MATCH REPORT | Ramsbottom United 1-1 FC St Helens: Stripes made to settle for point

Match report by Liam McDermott | Images by Chris Wilkinson & James Whitby

FC St Helens’ visit to Ramsbottom United saw Michael Smith’s side secure a hard-fought point, thanks to Tom McNamara’s second goal in as many league matches.

The Stripes came into this one in a buoyant mood, having produced their maiden FA Cup win on Tuesday night and went the right way about breaking the deadlock, making a bright start and holding a dominant grip on the opening exchanges of proceedings — with some stunning interplay culminating in James Flight’s snapshot drawing a great save from Bradley Rose.

However, Smith’s Stripes weren’t disheartened by being thwarted and carved out another opening.

Ryan Sinnott exhibited his best attributes in that victory on Tuesday night and tried his luck from a testing angle — but didn’t connect with his effort with the intended precision and guile.

With that, FC St Helens were very much in the ascendancy, and continued to endeavour to open the scoring.

Last season’s 26-goal top-scorer, Joe Barker, opened his account for this term in his last appearance via a penalty and will have been in disbelief as to how he wasn’t given the opportunity to repeat that exploit — having seemingly been upended in the box twice in quick succession.

And, they’ll have been all the more incensed when, in the 28th minute, Matthew Dudley met Harvey Hayhurst’s cross at the back post to open the scoring for the hosts, against the run of play.

That provided Ramsbottom with a much-needed fresh injection of life and Hayhurst, the architect of that opener, fancied his chances of adding some comfort to the scoreline with little of the first half remaining — but to be kept at bay from close-range by FC St Helens’ masterful man-between-the-sticks, Joe Mason.

Once again, on the stroke of half-time, Barker had another appeal for a penalty waved away.

Having latched onto Ethan Jones’ great pass, the frontman appeared to be clattered by the goalkeeper before seeing Sinnott strike the woodwork from an acute angle.

But, on the other side of the interval, the visitors would prove to be encouraged rather than burdened by those spot-kick appeals falling on deaf ears.

Smith elected to bring Tom Freeman and McNamara on for the second half, with the two proving to be inspired substitutions.

After the former’s powerful header was one of a handful of chances for the visitors to draw level in quick succession, the latter would capitalise on Barker’s through-ball being spilled into a dangerous area — to score the simplest of opportunities.

That was the very least that The Stripes deserved and they thought that they’d turned the outcome of the match in their favour — as they had done from 2-0 down in this fixture in February — with Barker burying Freeman’s strike across the face of goal, only to see the offside flag cut his celebrations short.

With that, the hosts were given another lifeline to get the better of a side that they beat 3-0, a year ago this weekend, and Dudley’s free-kick was curled just a whisker wide of Mason’s goal.

As McNamara imposed a positive influence from the bench, Luc Ferry would look to do the same, only to be denied by the feet of Rose.

And, the remainder of proceedings set up a grandstand finish — with the hosts opting to utilise the services of former professional frontman, Jamie Proctor, who nodded his opportunity over before Luke Barlow forced Mason into another tidy stop.

That provided FC St Helens with another chance to take three points — with Chris Hill’s intelligently-taken free-kick, when he looked to catch Rose napping, being diverted wide by the goalkeeper, bringing Ramsbottom’s 100% start to an end.