Clitheroe...7 Ramsbottom Utd...1: THIS may have been second-placed Clitheroe against 14th placed Ramsbottom but if you watched the first 35 minutes you could have been forgiven for not knowing which team was which.

The Rams started off well enough. They were awarded a free kick outside the box after a foul on Carl McCoy and Gareth Gardner swung in the free-kick, but Lee Sculpher made a good clearance from a dangerous cross.

On 23 minutes, a quick throw from keeper Simon Marsh found Gardner and his first-time pass found Doni Clark. He advanced and shot but Richeus in goal produced a good save and turned the ball around the post for a corner.

A rare Clitheroe attack on 25 minutes gave the Rams defence a taste of what was to come. They nearly got caught out trying to play offside but, fortunately for them, Marsh rushed out of his goal to thwart Andy Cowking.

The Rams continued to push forward in search of the opening goal, which their early dominance deserved, but the Clitheroe defence held firm.

Against the run of play, it was to be Clitheroe who opened the scoring. A long ball out to the right by Cowking caught out McCoy and the speedy Whittingham was past him in a flash. He got to the ball line and knocked the ball across the face of the goal, where Lee Cryer beat Marsh from six yards out.

Two minutes later they went two up as Cryer broke down the right side and crossed the ball to the far post, where Gary Jackson was waiting after coming back from a blatantly offside position. He topped the ball into the empty net.

Big centre half Iain Dyson demonstrated with the referee's assistant and was duly awarded a red card.

The game quickly turned into a nightmare for the Rams and four minutes into the second half they were three down.

Cryer was again the provider, cutting in from the left side. His shot was only parried by Marsh and Jackson was on hand to fire into the empty net.

The Rams were being picked off easily and should have gone further behind on 53 minutes, Jackson heading wide with the goal at his mercy.

However, he didn't have to wait long for his hat-trick. A cross from Lauber into the box caught Rispen on the back foot. Jackson turned him and shot. Marsh saved the first effort but Jackson was not to be denied and smashed the rebound into the net.

Jackson grabbed his fourth on 76 minutes when another cross from the left to the near post found him all alone.

Things were to get worse for the Rams as, three minutes later, Pat Lauber split the defence with a precise pass and Chris Whittingham came in from the right in acres of space to coolly beat Marsh from 15 yards.

The Rams were now all at sea and Jackson added another for his fifth and Clitheroe's seventh before the Rams grabbed a consolation goal on 88 minutes through Ged Walsh.

This was a poor display from the Rams after such a promising first 30 minutes. They committed schoolboy errors all over the pitch and the seven they conceded could easily have been ten.

There is one more game to go and that's away to Nantwich -- a team in good form at the moment. There will have to be a big improvement if the Rams are to take anything from this game.

RAMSBOTTOM: Marsh 7, Bowden 5, McCoy 5, Dyson 6, Walsh 6, Bulwich 5, G. Gardner 6, C. Clark 6, D. Clark 7, Weir 5, Fitton 5. Subs: D. Gardner 5, Goodhall 5, Rispen 5.