Bacup pull clear of Rams after interval
BACUP BOROUGH ....... 3 RAMSBOTTOM UTD ... 1
THE Rams took to the field once again on Thursday night for a pre-season fixture, this time it was an away fixture against Bacup Borough.
Ben Hampson, Luke Thompson, Tom Kennedy, Richie Baker, Jamie Rother and new signing Tony Donaldson were amongst the starting eleven alongside trialists.
And the Rams had the first chance of the game with the trialist No 7 crossing to the trialist No 11, his shot went wide of the post.
Donaldson created some good play just a couple of minutes later, he passed out to the right wing to trialist No 7 whose cross into the box was headed away by the Bacup defence.
Another chance for Rammy came on 14 minutes as a corner was headed away by Bacup, the ball fell to Donaldson on the edge of the area, he was fouled and the resulting free-kick from Tom Kennedy hit the post.
Shortly after, Kennedy was on set piece duty once again as his corner was whipped in well but Luke Thompson headed wide.
Bacup had a corner of their own minutes later, but it came with no issues for the Rams and the trialist keeper claimed it well.
Rammy took the lead just after the half hour mark, a cross in from the trialist No 7 fell to Jamie Rother at the far post who slotted home into the bottom left corner.
Rother had another chance just before half time, his shot from the edge of the area saved well by the Bacup keeper, who was wearing an illuminous pink kit!
The Rams went in
1-0 up at the break.
Three changes were made at half-time, new signing Dharius Waldron came on to replace Ben Hampson, other new signing Khalil Osi-Efa came on for Richie Baker and Mason Fawns replaced Jamie Rother.
Bacup drew level minutes into the second half, Osi-Efa lost the ball in midfield and it fell to the No 10 for the hosts, who struck from distance, the shot went across the keeper and into the right corner.
As the second half continued things took a turn for the worse for Rammy as Luke Thompson hobbled off shortly after the goal and was replaced by trialist No 17, who was involved in the action within minutes of coming on to the pitch – he conceded a penalty just inside the area.
The spot kick was converted by the Bacup No 10 for his second of the evening.
Bacup had a third with 10 minutes to go, the midfielder for the home side danced through the Rammy defence to add his name to the Bacup scoresheet.
Rammy had one last chance with a couple of minutes to go to maybe add a consolation, a cross in from the left is caught on the half volley by Donaldson, but the keeper held well.
RAMSBOTTOM UNITED: Trialist, Hampson ( Waldron 46), Kennedy, Trialist, Thompson ( Trialist 53), Baker (Osi-Efa 46), Trialist, Rother (Fawns 46), Trialist ( Trialist 64), Donaldson, Trialist