RAMSBOTTOM responded to a disappointing defeat at Mossley on Saturday with a battling 1-0 win at home to high-flying Lancaster City in midweek.

Paul Linwood's late goal proved mere consolation in Rammy's 2-1 loss at Mossley, who finished the week one place below them in the lower reaches of Evo-Stik First Division North.

But while there was nothing pretty about the Rams' response on Tuesday night, they showed great spirit to hang on against Lancaster after Ryan Salmon had given the home side a 13th minute lead.

Lancaster remain champions in waiting, still just two points off top spot with four games in hand of leaders Scarborough despite losing to Rammy.

But they were unable to find a way through their resolute defence.

Without the comforting presence of Matty Atherton in front of him, Rams' on-loan full-back Josh Askew had by far the most challenging experience of his time at the Rams so far, caught with the unenviable choice of having to pick up the penetrating runs of Craig Carnegie on his inside or those of Jacob Gregory on the outside.

Several times that pair manipulated their way to the by-line but to the Rams' good fortune all too often the cross was either lacking in direction or fell to a desperate block and clearance.

It was one of those that found its way low to Salmon, who isolated and then spun away from his marker and nonchalantly shot across Michael Hale to open and complete the scoring.

Young Askew though is irrepressible – for all his defensive pressures he still showed the wit and turn of speed to range forward first latching on to an astute back heel from Gareth Seddon to send in a cross which had the Lancaster defence at panic stations and then bursting into the box only to have the ball nicked away in the act of shooting.

Match on match Gareth Seddon is growing into the captaincy and influence.

Playing with his head up and swishing his foot across the ball with a delicate brush stroke he is at the centre of most if not all of the Rams attacking ambitions.

His 50-yard pass across the face of the Lancaster defence curled with the outside of the foot into the path of Sam Freakes was exquisite, but not the defining intervention of the night.

That distinction fell to young goalkeeper Charlie Albinson.

Initially looking uncertain he was clattered into wakefulness diving at the feet of an onrushing Craig Carney.

As the tempo if not the accuracy of the Lancaster attacks increased he produced two stunning saves to keep the Rams in front.

The first from a firm downward header from no more than six yards out was at a difficult angle, low at the base of his feet, but he managed to get a firm hand down and deflect the ball away.

For all the Rams' defensive resilience there was a feeling that if Lancaster had equalised they would have gone on to win.

So even though there was less than three minutes remaining on the clock this made the Tyro keeper's second save all the more important and spell-binding in its execution - spreading his body to somehow deflect away a header which had the Lancaster attacker turning away thinking he had scored.

Five minutes of added time encouraged Lancaster to sweep forward but only found a thin blue line of Rams resolve.

Between them Luke Thompson and Paul Linwood, by this time reinforced by Lee Botham, got a head or foot to the ball in advance of a Lancaster attacker and apart from an effort which flew over the bar when at first it seemed to be dipping under it the Rams' goal survived without too much alarm.