Ramsbottom United 1
Workington 1

AT THE final whistle the home crowd drafted away content with the thought this was very much a point gained rather than two lost.

Workington were by far the most classy and well-organised side the Rams have come up against so far this season.

Admittedly though, The Rams were not at their best.

Like Les Dawson at the piano playing all the right notes but in the wrong order, they struggled from first to last to bring any harmony or cohesion to their game.

But it is to their immense credit that where once they might have capitulated to a team of this quality, they battled to grab a point in the dying moments.

Both teams set up in similar ways and were quick into the tackle all around the pitch.

It is therefore not surprising the flow of the game was sporadic with chances few and far between at either end.

The nearest either team came to scoring in an uneventful first half was when a snapshot on to the bar caught Grant Shenton off guard – he was fortunate to see the rebound put wide.

Apart from that, neither team were able to get behind the defence and while the Rams had the majority of the possession little came of it.

That pattern continued in to the second half until Workington finally broke the deadlock on the hour mark.

Scott Allison ghosted in on a header back and pushed the ball past a stranded Shenton into the corner of the net.

The managerial response from the Rams was immediate with Lee Gaskell and Jon Robinson on to see if they could muster a repeat of the Whitby heroics.

Workington, however, stiffened their resolve and pushed up into an even higher defensive line.

They were marshalled superbly by player-manager Gavin Skelton and prevented the Rams from building any sustained momentum.

Jordan Hulme cut in from the left and saw his strong shot beaten away by Jonny Jameson, but the Workington keeper was otherwise rarely troubled and looking assured – apart from some hairy moments caused by his own poor clearances.

Sheer willpower from the Rams eventually forced the visitors on to the back foot.

With seven minutes remaining, Hulme met a Lee Gaskell header from a Tom Williams corner at the far post and slid the ball in from close range from the most acute of angles for Ramsbottom’s equaliser.

There were thoughts of an improbable win but with the visitors looking just as likely to score again, the final whistle brought a sense of relief.

Come the end of the season, and with the Rams now up to third, this result – if not the performance – may well be seen as of considerable importance.

GOALS from Grant Spencer and Jon Robinson helped the Rams secure a 2-1 FA Trophy first round qualifying round win over Whitby Town on Saturday.