The Rams began their 2006-07 season pretty much like they did last season - with a 2-2 draw!
However, they will feel totally aggrieved not to have taken all three points after dominating much of this game and conceding a equaliser in the 94th minute!
They started off the brighter of the two sides and created several half chances, whilst limited Atherton Collieries to sporadic attacks.
On the attack, the Rams looked very sharp and their passing at times resembled that of a team who will be challenging near the top come the end of the season.
However, it was Colls who created perhaps the better chances and they could have taken the lead in the 26th minute but for a wonder save by Martin Campbell.
Pilkington hit a shot that seemed destined for the bottom right hand corner of the net but somehow Campbell flung himself and managed to palm the ball away for a corner that ultimately led to a goal kick.
Ramsbottom had to wait until the 31st minute before they finally broke the deadlock.
A neat move involving McManus led to a long ball being hit forwards for Ryan Moore to run onto.
His persistence paid off as he latched onto a very poor pass from the Colls keeper whom he then rounded before hitting an unstoppable shot into the net giving the defender on the line no chance of keeping it out.
This was Moore's first league game for the Rams and what a way to start!
In fairness to Colls they never buckled under the pressure and they got themselves back into the game moments later after some very poor defending by the Rams and Paul O'Shaughnessy in particular who misjudged the bounce of the ball giving Anthony Pilkington time to pick his place and put the Colls back on level terms.
So the scoreline was 1-1 at the interval and although this was a game between two sides that struggled in the league last season, it was becoming quite a spectacle for both sets of supporters.
The second half was all Ramsbottom. Steve MacDonald started to run the show on the left hand side and his consistent running at the Colls defence led to all kinds of problems and the Rams should have had a penalty in the 51st minute when MacDonald darted into the area and was within six yards of the goal when he was brought crashing down to the ground with the goal at his mercy.
However, the referee thought otherwise and failed to give the penalty that the challenge deserved to the dismay of the home supporters.
In the 66th minute a nice, free flowing move which included McManus, Moore and Cryer should have resulted in the Rams second goal of the game but a weak shot by Cryer let Colls off the hook.
A player with Cryer's ability should really have done better with a clear shot on goal but that has been the story of the Rams for quite a while now.
Minutes later another chance went begging as a MacDonald cross was perfectly floated across the box only for a Colls defender to get in the way at the last moment with Cryer waiting to pounce.
As the minutes ticked by it seemed only a matter of time before Ramsbottom would get their second goal of the game and it came when Neil Matthews was tripped just inside the area after MacDonalds original shot was expertly blocked on the line. Matthews raced into the area and was clipped from behind.
The referee had no choice but to give the penalty from which MacDonald stepped up and hammered to the right of the keeper.
It was nothing less than what the Rams deserved after their pressure on the Colls defence.
As the game came to an end, the 2-1 scoreline was always in doubt after the number of chances that went begging and to many it came as to no surprise when Collieries finally made a break of their own and once more got back on level terms.
In the 94th minute, a harmless long ball played forwards caused a little confusion with Campbell and Houldsworth and with the Colls forward closing in on goal, Campbell was adjudged to have brought him down.
Campbell tried to prove his innocence saying that the player had simply dived under the challenge but the referee was having none of it and gave the penalty.
There was only going to be one outcome and Alex Lord stepped up and slotted the ball past Campbell.
Collieries where left with nothing but half chances in a second half completed dominated by the Rams and yet they ended up with a point.
As for the Rams they will have to finish off teams when they are so dominant or it will be a very long season once again.
In fairness to Atherton, they are by far better side than recent seasons and will cause a few upsets this season and only at the end of the year will this result be seen in its true colours.
Rams: Campbell, Rhodes, Houldsworth, Blackley, McManus, MacDonald, O'Shaughnessy, Matthews, Johnson, Cryer, Moore.Subs : Rogers, Steele, Smith.
CHRIS DUNN
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