WITH the pitch a quagmire before a ball had been kicked and Ramsbottom without four first team regulars, they faced a gruelling 90 minutes at lowly Glossop.

The Rams almost grabbed the lead in the opening minute when David Yorke-Robinson was just wide as he connected with Russell Brierley's low cross to the back post.

The home side mounted a couple of attacks both of which were broken up first by Neil Wallace and then by Mike Smith. A surging cross field run by Wayne Briddon stretched the North End defence but his final ball into the box was intercepted.

Ramsbottom continued to have the better of things and on 18 minutes they took a deserved lead. Mike Langhorn delivered a great in-swinging free kick into the Glossop danger area and Yorke-Robinson beat keeper Andy Merrick with a powerful header from eight yards. The Rams' stand-in keeper Mike Kelly did well to punch away a right wing cross as Glossop looked to get back into the game.

Ramsbottom twice went close to increasing their lead with a Russell Brierley header and then a Yorke-Robinson shot that was blocked on the line.

At the interval Ramsbottom were good value for the one-goal lead but with the conditions deteriorating by the minute the game was far from over.

United got the second half underway with a bang when Russell Brierley's strength and pace took him past five Glossop defenders before he hammered the ball goalwards. Lee Williams reacted quickly and forced the ball home.

Glossop responded by creating their best chance of the game but Kelly was equal to the task as he beat away Steve Morgan's shot.

With 10 minutes remaining Ramsbottom introduced substitute Jamie Rampling as they looked to tighten their grip in the midfield area, but two minutes from time Glossop pulled a goal back when Wallace, under pressure from Morgan, headed past his own keeper.

A nail-biting few minutes followed but Ramsbottom fully deserved their win.