Rammy are held to goalless draw
CITY OF LIVERPOOL ... 0 RAMS ............................... 0
WITH a lot of changes around the club since crowds were last allowed in to watch League football, the Rammy fans were very optimistic before the kick-off of the new season.
Lee Donafee came in to replace Chris Willcock, who departed for Workington, and few new faces have appeared to bolster the already strong squad.
Throughout the game, neither goalkeeper was troubled by the opposition and subsequently equally merited the share of the spoils overall.
Both sets of fans certainly made themselves heard during their longanticipated return to watching live games and had the VanEupen Arena absolutely rocking throughout the 90 minutes.
The game got off to a positive start with both teams eager to attack.
The Rams came the closest in the first halfhour with a wonderful cross from Eddie Cooper which found the head of Domaine Rouse, but Rouse could only guide his header onto the crossbar
nly four minutes later Rammy’s goalkeeper found himself picking the ball out of the back of the net after an excellently worked corner from the hosts.
However, the celebrations were cut short after the linesman raised his flag extremely late and the goal was ruled out for offside.
The game was level goalless at half-time despite protests from the home side, with many of the fans believing that
Rammy had really been let off the hook.
The second half started a bit slower than the first had begun with each team beginning to look as if they didn’t want to throw the game away early in the half.
After the two sides had made a couple of substitutions, it was the visitors who really started to get a foothold in the game and they soon began to look like the more likely to pinch a winner.
Ramsbottom kept the pressure on and dominated the City of Liverpool half not letting the hosts have a minute on the ball.
The Rams did not let up and kept creating chances but rarely tested the host’s keeper and when they did manage shots on target it was just catching practice for Theo Roberts.
Second-half substitute Joel Earps had the best chance of the game for Ramsbottom. in the final few minutes finding himself 12 yards from goal but somehow managed to blaze the ball over the bar leaving the Rammy staff and fans with their heads in their hands.
In the end, both teams took a point-a-piece away from the match – a result many would agree was a fair outcome for both teams.