LATE DUDS HEADER SECURES REPLAY

Matt Dudley wheels away after heading home a Terry Cummings cross in the 93rd minute.

For the second time in two seasons the Rams and their traveling fans headed for Silsden and an enjoyable location for football. The splendidly named Cobbydalers gained promotion and look to be on an upward path with a smart ground and setting surrounded by modern housing developments with plenty of green fields and grazing cattle on the horizon.

This was a chance to enjoy the oldest football competition in the world. Playing in their usual blue, Steve Wilkes made one change to the starting lineup, bringing in Finn Wallbank for his Rams debut.

The opening quarter of an hour saw the teams working each other out and minutes quite scrappy with endeavour but little else. That changed dramatically when the red-clad home side produced an excellent angled driven ball across the box and suddenly Brad Rose was exposed. The keeper tried to cover his goal line but was unsuccessful as Kayle Price cleverly rolled the ball into the far corner and ignited the home fans. It was fine finish from Price who was to cause the Rams problems throughout

The early breakthrough spread confidence to the home side who continued to look dangerous on the counter as the Rams, prompted by Baker and the impressive Wallbank, struggled to gain a foothold. The 1-0 half time score was a fair reflection of play.

After the break the home side continued to fashion chances with the mobile Price looking especially dangerous.

Steve Wilkes, however, had a formidable weapon on the bench.  The substitute’s arrival around the hour mark was met with considerable delight as Sefton Gonzales entered the fray. Gonzales is well known to the Rams fans, scoring plenty of goals and at a higher level before COVID cut short that team’s promotion charge. His physique and work rate seemed to rattle the home defence as their assured passing from the back began to look much more hurried as some of their eye-catching rhythm ebbed away.

As the clock ticked down Rams plugged away without creating too many clear-cut chances. Wallbank, comfortable wherever he was asked to play and always in the thick of the action.  Wallbank is not scared to receive the ball in midfield and drive the team as he moved around the back line and also forwards to assist Rams captain Richie Baker.

As the visitors pushed for an equaliser, so Silsden, on the counter, looked at replicating last year’s 2-0 result and finish off the game. The best of a series of late chances falling to goalscorer Price – but he fired over the bar with minutes remaining.

Gonzales hold up play as the other end was impressive, but it increasingly looked ass though Rams were existing the competition especially in the last minute when Matt Dudley fired in a well-struck shot arrowing for the far corner of the net until a home defender’s back got in the way. The ball went for a corner, before being eventually cleared.

Deep into injury time with the looming prospect of a rather disappointing drive home to Lancashire and home supporters drifting homewards, another of Steve Wilkes’s substitutes, Terry Cummings, drove the Rams forward down the right-hand side. Cummings whipped in a delicious. low cross, which was read, once more, by the in-form Matt Dudley. Dudley’s timing was perfect as he used its pace to glance it past Brown and then nestle in the far corner of the net. The home crowd stared in stunned disbelief as the Rams ultras erupted in celebration.

There was barely time for the match to restart before referee Clarke, who had allowed the game to flow throughout, blew the final whistle.

Rams remain unbeaten and go into the replay at the Riverside on Tuesday in good spirits. Silsden are a good side and there is plenty still to do but Matt Dudley’s fourth consecutive goal for the club at least keeps the tie alive and made the drive home a much more enjoyable prospect.

RAMSBOTTOM UNITED: Rose, Radcliffe (Cummings), Hayhurst, Wallbank, Barlow, Walder, Baker, Whyte, L Sephton, Dudley, Rother (Gonzales)    Not Used: Whittingham, Stacey, Matthews, Braganca, Cooper

GOALS: Matt Dudley (93); Kayle Price (15)

ATT: 201