RAMSBOTTOM United rescued a modicum of pride from a dreadful end to the season by claiming bragging rights over derby rivals Radcliffe Borough in their final home game of the Evo-Stik First Division North campaign.

Mark Fell's men claimed their first win in 10 matches in some style, dispatching 10-man Boro 4-0 at the Harry Williams Riverside Stadium.

After an evenly matched start, the turning point came on 33 minutes when Radcliffe centre-back Jacques Kpohomouh was sent off following a confrontation with Rammy striker Ryan Salmon.

Both men squared up and went head-to-head before Salmon fell to the ground clutching his face.

And while the Boro defender saw red, his tormentor only picked up a booking for his part in the incident.

As if to rub salt in the wound, Salmon headed Rammy in front three minutes later and the home side never looked back.

Kyle Haslam saved a Salmon penalty before Grant Spencer fired in a sublime free kick to double the Rams' advantage after the break.

Salmon then added his second of the game and Lee Gaskell completed the scoring with a penalty - notching up his eighth goal in 11 appearances, including six from the spot.

The confidence of both sides had taken a battering in the run-up to the encounter, with the visitors losing four of their previous five matches, including a desperate defeat at the Macron in the final of the Lancashire FA Challenge Trophy.

And neither defence had held up well to questioning in the season run-in, with Rammy conceding 34 goals in their nine-game winless run and Boro letting in 13 in five games during April before Monday's humiliation.

It is hard to say if Radcliffe could have kept out the Ramsbottom attackers with 11 men on the pitch, but they did at least pose a threat going forward before the sending off.

Elliot Rokka, fresh from being named the division's young player of the year, had a shot superbly cleared off the line by the sliding Bradley Roscoe in the ninth minute.

Boro went on to hit the bar as well in the opening exchanges, but the die was cast after Kpohomouh's rush of blood to the head.

Salmon had already clipped the top of the frame with a header from a Spencer free-kick before crashing a headed effort in off the underside of the crossbar. Max Hazeldine followed in to make sure the net rippled, but the referee's assistant had already flagged to say the ball had crossed the line.

Boro did at least get the chance to regroup at half time without going any further behind, but only thanks to the woodwork, with Hazeldine hitting the bar with an effort and Alastair Redmayne's shot glancing the post.

Rammy would not be denied for long after the break. Haslam's heroics to deny Salmon from the spot a minute after the restart proved only to be a stay of execution. Spencer's free-kick whistled into the top corner in the 56th minute before Salmon converted substitute Damian Green's cross to register his 16th goal of the season on 64 minutes.

Gaskell replaced Salmon with 20 minutes remaining and was stroking home a penalty for the fourth goal two minutes later.

Fell's men will now hope to build on a much-improved display when they travel to basement club Burscough for the final match of the campaign on Saturday, while temporary Boro boss Joe Gibbons will attempt to leave home fans with a more pleasant memory when they entertain fellow strugglers Prescott Cables.

Needless to say, whatever the finale, supporters of both sides will be hoping for a vast improvement next season, with Rammy currently 15th in the table and Boro 19th.