Exciting times ahead for Rams

PRE-SEASON FRIENDLY RAMSBOTTOM ............. 1 BLACKBURN ROVERS...4 JON HASLAM

IT was quite a coup to have such an illustrious name as Blackburn Rovers visiting the HWRS for the first of two high-profile pre-season matches against Football League clubs.

The visitors arrived with an under 23 side managed by former Rovers stalwart and fans’ favourite David Dunn.

The game began at a lively tempo with the Rams having many familiar names in the starting line up and new addition Ben Richardson being the only new face to begin the game.

It must be noted that the youthful visitors set about controlling the ball from the start of the match with the home side adding to a bright start with a couple of long range efforts that sailed wide of the target.

Indeed it was the home side that had the best chance of the early exchanges when a free kick from the right hand side found the head of Luke Thompson whose downward header was saved low to his right by the Rovers custodian Andrew Fisher.

The Rovers side then began to take control of the encounter with the hugely impressive duo of midfielder Mols and striker Nuttall looking particularly threatening and giving the Rams defence a severe test.

It was indeed the two aforementioned players that linked up together on for the first goal of the evening on 25 minutes when a strong run and pass from Mols found Nuttall who side footed past Rams goalkeeper Martin Fearon.

This seemed to give the visitors a boost of confidence and this showed in a dominant spell in which the Rams battled to keep any meaningful possession or threaten their opponents goal other than a good run and shot from Hazeldine which whistled past the post.

The game then sprang to life around the half hour mark when an unsavoury incident between the recently acquired Ben Richardson and the lively Nuttall resulted in the two ●● Max Hazeldine was lively against Blackburn Rovers Under 23s squaring up to each other.

Once the situation had calmed down, referee Woods produced a red card for Richardson and the Rams were down to ten men.

Rovers then took advantage of the man advantage when a cross from Connor Thomson found the onrushing Lewis Hardcastle whose unmarked downward header gave the visitors a 2-0 lead on 36 minutes. The visitors then proceeded to create more goal scoring chances with the Rams defence and goalkeeper Martin Fearon having a thorough work out to keep the lively visitors at bay.

In an unusual turn of events play was stopped shortly afterwards when after consultation between the respective benches and the referee the Rams were allowed to return to their full complement of eleven players when new addition Aaron Fleming made his first appearance at the HWRS in a Ramsbottom shirt theoretically replacing the red carded Richardson!

While this may have been an unexpected move both sides would surely benefit more from playing with the full quota of players to ensure the game was as competitive as possible and appeared to be a sensible move. This was acknowledged with a round of applause from the crowd, great gesture from Blackburn Rovers too

With half time fast approaching and the visitors looking the more threatening side a challenge inside from Spencer on a marauding Rovers player resulted in a penalty which the impressive Nuttall dispatched into the corner of the net sending Fearon the wrong way for his second goal of the evening. The half ended with Blackburn with an unassailable looking 3-0 lead.

Inevitably in pre-season matches there was the expected raft of changes at half time with new Rams signings Daniels, Webb. Brooks and Moran taking to the field.

The second half started in a lively fashion with the youthful Blackburn side remaining much the same and looking to impress Rovers First Team Head Coach Tony Mowbray who was in attendance.

Ramsbottom certainly were giving as good as they got in the opening exchanges and gained some reward on 53 minutes when the lively Max Hazeldine was sent sprawling in the box, the referee again pointed to the spot. Up stepped Greg Daniels who convincingly smashed home the spot kick to give the home fans something to cheer and pull a goal back for the hosts.

As both sides made numerous changes it was a noteworthy moment as Alex Meaney made his return to first team action after a significant injury lay off sustained on the 6th December in a home game against Lancaster.

Both sides continued to carve out half chances with the recently signed Daniels looking very promising indeed for the home side with some exquisite touches and surging runs.

It appears as though there may be exciting times ahead for the Rams support this season with Messrs Gaskell, Hazeldine and Daniels vying for starting berths up front and the plethora of creative midfielders hoping to supply the ammunition to the strikers.

The final goal of the game arrived for the visitors when a cross from sub Ben Paton found Lewis Travis who directed his header past Fearon to make the score 4-1 to Blackburn.

Aaron Fleming’s influence began to increase as the game wore on and a number of threatening left foot crosses were repelled by the progressively harder worked visitors defence without success.

The second half was a good contest played under ever gloomier and thundery skies and the chances continued to arrive with both sides having presentable opportunities to add to the score line which neither could ultimately take.

Almost the highlight of the evening occurred with 5 minutes when the returning Meaney .went on a surging run through the midfield before unleashing a powerful left footed shot that clipped the wood work with the Blackburn keeper stranded.

What an end to the match that could have been and some tangible reward for the undoubted large amount of hard work required to have been put in by the Rams midfielder to get back playing football again after such a long lay off. Sadly it was not to be! A fine jinking run and curling shot by Nathan Webb was well saved by the Rovers keeper as the Rams finished the match on the front foot.

The match finished with the visitors victorious by a 4-1 score line but hopefully players from both sides will have deemed the game a worthwhile exercise, whether that is in terms of fitness, confidence or just being grateful to be back on the football field.

‘Gaskell, Hazeldine and Daniels are vying for starting berths’