HEARTBREAK

Devastation at the final whistle as the Rams play-off promotion bid fell at the first hurdle. 

Nearly 1200 football supporters, many with flags and other paraphernalia, gathered at the Riverside stadium in Ramsbottom on Saturday for the North West Counties’ playoff semifinal. The eagerly awaited contest was played out between two Lancashire rivals who had battled hard over a mammoth forty-six game season to reach this stage.

For the home side, the centre half hoodoo had struck again with Glenn Matthews unavailable due to illness, meaning Maine Walder had to take a slot next to Luke Barlow in the centre of defence with Harvey Hayhurst playing in a more withdrawn role.

Nervousness was evident from the outset with Ramsbottom playing in the usual blue. Indeed, a well-weighted free kick found the head of a red-clad Padiham striker on seven minutes and he appeared to have done everything right to guide it inside the post. But Andre Mendes hurled himself across the goal line to produce an astonishing fingertip save to push the ball onto the post and prevent an early Padiham breakthrough.

The Rams responded to the let off with some fluent football. On twelve minutes Luke Sefton flashed a ball across the face of the goal, an effort which, in other times, might just have caught inside the top corner.

The home side built on the chance and produced some attractive possession-based football in the following minutes without creating further clear-cut chances as the visitors battled hard to keep their shape.

As the break approached a poorly defended through ball led to a corner for Padiham which was driven across hard and low, but the Rams defenders seemed spellbound, and no one moved as the ball trundled along the goal-line before Wilkins directed it into the net with a clever backheel finish, to give the visitors the lead.

The blow came at a crucial time, and it was perhaps more than their streetwise and effective play deserved as the Rams had huffed and puffed without really looking able to pierce a resolute defence.

The quality of the game did not match the occasion, with both teams failing to produce the standard of football that had seen a play-off position achieved at the end of a gruelling campaign, and the second half fared little better, as the large crowd deserved much more entertainment.

The same eleven started the second half brightly for the home side and it looked like the Rams were keen to get the early equaliser.

They gained a promising position when underlying tensions were brough to the surface in the fifty eighth minute when an off-the-ball scuffle involving goal scorer Wilkins escalated into a melee. With more players becoming involved, Referee Banks sent Wilkins off but as the jostling and noise continued any Rams advantage of playing against ten men, was wiped out by Harvey Whyte, who was not initially involved, also being mysteriously red-carded. A series of yellow cards were also flourished before calm was eventually restored after the protracted stoppage.

Perhaps the disruption suited the visitors more as on sixty-five minutes another low cross was driven into the box from the right and stabbed into the net by Joel Brownhill to effectively end the contest.

Oumar Camara came on, amongst a series of substitutions, and was able to hold the ball somewhat further up the pitch, but the fluent passing style was lacking and balls in promising situations were also wasted with wayward passing and a lack of communication meaning home dangerman Tom Hoyle was starved of service and forced to battle for scraps.

The visitors managed out the game well in the closing minutes with a series of leisurely-taken dead balls further reducing any momentum.

There was to be a s sting in the tail in eight minutes of injury time. In its second minute a low driven Richie Baker corner was forced across the line by centre-half Luke Barlow to give the Rams the briefest glimmer of hope.

It was raucously received by the home fans but, although the Rams did produce one or two promising moves, they were never able to get the decisive ball into the box and a couple of adverse decisions did little to endear the referee to the crowd.

A long-range effort from Oscar Radcliffe which dipped just over the bar was the final throw of the dice as the visitors saw out the closing minutes to take the prize of a trip to Lower Breck, next week.

Full credit to Padiham. As in the league match at the Riverside a few weeks ago, they nullified the Rams with similar tactics. The game ended with very real disappointment but, when that had sunk in, a strong feeling of pride re-emerged.

The players, managers and coaches allowed Padiham to take their bows before moving across as a group towards the home fans and engaging once more with fist bumps and high fives. It’s been a tremendous season; the team has made giant strides and perhaps there is more to come with ninety-seven points on the board – a club record.

The defeat will take some time to get over but come the late summer the Rams have the opportunity to build upon a significant uplift in fortunes and go again in the hope and expectation of brighter days ahead.

Manager Steve Wilkes assessed the situation afterwards: “Firstly congratulations to Michael Morrison and everyone connected to Padiham FC and good luck in the Final next week.

“I want to say how proud I am of my players and staff for the season we have had. After last season, it just shows how far we have come as a group.

“Six players that started today were with the club last season. Unfortunately, we just seem to have run out of steam at the vital point of the season.

“I also want to thank the committee who have helped me out throughout the season and a massive thank you to every single fan who has stood by us this season.

“We just couldn’t get across the line. Time to take a breather and hopefully recharge the batteries.”

RAMSBOTTOM UNITED: Mendes, Radcliffe, Hayhurst, Walker (Wilson 73), Barlow, Walder, Baker, Sephton, Turner (Camara 73), Whyte, Hoyle Not used: Lynch, Tinker, Rose

Att: 1182