Rams have to settle for draw after late, late equaliser

But if they are honest they will also rue the woeful finishing they were guilty of.

After picking up a solitary point in midweek the Rams were looking to hit back with a victory, and with the returning Adam Kozlowski stiffening up midfield the team knew they were capable of achieving it.

The line-up indicated an attacking approach with manager Egan choosing to start with both Daniel Stubberfield and Michael Saunders in a new look strike partnership up front.

The Rams started brightly and could quite easily have been a goal up in the opening 10 minutes.

Firstly, Adam Cook cut inside following a well disguised corner routine and hit a curling left foot drive that Curzon keeper David Fish palmed around the post.

Moments later Saunders struck a post from a tight angle with the goal at his mercy.

The home side were struggling to make many inroads into the Ramsbottom defence although their leading marksman John Utterson threatened Mark Andrews' goal on 37 minutes with a dipping free-kick.

An in-swinging corner from David Birch was then headed back across goal and Utterson was again unfortunate to see his diving header fly inches beyond the wrong side of the upright.

The Rams failed to create any real chances to open the scoring and towards the latter part of the half were looking a little short of ideas, with both Chris Mackay and Adam Cook failing to deliver quality service to the front men.

The second period began with the Rams looking much more urgent and on 49 minutes Mackay fired the ball across goal, Fish fumbled and as Saunders attempted to fire home it appeared he was hauled down from behind, but the referee had other ideas.

Saunders continued to torment the Curzon back line and only a fine save from Fish denied him a goal when his attempted lob was tipped over the bar.

The constant pressure on the Curzon goal eventually reaped rewards when the ball fell for Mackay 25 yards from goal, and his first time snapshot flew into the bottom corner.

Saunders was given another great opportunity to double the lead on 64 minutes when he was found by an incisive through ball, but his fluffed shot was easily parried away by the body of Fish.

Curzon almost brought an equaliser but desperate defending saw Matt Raywood clear off the line and solid goalkeeping from Andrews kept the score at 1-0, as the clock approached the 90 minute mark.

As the hosts pushed forward in a desperate attempt to find an equaliser, the Rams continued to frustrate them and it was no surprise when Lee Kershaw was sent for an early bath on 90 minutes after an off the ball incident.

After a corner broke up inside the Rams' area, subs Shaun Spence and Matt Edgington found themselves clear on goal, but a combination of misunderstanding and good defending denied the second goal that would have sealed the victory.

Then eight minutes into stoppage time, the home side scored after confusion inside the box allowed Stuart McGill to pounce upon the loose ball and fire beyond Andrews to give Curzon an unlikely point that they scarcely deserved.

The Rams must surely look to finish teams off instead of hanging on towards the end of matches, beginning with another tough away fixture on tonight at Glossop North End, kick-off 7.45pm.

RAMSBOTTOM: Andrews, Raywood, Skarratt, Kozlowski, Robertson, Blackley, Mackay, Denning, Saunders, Stubberfield, Cook. Subs: Brooks (for Cook), Spence (for Mackay), Edgington (for Stubberfield).

Christopher Boothman

DEREK Egan's boys left Bower Fold feeling they had been robbed of all three points after the hosts equalised eight minutes into stoppage time, despite an apparent lack of any serious injuries.

But if they are honest they will also rue the woeful finishing they were guilty of.

After picking up a solitary point in midweek the Rams were looking to hit back with a victory, and with the returning Adam Kozlowski stiffening up midfield the team knew they were capable of achieving it.

The line-up indicated an attacking approach with manager Egan choosing to start with both Daniel Stubberfield and Michael Saunders in a new look strike partnership up front.

The Rams started brightly and could quite easily have been a goal up in the opening 10 minutes.

Firstly, Adam Cook cut inside following a well disguised corner routine and hit a curling left foot drive that Curzon keeper David Fish palmed around the post.

Moments later Saunders struck a post from a tight angle with the goal at his mercy.

The home side were struggling to make many inroads into the Ramsbottom defence although their leading marksman John Utterson threatened Mark Andrews' goal on 37 minutes with a dipping free-kick.

An in-swinging corner from David Birch was then headed back across goal and Utterson was again unfortunate to see his diving header fly inches beyond the wrong side of the upright.

The Rams failed to create any real chances to open the scoring and towards the latter part of the half were looking a little short of ideas, with both Chris Mackay and Adam Cook failing to deliver quality service to the front men.

The second period began with the Rams looking much more urgent and on 49 minutes Mackay fired the ball across goal, Fish fumbled and as Saunders attempted to fire home it appeared he was hauled down from behind, but the referee had other ideas.

Saunders continued to torment the Curzon back line and only a fine save from Fish denied him a goal when his attempted lob was tipped over the bar.

The constant pressure on the Curzon goal eventually reaped rewards when the ball fell for Mackay 25 yards from goal, and his first time snapshot flew into the bottom corner.

Saunders was given another great opportunity to double the lead on 64 minutes when he was found by an incisive through ball, but his fluffed shot was easily parried away by the body of Fish.

Curzon almost brought an equaliser but desperate defending saw Matt Raywood clear off the line and solid goalkeeping from Andrews kept the score at 1-0, as the clock approached the 90 minute mark.

As the hosts pushed forward in a desperate attempt to find an equaliser, the Rams continued to frustrate them and it was no surprise when Lee Kershaw was sent for an early bath on 90 minutes after an off the ball incident.

After a corner broke up inside the Rams' area, subs Shaun Spence and Matt Edgington found themselves clear on goal, but a combination of misunderstanding and good defending denied the second goal that would have sealed the victory.

Then eight minutes into stoppage time, the home side scored after confusion inside the box allowed Stuart McGill to pounce upon the loose ball and fire beyond Andrews to give Curzon an unlikely point that they scarcely deserved.

The Rams must surely look to finish teams off instead of hanging on towards the end of matches, beginning with another tough away fixture on tonight at Glossop North End, kick-off 7.45pm.

RAMSBOTTOM: Andrews, Raywood, Skarratt, Kozlowski, Robertson, Blackley, Mackay, Denning, Saunders, Stubberfield, Cook. Subs: Brooks (for Cook), Spence (for Mackay), Edgington (for Stubberfield).