We once again dip into the Ramsbottom United archives to see what happened on this respective Saturday in our non-league semi-professional history. And, it will be centered on 2010, 2004 and 1999.

SATURDAY 11th SEPTEMBER 2010
RAMSBOTTOM UNITED 0 SKELMERSDALE UNITED 2

FA CUP 1st QUALIFYING ROUND

(Tony Cunningham’s report from the very old RUFC website)

The Rams brief flirtation with the F.A.Cup is over for another season.

The draw against an unbeaten side from a higher division was always going to be a tough ask, but with many regulars unavailable for a variety of reasons, this weakened line-up should have been there for the taking for visiting Skelmersdale.

However, Rams players are made of sterner stuff, and those that came in did a fine job for over an hour as they more than matched their illustrious opponents.

Two quick goals half way through the second period proved to be the undoing of the home side, at which point heads dropped and Skem took control as a late comeback for the Rams never looked likely.

The first half saw both sides go head-to-head, with chances at both ends as the game swung from one goalmouth to the other.

Indeed, the home side should have taken the lead as early as the second minute. Some delightful work down the right by Andy Sensale created a cross which the unmarked Lee Gaskell failed to make sufficient contact with, and Eastham in the Skem goal gathered easily.

The home side created a number of early chances, with Mark Drew firing just wide, and Andy Dawson and Ian Flannery both inches away with headers.

However, Skelmersdale created their own opportunities with McIntosh clipping the bar and Ledsham trying his luck from 25 yards.

Sensale was creating havoc on the right, and another of his crosses was headed over by Gaskell, before a badly dislocated finger saw the winger substituted and taken to hospital.

Joel Pilkington hooked an effort over the bar, then Eddie O’Neill blocked a clearance by the keeper, before returning into the area only for his shot to be cleared off the line.

On 30 minutes the visitors had a double let-off when first Flannery saw his fierce header superbly turned over by Eastham, and from the resultant corner Dawson’s header was inches too high.

At the other end Flannery’s pressure led to Almond nodding wide, and Ledsham floated a superb curling effort just the wrong side of the post.

Anthony Johnson almost opened the scoring just before the break when he shrugged off a challenge but saw his shot fail to hit the target.

The second half started in the same vein, with Woolcott firing just wide for the visitors, before some inter-passing between O’Neill and Pilkington saw the former through but the keeper was equal to his effort.

Slowly but surely, the visitors began to wrestle the game away from the home side. Ledsham couldn’t quite connect with a cross and the ball fell kindly for Grant Shenton in the Rams net, but the pressure eventually told as Almond nodded home from close range in the 67th minute to finally break the deadlock.

Almost immediately Armstrong fired in a rasping drive which Shenton did well to gather before play swung to the other end, and Gaskell, unmarked 10 yards out, should have done better than put his header well over the bar as a quick equaliser looked likely.

Moments later, on 73 minutes, O’Neill tripped Woolcott in the box, and Almond stepped up to score his and Skelmersdale’s second from the spot.

Almond thought he’d grabbed a hat-trick minutes later when his fierce close-range header looked a certain goal, but Shenton pulled off a superb instinctive save to prevent a third, but the last 20 minutes belonged almost entirely to the visitors. Turner gathered the ball in the Rams area, before swivelling and firing inches wide, then some excellent interplay between four players resulted in the ball finding it’s way into the Rams net, only to be chalked off for an offside flag.

In the last minute Skem were denied yet again, firstly by Shenton and then Dawson as the home side tried desperately to stop the defeat turning into a rout.

Credit to the effort and endeavour of the under-strength Rams side, but at the end of the day the quality of the visitors proved too much, and Skelmersdale it is who scoop the £3000 kitty and move on to the next round.

RAMSBOTTOM UNITED: Shenton, Blackley(Shuttleworth 80mins), Dean, Pilkington, Dawson, Flannery(Nuttall 90mins), Gaskell, Drew, Johnson, Sharples, Sensale(O’Neill 20mins). Subs not used: Ince, Campbell

SATURDAY 11th SEPTEMBER 2004
RAMSBOTTOM UNITED 6 SHOTTON COMRADES 1

FA VASE PRELIMINARY ROUND

(Chris Boothman’s report via the Lancashire Telegraph archives)

RAMS’ quest for glory in the FA Vase began with this one-sided victory over North East side Shotton, and the score line could easily have been in double figures.

There was a debut for Shaun Spence, in for the unavailable Chris Mackay and the return from injury of Ewan Purcell to the substitute’s bench.

The Rams started well and quickly established control with a series of fine passing moves and lively forward play from Michael Saunders and Adam Cook.

The home side were, however, dealt a blow inside the opening 10 minutes, when Saunders fell awkwardly and injured his back, he was replaced by Purcell who immediately made an impression on the game.

He pounced on an innocuous through-ball from the back and his neat control enabled him to round on-rushing goalkeeper John Levett to tuck the ball into the empty net.

The inevitable second goal arrived on 15 minutes when Cook turned well and let fly an unstoppable drive that flew into the top corner of the net.

On 33 minutes a well worked corner set up Adam Kozlowski on the edge of the penalty box, and his fearsome drive struck the post with Levett well beaten. Bill Robertson followed up but his ‘goal’ was disallowed for a marginal offside decision.

Cook almost claimed his second goal before half time with a stinging drive that was tipped on to the crossbar by Levett.

The Rams then continued their habit of scoring in the opening minute of the second half, when a measured pass from Skarratt found Purcell and he calmly beat Levett before slotting into an empty net.

Then, on 50 minutes a delightful Raywood cross was controlled instantly by Purcell and his low shot beat Levett to confirm a fine hat-trick.

The visitors then sparked into action to gain a consolation goal only minutes later when a looping header from Paul Bond crept agonisingly over the outstretched hand of Dryden – the first goal he has conceded since taking over from Mark Andrews four games ago!

Victory was confirmed on 78 minutes when a hopeful cross some how evaded the goalkeeper and debutant Shaun Spence was on hand to open his account for the Rams with the simplest of tap-ins.

To cap it all on 83 minutes a combination of Spence and the Shotton fullback looped the ball over the motionless Levett and into the net to make it six.

Tonight the rampant Rams return to league action with a trip to third-placed Squires Gate.

RAMSBOTTOM: Dryden, Raywood, Skarratt, Kozlowski, Robertson, Blackley, Edgington, Morley, Saunders, Spence, Cook. Subs: Purcell (for Saunders), Morris (for Cook), Andrews, Henry (for Morley), Buggie.

SATURDAY 11th SEPTEMBER 1999
RAMSBOTTOM UNITED 4 GLOSSOP NORTH END 1

(Report via the Lancashire Telegraph archives)

THE Rams never really looked back after getting off to a real flyer against visitors Glossop, going ahead with just two minutes on the clock.

Neil Wallace’s inch-perfect pass put Russell Brierley in the clear and the striker made it look easy with a precise finish into the bottom.

Ramsbottom were well on top with Russell Brierley, Steve Brennan and Yorke-Robinson all testing Steve Allan in the North End goal.

But midway through the half Glossop rocked the home side with a shock equaliser. Central defender Chris Ringland heading the simple goal after Rams keeper Mark Bedford failed to reach a corner kick.

However, 10 minutes before the break Ramsbottom regained the lead from a Martin Hulme free kick.

In the opening minute of the second half Ramsbottom produced a classic piece of football.

Shaughnessy’s diagonal pass found Brennan who made rapid progress down the right before crossing into the danger area where Russell Brierley scored with a diving header.

The game was all over as a contest on 53 minutes when goalkeeper Allan misjudged a long ball down the middle and Yorke-Robinson bravely forced it over the line, injuring himself in the process.

In the end though, Ramsbottom were excellent value for their first league win of the season.