Borough dominate and win

BY LEE BARRETT

BACUP BOROUGH U21’s 4 LOSTOCK St GERARDS 2 AFTER earning a well deserved goal-less draw in their opening game of the campaign against a very good Bamber Bridge academy side, Bacup U21’s entertained Lostock at the Brian Boys Stadium.

Early exchanges were even with chances being created but neither side’s forward players were making the opposition goalkeeper do much work.

That dramatically changed on 30 minutes when the Lostock forward received the ball some 25 yards out, and was allowed to turn and unleash a thunderous strike which dipped late, giving goalkeeper Monahon no chance.

Manager Barrett made an immediate substitution, pushing Barker-Williams up into midfield and the 17 year old’s energy made a significant difference with Bacup now getting a control in the middle of the park.

On 38 minutes a scramble from a Bacup corner ended up with the ball at the feet of Reid Wolstenholme, which he duly lashed home from eight yards out to make it 1-1.

The sides emerged for the second half all square but on 50 minutes young Siddle scored direct from a corner putting the hosts in front.

Bacup were in control but suffered a hammer blow when a rare surge into the Bacup half led to Lostock somehow grabbing an equaliser with only 20 minutes remaining.

Heads did not drop though as Bacup pressed again and on 80 minutes they regained the lead. A delightful 40 yard cross into the area from full back Bateson found an unmarked Jordan Lewis who dispatched his header home from eight yards out. The goal was just rewards for Lewis who had been excellent in the middle of the park.

Bacup wrapped things up five minutes later when Leon Barker-Williams was allowed space to drive deep into the Lostock half and bury a pile-driver into the bottom corner from 25 yards, making the final score 4-2. ●● Eddie Moran takes on former Ram Sam Heathcote

RA M S B O T TOM United began their FA Trophy campaign on Saturday afternoon as they made the short trip to a blustery Shawe View to reacquaint themselves with a Trafford team who narrowly came out on top in the league meeting less than three weeks ago at the HWRS.

The Rams starting line up showed three changes from the midweek draw at Widnes with new additions Nialle Rodney and Nic Evangelinos making their debuts for the visitors replacing Phil Dean and Lee Gaskell with Jack Higgs gaining a starting berth at the expense of the absent Jerome Wright as manager Chris Willcock reshapes his Ramsbottom United squad.

With only 3 minutes on the clock Trafford made the early breakthrough when a through ball found the pacey Burns whose surging run took him in behind the Rams defence to the edge of the penalty area before a confident low finish found the bottom corner of Sam Ashton’s net as the hosts made an ideal start to proceedings.

As the opening stages of the encounter unfolded it was the home side that appeared to take some confidence from the early strike as Ashton was forced to block a goal bound effort after a dangerous run and cross caused panic in the visitors defence.

Perhaps not unsurprisingly, bearing in mind the alterations to the side, the Rams began to get a foothold into the encounter as the half progressed with the front three looking threatening and with just over 25 minutes played Nic Evangelinos seized on a poor back pass by O’Brien before rounding the onrushing Cooper in the home goal and cutting the ball back from an acute angle to Eddie Moran whose goal bound effort was saved by the recovering keeper to preserve Trafford’s slender advantage.

As the half hour mark approached the visitors deservedly drew level when recent recruit Ruben Jerome found some room outside the penalty area before floating an inviting cross to the far post which perfectly found the run of debutant Niall Rodney whose well-directed downward header gave the Rams an equaliser and gave the former Nottingham Forest and Hartlepool forward his first goal in a Ramsbottom United shirt.

Almost immediately Trafford looked to regain the lead as they won a free kick in a promising position, former Ram Sam Heathcote stepped up to take but thankfully his attempt fizzed wide of Ashton’s right hand post as both sides, despite a swirling wind, were providing decent entertainment for the crowd of 272.

The remainder of the first half saw the Rams in the ascendancy with the visitors playing some purposeful football with the new-look front three looking a particular threat to the home defence ably backed up by the tireless work rate of the midfield, whilst the away sides defence blunted the hosts pacey attack.

As the opening period came to a conclusion the score line of one goal each ●● Nialle Rodney steams in to nod the Rams in front

Rams in the ascendancy... with the new-look front three looking a particular threat

was a fair reflection of the contest which was undeniably a half of two halves with Trafford having the better of the first quarter of the game but the Rams worked their way back into the argument with an encouraging last 20 minutes.

Trafford who boasted an impressive record of six victories from seven home matches this campaign in all competitions made a change at the break with Davidson replacing Brown but it was the Rams who began the second period as they ended the first with Ruben Jerome winning a free kick 25 yards from goal, former Bury full back