Colne went down to a narrow defeat against top of the league Ramsbottom at the Harry Williams Riverside Stadium on Saturday. The Reds battled all the way and matched their opponents for much of the game but two second half goals gave them a mountain to climb with tiring legs on a heavy pitch.
Both sides looked to attack in the opening period and Harry Lutakome did well to clear the ball from the Colne goalmouth after Reds keeper Harry Turner had parried a low driven shot from the right wing from Tom Hoyle. But at the other end, Adrian Kandeke’s cross found Jack Massey in the home penalty area but his overhead shot was cleared by the Rams defence.
Minutes later, Colne’s Basit Yusuff looked to be through on goal but his unselfish square ball for a team-mate was cut out and the chance was lost. In the end to end play, headers by Andy Teague and Oumar Camara flew just over the Colne bar before the Reds had strong claims for a penalty waved aside after a Rams defender appeared to handle the ball in his area.
The Rams pushed forward testing the Colne defence and Harvey Hayhurst made some dangerous runs to the bye line and a searching cross was headed away at the near post by Lutakome. But with half time approaching, it was the Reds who came closest when Muhammad Ahmed forced a double save from Rams keeper Bradley Rose before Yusuff blasted the loose ball over the bar.
As the second half began, Colne carved out a great chance when Massey’s run and cross from the right wing reached Ewan Catt in front of goal but he lost his footing on the slippery surface and the ball ran through to the keeper. Minutes later, Catt’s run and shot was blocked in the home area before Mo Butt fired over the bar from the rebound.
But the Rams always looked dangerous as Camara fired a shot across the face of the Colne goal and Shak Ali headed away a searching cross from the Reds goalmouth. But after 54 minutes, a Rams corner was headed home at the far post by Teague with Turner blocked off in a crowded goalmouth to give Ramsbottom the lead.
Colne had a great chance for a quick reply with their next attack when Massey got to the bye line and his low cross reached Yusuff at the far post but he blasted high over the top of an open goal. Colne continued to attack and had shots blocked in the Rams goalmouth before Corey Stacey saw his well struck 20 yard shot saved by the keeper on the line.
At the other end, Ramsbottom came close to a second goal after 76 minutes when Rajwinder Uppal saw his angled shot come back off the crossbar with the Reds keeper beaten. And after 85 minutes, Colne’s fate was sealed when their defence gave the ball away and Uppal finished a quick breakaway with a low shot into the bottom corner of the net to double his side’s lead.
Kommentare