will be happy to have got more minutes under his belt after a significant period out injured.
Within a minute of his introduction Jerome made an immediate impact when receiving a pass from Reece Fishwick before turning cleverly away from his marker and sending a superb curling effort past the despairing dive of Roccia and just inside the far post to give the forward his thirteenth goal of an increasingly productive season.
Almost immediately the Rams’ lead could have been extended when a Jerome pass found raiding midfielder Eddie Moran whose well struck shot was helped over the crossbar by the Bamber Bridge stopper.
With just four minutes of normal time remaining the visitors halved the arrears when a cross from the right was headed past Parsisson by the bustling Brig number nine Michael Fowler.
A grandstand finish was on the cards as Bamber Bridge threw players forward looking to send this enjoyable cup tie to penalties but the Rams repelled everything thrown at them and the referee’s whistle gave the home side their first cup victory of the new decade and a visit to Trafford in a weeks’ time for a second round meeting of two sides that met in league action on New Year’s Day.