Lancs Trophy exit at the first hurdle
Rams battled back after dreadful start then concede late equaliser before going out on penalties.
The Rams crashed out of the Lancashire Challenge Trophy at the first hurdle on Tuesday night after a penalty shoot out defeat at Thornton Cleveleys.
Ramsbottom travelled to the pleasant surroundings, and progressive Thornton Cleveleys set up on Tuesday evening, for a drama filled night in the Lancashire Trophy.
The home side, in red, flew out of the blocks, with a furious start. A series of ground attacks using both flanks and with quick interchanges leaving the Rams chasing shadows.
The only surprise was that it took the home side ten minutes to break through. Another quick passing move led to a spectacular Joseph Robinson thunderbolt which flew past Reece Trueman to delight the crowd and give Thornton a deserved lead.
The Rams, in familiar blue, looked shell-shocked, stumbling around, unable to clear the ball which was bouncing off shins and setting up more home chances. Clearances were skied and put out of play as a second goal looked a matter of time.
It duly arrived four minutes later, as another move at pace opened the visitors’ defence and Daniel Storey confidently struck a shot, which hurtled past Trueman.
At this stage it looks like the Rams might have been heading for an epic hammering to a side from a league below. Urged on by the vociferous management and some of the senior players, the Rams eventually started to claw a few chances of their own as the home side, possibly thinking they had already won, eased off and conditions became increasingly blustery.
The visitors won a free kick outside the box. It was whipped in by Matt Dudley and read by Terry Cummings on the run and guided into the net – to give the visitors a foothold.
As the half progressed and although the Rams weren’t fluid, they did manage to fashion the occasional half chance before a powerful run by standout Oscar Radcliffe. He charged forwards from his deep berth to deliver a hard low cross. Gareth Hill slid in at the far post and slammed the ball into the net to bring the Rams level on 37 minutes.
But, as half time beckoned with the Rams on an unlikely parity, the home side regained the lead. A sensational driven clearance from home captain Robinson cleared the Rams defence, with the opening exploited and eventually finished off by Jordan Beavers to give the home side a 3-2 advantage as the half-time whistle blew.
The break arrived with the feeling that this was going to be another one of those nights. This was amplified as substitute Henri Ogunby went off injured moments after coming on – and then Gareth Hill hit the crossbar from a corner, watching on as a follow-up header was cleared off the line.
Things did improve. Dylan Halford came on as the Rams passes began to find teammates and they managed to haul themselves back in the game. On 79 minutes, Rowan Chambers played in Matt Dudley who finished low first time across the keeper for his first of the season.
The Rams had weathered the storm and were starting to click and remarkably took the lead just five minutes later. A free-kick on the left was glanced in from six yards by sub Halford to offer a glimpse of what the team is still capable of.
But as the clock ticked down and an unlikely victory on the road beckoned, there was a still in the sting in the tail. It was no surprise as the Rams again conceded a later sucker punch.
Thornton created space on their left and a cross slid in at the far post by substitute Jacob Aspinall as the visiting defence stood and watched, with everybody looking for an offside decision – which didn’t arrive.
So, on to the drama of penalties. In a night of the bad, the good and the ugly even these see-sawed as the Rams took the lead and then squandered it as the home side eventually prevailed.
Clearly, and even after all the changes to personnel, issues at the back are obvious for all to see. On the night, the Rams were a passing team that cannot pass, offer no discernable pattern of play, and remained reliant on individual moments, rather than being a cohesive unit.
The season is in danger of fizzling out before it has properly begun.
Manager Rob Henry was not a happy man. “The players let themselves down with their attitude and application, the way we started the game, we weren’t at the races and that cost us the opening part of the game.
“Frustratingly this is so far away from the instructions provided, demands of the coaching staff and the expectations we set.
“We grew into the game after, some of our attacking game was good, we created chances and were more clinical in front of goal. But our inability to defend properly has cost us winning the game. The mentality to defend individually and collectively must improve and be more consistent.
“As a group they must do a lot more and they know this.”
RAMSBOTTOM UNITED: Trueman, Radcliffe, Akiotu (Ogunby (Halford)), Collinge, Opawole, Cleary, Chambers, Forbes (Turner), Hill, Dudley, Cummings Not used: Sowerby, Ayanyaki
GOALS: Cummings (16), Hill (37), Dudley (79), Halford (84); Robinson (10), Stoney (14), Beavers (45), Aspinall (87)
ATT: 130
