RAMSBOTTOM United kept their focus as the fog descended at Prescot Cables to double their tally of away wins for the season.

Rammy were twice pegged back after new signing Aaron Hollindrake's double was cancelled out by two goals from the home side's Rob Doran.

But Ryan Salmon put them back in front with a third goal 20 minutes from time and the Rams' player of the month for November, Grant Spencer, scored a fourth to seal a welcome 4-2 victory.

On a pitch hardly conducive to passing and running, both teams gave plenty of effort, but the points deservedly went back to east Lancashire, moving Ramsbottom up to 14th place in the Evo-Stik First Division North.

They could hardly have asked for a better start, with Hollindrake taking just seven minutes to score on his debut following his switch from Barnoldswick Town.

The 31-year-old striker poked the ball just inside the post to finish off a flowing move.

At that point the healthy Rammy support were expecting an avalanche of goals against a team that had leaked seven just a week before, but Prescot gradually wrestled control of the game as the visitors struggled to cope with the playing surface.

Doran raced through to blast home a deserved equaliser on the half hour, but that only served to jolt Ramsbottom into life and Salmon could easily have grabbed a hat-trick before the break but for some fine saves from Prescot's experienced keeper Phil Priestley.

As the fog began to thicken, Rammy's attacks were constantly pegged back by offside decision that looked tough to call.

But they eventually managed to beat the home defence on 61 minutes after Hollindrake timed his run to perfection before holding off his marker to crash home his and the team’s second.

The lead only lasted six minutes before Paul Linwood gave away a clear penalty with a foul in the box Doran stepped up to level from the spot.

But after being denied time and again in the first half, Salmon finally got the better of Priestley, flicking the ball over the stopper following a half-cleared corner.

And Spencer eased fears of another Prescot fightback with an expertly-placed free kick, clipping the ball over the wall and into the corner from 25 yards.

The only fears in the closing stages was whether visibility would hold up enough to see out the match, but sanity prevailed as Rammy warmed up for their Boxing Day clash with local rivals Radcliffe Borough by moving above them in the table.