NWCL Division Two: BACUP BOROUGH 0 RAMSBOTTOM UTD 0

RAMSBOTTOM took the first point of the season off Bacup in a high tempo game at West View.

The visitors, who had Kyle Ingham and Adam Cook back in the side, would not give Bacup time on the ball and forced them into errors.

Jamie Bates lost possession cheaply but the lively Michael Saunders put his shot wide. Then another mistake in the Bacup defence almost gave Ramsbottom the lead, but Dave Felgate pulled off a good save.

Such was Ramsbottom's work ethic that it was 30 minutes into the game before Bacup had a shot on goal, which came from Martin Peters. But goalkeeper Steve Dryden, who was handed a debut in the absence of Mark Andrews, got down well.

Lee Matthews then went close after linking well with Lee Wilkinson.

Bacup had to reorganise at the back when they lost former Blackpool skipper Ian Hughes with an injury.

The home side started well after the break, but it was the visitors who got the first good chance of the half when captain Steve Stott misjudged the bounce of the ball and Ramsbottom broke in numbers.

But Bernard Morley crashed his shot against the crossbar from Adam Cook's inch perfect cross.

At the opposite end, Darren Emmett had a free kick saved.