Setback heightens relegation worries
RAMSBOTTOM United were left heartbroken after losing to a late goal against Northern Premier League West Division title-chasers Workington.
Lee Donafee’s men put in a brave performance against high-flying opponents as they looked to bounce back from the weekend’s 1-0 loss at Colne.
But the devastating late blow has plunged the Rams back into the relegation mix. They have dropped down to 16th spot and sit just four points clear of Prescot Cables in 18th ahead of the weekend’s home clash against league leaders Warrington Rylands.
On Tuesday, both teams needed the points for contrasting reasons and Workington started the brighter.
Steven Rigg had several attempts in the first half for the visitors, none of which bulged the netting at the John Fox Stand end of the ground.
The best Rams chance of the half was on 34 minutes, as Luke Barlow flashed a header wide from a Tom Kennedy corner. Kennedy’s corners did look like one of the avenues the Rams could score from.
As both teams headed to the dressing rooms at the break, the deadlock was yet to be broken.
Ramsbottom started the second half the better, a Kennedy corner flicked onto the head of Khalil Osi-Efa whose effort went just inches over the bar.
Chances were aplenty as the game reached the hour mark. Jamie Rother beat the offside trap after through ball from Godwin Abdadki but he couldn’t beat the pace of the delivery.
The best chance of the half fell to Jack Grimshaw after he received a great pass from John Murphy. Workington’s keeper was off his line but the shot was dragged wide by Grimshaw.
Rother was amongst the chances in the game, having a long-range attempt gathered by the keeper to no danger to the Workington backline.
Former Rams players Reuben Jerome and Nic Evangelinos entered from the bench with just under twenty minutes remaining.
Tom Stewart didn’t have many saves to pull off against in-form Workington but one of note was a close-range effort by Rigg, the nerves calmed around the Riverside when it was safely in his hands. The Rams piled on the pressure in the closing stages of the game. Debutant Finn Bartram, who has joined the club on loan from Salford won his side a corner, that was easily cleared by Workington for a second successive corner.
Rouse headed over from the second delivery into the box as the Rams looked for that late goal to break Workington’s hearts.
David Symington saw his free-kick blocked by the Rammy defence, on the break from that attempt, Murphy attempted to square to Bartram who couldn’t get on the end of the ball.
As the referee indicated five minutes of stoppage time, some in the ground could sense a goal was coming but they weren’t sure which way. They weren’t wrong.
Former Ram Kyle Harrison poked home at close range to give Workington a late winner.
It was a valiant effort from Donafee’s side and a much-improved performance from the game away at Colne.
But it gets no easier on Saturday with the division’s top top, Warrington Rylands, the opposition.
RAMSBOTTOM: Stewart, Fitzgerald, Kennedy, Osi-Efa (Ormrod 78’), Barlow, Rouse, Hasler-Cregg, Rother, Murphy, Abadaki, Grimshaw (Bartram 69’) Unused subs: Flemming, Donaldson, Carey. Attendance: 381