Rams unfortunate to get nothing

Matt Dudley’s joy is short-lived as his header is ruled out. Replay’s soon after suggested it was the wrong decision.

Rams left frustrated after two trips in the area went unpunished, a perfectly good Matt Dudley header ruled out for offside and a Droylsden goal let stand after our goalkeeper was dragged to the floor from a corner.

High-flying Droylsden were the visitors at the Riverside stadium on Saturday afternoon with a healthy crowd and the pitch in great condition for a free-flowing game. The Rams’ manager Rob Henry wielded the changes after the previous week’s disappointing defeat at Irlam.

The Bloods of Droylsden, appropriately in red, made a confident start, knocking the ball comfortably around at back with patient transitions through midfield. The Rams reacted by snapping into the tackle and winning the ball from them. Terry Cummings posed a real threat and flashed a shot just wide after closing down a red move. He offered target man Hill useful link up play and support throughout.

The game opened as the visitors won a comer on their left after 36 minutes.  As it was fired over Reece Trueman was dragged to the ground and was prone as the ball was headed in by the formidable Dean Ings. Everybody looked, waiting for the goal to be disallowed – it wasn’t – and Droylsden had a fortuitous and controversial one-nil lead.

If that was controversial, so was the referee’s next decision, as debutant Jason Akiotu was felled in the box but a clear penalty was waved away by the match official who appeared to be blinded by every Rams call for justice.

Stung, the Rams responded and played attractive football with passing and movement.  It looked as though they had equalised with a powerful shot from Rowan Chambers, but somehow it was beaten away, with home supporters banked behind the goal already celebrating.

Cummins continued causing problems and Oscar Radcliffe missed the target when, on another day, he would have scored, as the home side laid siege.

A strong run and cross from Radcliffe brought a fine header from Matt Dudley who beat the diving Jordan Latham to dramatically bulge the goal netting in front of jubilant home supporters – moments later the reaction turned to despair as it was chalked off. It looked fine from the press area and there followed a dreaded feeling that it might be one of those days.

The Rams continued their effective passing game after the restart. With Jack Sowerby prompting and setting a high tempo with simple well-timed ground delivery and Chambers tenacious in the tackle, they began to dominate. Following a storming run from deep, Chambers shaped his body to fire in the equaliser- before being tripped. A stonewall penalty from the press area, but again referee Greenwood disagreed, with home appeals waved away.

Rob Henry turned to the bench as the tiring standout Cummings was withdrawn but Dylan Halford made an impressive start, comfortable on the ball, shielding it with his body, and always looking to get the Rams moving as the team cranked up the pressure.

The home side continued to go forwards, Radcliffe fired in a fine cross from the flanks and met with a bullet header with the crowd once more up in celebration, before somehow it was scrambled clear from the increasingly charmed visitors goal line.

The Rams continued to drive the game and won a number of free kicks in promising positions, but some were dinked into the box rather than thrashed goalwards and the tame resulting headers drifted harmlessly over Latham’s crossbar.

Droylsden, however, weathered the storm and even fashioned a late chance of their own as they clung on.

Eventually Referee Greenwood’s whistle sounded, and the Rams went across to their fans who greeted them as if they had won.

Their team had just put in one of the best performances of the season – one not reflected on the day’s scoresheet. Poor refereeing left the Rams bemoaning two blatant penalty appeals refused, a good goal controversially chalked off for offside, and a dreadful error, later admitted by the official, in allowing the Droylsden goal to stand. Tough to take as the Rams were by far the better team, but on this showing, it will surely even out over a 38-game season, as better times are not far away for Rob Henry’s side.

The manager, however, was understandably, very frustrated at the end.

“A much improved performance with structure, intensity, and some exciting attacking play. The only thing we lacked was putting the ball in the net as we had some fantastic opportunities but either poor finishing or that bit of luck didn’t go our way today”.

He lamented, “Unfortunately the officials played a big part in the game, not giving the obvious foul on Reece at the corner, the blatant penalties which were turned down and the offside goal that was chalked off, these all significantly affect the state of the game.

“The effort, commitment and quality were there for all to see, however we need to be clinical, scoring in our good spells, allowing our dominance in the game to count”.

RAMSBOTTOM UNITED: Trueman, Radcliffe, Akiotu (Cox), Collinge, Opawole, Cleary, Chambers, Sowerby (Ayanyaki), Hill (Halford), Dudley, Cummings (Turner)   Not used: Forbes

GOALS: Dean Ing (36)

ATT: 324