Lower Breck 3 - Ramsbottom United 0

Over to Liverpool and Anfield for the Rams as their title ambitions were tested and this was the northwest counties league version of a crunch top of the table encounter.

Sadly, the experience resembled a version of a death of thousand cuts for the Rams fans that made the journey, with the Lower Breck experience very different from Gigg Lane or the home comforts of the Riverside.

     Experienced players slotted in, but the Rams were without the defensive cover offered by Richie Baker, Andy Teague and talismanic goalkeeper Brad Rose.

    Despite this, it started brightly enough for the blue-shirted visitors with Tom Hoyle sprinting down the right-hand side before firing a low hard shot which was well gathered by home keeper Theo Roberts.

    Unfortunately, the Rams didn't build upon this momentum and it was Lower Breck who seemed to be first to every 50-50 challenge as the game became more attritional and a series of adverse decisions went against the visitors, to the ire of their substantial support.

    The home side gradually forced their way into the game with their hard-working, effective football and it was no surprise when they took the lead. On 17 minutes a move down the right led to a dinked cross into the box with defensive hesitation allowing former Ram, Tom Croughan, to slide past Davis and into the rather makeshift wheeled-goal frame for the opener.

    Worse was to follow for the Rams as they struggled to gain a foothold into the match,  and the second goal duly followed. Another move down the right on 37 minutes saw a cross into the box hammered into the roof of the net by Jesse Dowling for two-nil, no more than the home side deserved. 

    The Rams’ frustration was summed up in a moment when a free kick in a promising position took an age jockeying for position and tactical advantage that ultimately led to the free kick being ballooned over the bar and out of the ground.

    Rams predictable and ponderous style, with aimless punts relieving the pressure, was briefly enlivened by their best player, Tom Hoyle.  Just before half time Hoyle sprinted into space and cleverly sidestepped the defender in the box and fired in a powerful shot. Roberts reacted well and made a fine reflex save to prevent a potential lifeline at a crucial moment.

    The resigned travelling supporters’ faces at half time indicated that they knew their team was misfiring and would be lucky to escape a heavy mauling - particularly disappointing as the Rams’ unbeaten cherished run stretched back to the summertime.

    In the second half the familiar pattern resumed albeit with Rams slightly more lively but struggling to get their passing game effective and just isolated shots.

    A revival never looked likely, and with twenty minutes remaining the Rams misery was compounded following a well-worked home move down the left, leading to a hard driven cross flashing across the box.  In the resulting melee, with Davis beaten, Walder saved on the line with his hand, was shown the red card and the Rams were down to 10 men. The situation was compounded when the penalty was smashed in by Sam Burns for a three-nil lead.

    Owen College was serenaded by the travelling support as he became the third ex-Ram to appear for the home side as a series of substitutions followed but it was a damaged limitation exercise as Rams fell to a heavy defeat - one about which they could have no complaints - on a cold grey day.

    Rams have a chance to shrug this off and bounce back with got a home game on Tuesday and hopefully they can't be as bad as this again. The unbeaten run ended with a whimper and with rivals winning - let’s hope another one can be embarked upon.

    Manager Steve Wilkes cut a disconsolate figure after the game: ”Tough day at the office. Going to Lower Breck at any time in the season is always tough, so to go there missing five big players was always going to be a hard ask.

    “Take nothing away from Lower Breck who fully deserved the win.

    “We dust ourselves down and prepare for another tough fixture on Tuesday night”

RAMSBOTTOM UNITED: Davis, Radcliffe, Hayhurst, Lynch, Barlow, Walder, Stacey(Winstanley 45mins), Walker(Tinker 71mins), Uppal(Camara 75mins), Whyte, Hoyle(Evans 75mins). Sub not used:Ogunby