The quickest goal
of the season scored by the Rams was not enough for them to
maintain their winning streak as they could only manage to draw
against Atherton Collieries at the Riverside.
Ramsbottom where awarded a penalty
in the 57th second at the start of the first half after Dean
Thurston was brought crashing down inside the penalty area after
playing a neat one-two with strike partner Anthony Johnson.
Johnson stepped up to take the
resulting spot kick and he sent the keeper the wrong way, coolly
slotting the ball into the net.
The next 15 minutes saw plenty
of Ramsbottom pressure but without any real threat on the
Collieries goal.
Atherton themselves seemed shell
shocked at falling behind as early as they did but they started
to get back into the game with some nice attacking football but
just like the Rams they rarely threatened the Ramsbottom goal.
In the dying seconds of the
first half Graham Vaughan was extremely unlucky not to have
doubled the Rams lead after bringing down the ball from an
Eckersley cross and after beating two men he sent in a powerful
shot that the visiting keeper did well to palm out to safety.
The second half was all huff and
puff from both sides and again it was a half of very few
chances.
In-form striker Dean Thurston
had two glorious chances to score for the Rams but his shots
where at the keeper.
Atherton started to pick up the
game and had most of the possession and it was no surprise when
they got their equaliser.
The ball was played in from a
corner and amongst a ruck of players inside the Rams area, Danny
Shannon powered the ball goalwards and into the net.
Rams keeper John Ogden berated the assistant linesman accusing
the Atherton player of using a hand to push the ball into the
net but his protest came to nothing.
The second half wore on with
both keepers hardly being tested and in swirling, windy
conditions both sides seemed happy when the referee brought the
game to an end all square.
Overall a scrappy performance by
the Rams but they have maintained their recent good run of form.
That's now two wins, two draws and just one defeat in their last
five games and manager Neil Hart must surely be happy with the
way things are going.
His team travel Runcorn Linnets
this coming Saturday in a game which will no doubt see the home
side looking for revenge after their recent 4-0 hammering at the
Riverside against the Rams.
