PREVIEW – AFC LIVERPOOL (H)
Can we make it two games in a row without the weather interfering? Let’s hope so as we look to welcome our penultimate HWRS visitors of the month of March in the shape of AFC Liverpool.
MATCH: Ramsbottom United vs AFC Liverpool
VENUE: Harry Williams Riverside Stadium, Ramsbottom, BL0 0BS
COMPETITION: North West Counties Premier Division
DATE: Saturday 9th March 2024
KICK-OFF: 3.00pm
ADMISSION: Adults – £9, Concessions – £5, U12 – £1 (with paying adult)
OVERVIEW:
We actually did a thing on Tuesday! We got some footballs out and played a game without it raining, without it being frosty or waterlogged. Sadly the result didn’t go our way but we will have another try in our penultimate home game of March before we pack up the travel bag and hit the road (and the skies) for the remainder.
It has been a long, long, long season and we still have 14 games to play across the next six weeks and only a handful of those are on our home patch. One of those is this weekend when AFC Liverpool head into town.
The Reds travel with a bit of a spring in their step after turning over promotion chasing Wythenshawe Town on Saturday which moved them up to 15th place on 46 points, six points clear of the Rams who have slipped to 18th on the back of the result on Tuesday and other results over the last couple of days.
However, we do have six games in hand over our opponents so a home win in this game will certainly boost our chances of catching them up. But, manager Steve Wilkes was far from happy with his side’s performance against Wythenshawe on Tuesday night and has demanded better this time out.
Statistics are one thing – AFC Liverpool have won just one of their last nine away games and that was against bottom of the table Skelmersdale United.
They have only won 7 of their 20 games on the road with 12 defeats. They have a goal difference of minus 27 and only the bottom two sides have conceded similar or more goals then them.
Of course, that means diddly squat when it comes to the match itself. The Rams haven’t exactly been rolling sides over on their home patch, in fact just six wins from 18 games (five draws and seven defeats). So anything could happen today. Us Ramsbottom United supporters are certainly used to the rollercoaster ride that we have endured this season!
HISTORY:
It was barmy August when we headed to the Marine Travel Arena and two late goals from Dudley and Whyte gave us a 3-2 victory.
A reminder of the game is right here with Will Place’s match report
STEVE WILKES’ THOUGHTS:
Steve wants to see better from his side after Tuesday night.
“I was really disappointed with our second half performance on Tuesday and we have to aim to put that right on Saturday against a team that come on the back of a great win last Saturday.
“We need to get back to the basics and the players need to take on board what is being asked of them.”
