Ramsbottom United beat Chadderton in high stakes clash to stay in title race

A lovely spring day as Ramsbottom United welcomed an in-form Chadderton side, coming into the match of on a run of thirteen games unbeaten including eight straight victories, a daunting proposition, with both teams flying high in the North West Counties Premier League.

The match was played out to a pulsating atmosphere with the healthy 470 plus crowd enjoying an action-packed afternoon. It started at a high tempo with a series of hard but fair challenges as both teams battled for supremacy during an engrossing opening period. The visitors, in red, appeared rattled by the intensity of the Rams approach, making a couple of unforced errors which heaped pressure on them.

Rams faced a setback however on 20 minutes, when influential skipper Richie Baker suffered a clash in the penalty area and hobbled off in pain. His injury was later diagnosed as a broken leg.

Despite this, the Rams were able to bring on an able replacement in the form of Harvey Whyte and created further promising moves.

On 22 minutes, it looked as though the visitors had held firm as their defence pushed out after clearing a corner. Jacob Holland-Wilkinson had other ideas as he charged on to the ball at full pace - before smashing it past keeper Oliver Culkin and into the net in front of the delighted Ultras. He ran to them to share the moment having rediscovered his goal scoring touch in recent weeks, with a series of wonder goals coming at a crucial stage of the season.

The Rams work rate was remarkable as they kept pressing, but Chadderton are a good side and increasingly came into the game.

On forty minutes red shirts broke from defence and moved down the left. The ball was fed to Benjamin Lowe in space, and he hit an angled shot which flew past Brad Rose in the home goal to nestle into the far corner of the net.

Buoyed by their equaliser, the visitors again went on the offensive with a move down the right leading to a blistering effort before Rose reacted with astonishing speed and agility in pushing the goal-bound shot wide of the post.

One each at half time as the crowd, immersed in the encounter, switched ends. The visitors started with more purpose as tackles flew in as the game increasingly resembling a cup tie - and with the visitors fancying their chances.

On the hour it looked as though they had taken the lead when a cross from their left found Adam Dale a couple of yards out and in space - but he couldn’t quite get a touch, and the ball ran out of play.

The Rams responded and on 70 minutes retook the lead. A move saw the home side creating room down the centre, with Harvey Hayhurst firing a fierce shot, which was charged down. Without the slightest hesitation he read the rebound and crashed the ball which hurtled high past Culkin and into the roof of the net and leading to the massed home supporters a few feet behind erupting in delight.

Shaken, the visitors responded, and it looked as though they had drawn level when a free kick was fired into the box and hooked over Rose. They were grateful to Matt Dudley, helping at the back, as he hooked the ball off the line to safety to preserve the fragile lead.

Urged on by a crowd always keen to play their part. The Rams defended further up the pitch than is sometimes the case. Lucas Braganca and substitute Leo Thompson showed energy and game management skills in keeping the visitors at arm’s length as both goal scorers made their exits to standing ovations.

Referee McKeever had an impressive game and allowed the match to flow, but attracted comment, not all of it complementary, when indicating a minimum six minutes of injury time. But the Rams have introduced streetwise tactics in recent weeks - evident in the winning of fouls and taking time of goal kicks and dead balls - as they battled to keep the precious lead intact.

Finally, and to a guttural roar, the whistle sounded and the Rams prevailed. They stay hot on the heels of leaders Wythenshawe, sitting second in the table on eighty-seven points with six games remaining and go again at Didsbury on Wednesday.