Blyth Spartans 0-1 Ramsbottom United

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ALAN McLEAN FCMA CGMA
Chartered Management Accountant

Blyth Spartans 0-1 Ramsbottom United
Saturday 2nd November
Croft Park
FA Trophy Second Qualifying Round
Att: 298

On a dreary Northumberland afternoon Spartans were left feeling as grey as the skies above Croft Park as a wonder strike from Ramsbottom United captain Daniel Warrender dumped them out of the FA Trophy. If ever a game was summed up by the weather conditions it was played in then this was it. Miserable, dull and damp, it will be a game that nobody in the Green Army will remember with any sense of pride.

For only the second time this season Tom Wade and Colin Myers were able to name the same starting lineup for consecutive fixtures as they kept faith with the side that had comfortably beaten Frickley Athletic on Tuesday night at Croft Park.

It was the visitors who started the game on top as they settled quicker than Spartans but they were unable to fashion any chances of note. It took until the twentieth minute for the first effort on goal as winger Phil Dean saw a twenty five yard free kick dip just over Michal Misiewicz's goal. The standard of play declined as quickly as the weather with neither side able to play the quick passing football that they have both renowned for this season.

It took until five minutes before the break before Spartans got going as they had two late chances to go into the break ahead. Robbie Dale embarrassed his marker Joel Pilkington down the right hand side and broke into the Rams area. His pullback found Sonny Andrews but only a Gary Stopforth block denied the on loan Spennymoor Town striker a second goal at Croft Park. From the resultant corner kick Matthew Wade met Damen Mullen's cross but he saw his header cleared off the line by Pilkington. The visitors came within a whisker of claiming a half time lead as Dean send a vicious twenty yard free kick just wide of the Spartans goal meaning the deadlock remained unbroken.

That deadlock was smashed into pieces within three minutes of the restart with a fantastic goal from Rams captain Danny Warrender. Collecting the ball thirty yards from goal the former FC United of Manchester man struck a wonderful low effort beyond Misiewicz and into the net via the inside of the post. It was a goal quite out of sync with the rest of the game and was more than the visitors deserved for the way they had performed in the tie.

Warrender could and probably should have doubled both his own tally on the day and his side's lead ten minutes later as he headed over from ten yards. If ever Spartans needed a boost then this was the game. Just after the hour mark the visitors were reduced to ten men as Dean was dismissed for foul and abusive language towards referee Thomas Rogers. Soon after Spartans were almost on even terms although the goal would have owed more to lady luck than anything else had it go in. A right footed corner from the left from Robbie Dale crashed off the near post and away to safety with Rams keeper Shenton flapping.

The Green Army may have been waiting for a big push from there side and in terms of possession they wouldn't be disappointed but the reality is that the discipline and vigilance of the visitors restricted them to efforts from long distance. Substitute Arran Wearmouth crashed an effort just over the angle of bar and post from the edge of the box but Spartans became more and more desperate in their approach with full time getting closer.

The last chance of the game came in injury time and predictably it came from long distance. Spartans left back Ian Watson broke forward unchallenged before unleashing a low twenty five yard drive that was comfortably tipped around the post by Shenton. The corner led to nothing and as referee Rogers blew his whistle he brought down the curtain on a poor display from Spartans as a result their FA Trophy campaign for this season.

Nobody at Croft Park can have any complaints with the result as the visitors - barring the sending off - kept their discipline and closed the game out impressively. For Wade and his side they now look to Tuesday's home game in the league with Droylsden looking to carry on their positive start to the Evo-Stik Northern Premier League season.

Spartans Man of the Match:

Dan Maguire

Blyth Spartans:

Misiweicz, Mullen, Purewal, Buddle, Watson, Wade(Wearmouth 60), Kendrick(Horner 75), Hubbard, Dale, Andrews(Airey 79), Maguire

Subs not used:

Parker, Grant

Scorers:

None

Ramsbottom United

Shenton, Lomax, Pilkington, Stopforth, Warrender, Priestley, Smalley, Spencer, Robinson(Hulme 77), Gaskill(Brooks 79), Dean

Subs not used

Morley, Johnson, Toth

Goalscorers

Warrender 48

Referee:

Thomas Rogers