Wids held to a draw by United
Widnes FC 1 Ramsbottom United 1 WIDNES FC had to settle for a point at home to Ramsbottom United as the two sides played out a 1-1 draw at The Offside Trust Stadium on Tuesday evening.
The hosts started well but it was Ramsbottom who spurned an early chance with Jerome Wright firing wide of the far post after latching on to Lee Gaskell’s header.
However, Ramsbottom gifted Widnes an early opener.
Luke Thompson’s wayward defensive header allowed Dale Korie-Butler to latch on to the loose ball and delicately lift a welltaken lob over the head of the on-rushing keeper Sam Ashton, nestling in the empty net.
Widnes suffered a blow midway through the half as loan signing Jack Dunn limped off with a reoccurrence of a hamstring injury suffered last month at parent club Warrington Town.
Ben Hodkinson was introduced as his replacement, but he had barely been on the pitch for 90 seconds when teammate Mike Burke pulled up in agony with an apparent hamstring injury of his own. The Whites were forced into a quick reshuffle with George Webster brought on as skipper Kev Pollard dropped in at centre-half, with the double injury blow halting Widnes’ early momentum.
Widnes survived a let-off on the hour-mark as Eddie Moran hit the bar from a corner for Ramsbottom before Jay Roberts threw himself in the way of Gaskell’s follow-up effort.
Despite rarely troubling Widnes’ back-four, Ramsbottom grabbed an equaliser 18 minutes from time.
Rams’ skipper Wright found himself in space 25 yards from goal and hit a fierce daisy-cutter towards goal that fizzed into the bottom corner with Widnes keeper Ryan Neild beaten at full-stretch.
Widnes could have won it late on as Hodkinson hit a powerful volley towards goal that was brilliantly beaten away by Ashton at his near-post. ●