Here is our latest edition of Rammy On This Saturday as we look back at the events on the pitch on the respective Saturday’s in our non-league history.
SATURDAY 28th NOVEMBER 2009
ALSAGER TOWN 1 RAMSBOTTOM UNITED 2
Having lost just one of our previous seven North West Counties Premier Division games – that being the 5-1 mauling at the hands of New Mills – the Rams headed down the M6 to Alsager Town with plenty of confidence.
They were in free scoring mood too with 22 goals across those seven as they, realistically forlornly, chased down the runaway league leaders Newcastle Town.
But they were stung, in front of a sparse crowd of just 45, on 13 minutes when they went behind to the Staffordshire side, who were down towards the foot of the table, when striker Matthew Wooley slotted past Damien Rooney.
Lee Connell brought the Rams level just after the half-hour mark with his fifth of the season and second in successive games, which ensured the Rams went in to half-time on parity.
Looking to right the earlier defeat inflicted by Alsager a month previously at the Riverside, thanks to a last gasp goal, it was the Rams turn to do the same.
On 85 minutes, the visitors were awarded a penalty which Carl Lomax confidently hammered home for the winner.
It sealed an eighth win from the last nine but, of course, the result was heavily overshadowed by what happened later that same night to our 65th minute substitute – in what would become his final ever appearance for the club.
RAMSBOTTOM TEAM v ALSAGER TOWN 2009: Damien Rooney, John Blackley, Phil Dean (Matthew Edgington 65mins), George Bowyer, Shaun Whitehead, Barry Massey (Adam Morning 65mins), Joel Pilkington, Eddie O’Neill, Carl Lomax, Lee Connell, Andrew Sensale. Subs not used: Luke Bradley.
SATURDAY 28th NOVEMBER 1998
BEDLINGTON TERRIERS 3 RAMSBOTTOM UNITED 0
FA VASE ROUND 2
This bizarre ‘cup filled’ month finally came to a conclusion with a fifth knock-out game from the seven played across the month of November 1998 – but this one was the one that everyone had been waiting for.
The Rams had finally recorded a win after losing their previous four on the Tuesday night, beating Chadderton 2-1 in the NWCFL League Cup, thanks to goals from Steve Orrell and Billy McCartney.
But the trip, in round two of the FA Vase to Northern League back-to-back champions Bedlington Terriers, was always going to be quite a challenge for Ken Bridge’s side.
And so it proved, returning from the north-east with a 3-0 defeat.
This could be described as quite a good effort considering that the Terriers went onto reach the final at Wembley that season, losing 1-0 to Devonians Tiverton Town and also had reached the second round of the FA Cup, before losing 2-0 away to Scunthorpe United just seven days after meeting the Rams.
