A depleted Ramsbottom United side were denied a place in the Doodson Sport Cup Final by their Yorkshire visitors, going down 2-1 to Farsley in the semi-final.

A very tired bunch of Rams players ended a very satisfying week on a positive note with a well deserved, if somewhat, nervy win against a determined but all but doomed Belper Town team.  It will be a great shame to see this well organised, welcoming and well appointed club return to Division One after just one season.

It took 108 days and 11 league encounters but the Rams finally secured an Evo-Stik Premier Division success with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Stourbridge down in the Black Country on Tuesday evening.

With a third defeat in their last four outings, Ramsbottom United have been drawn inexorably back into the relegation mire following their narrow 1-0 loss to promotion-chasing Ashton United on a warm, spring day in Tameside.

The Rams somehow managed to grab a draw from the jaws of victory on Thursday by conceding two goals in the last two minutes of a see-saw game.

It would take a level of optimism last exhibited by King Canute when trying to turn back the waves to detect any sign of an upturn in fortunes for the Rams after another dispiriting defeat.

This was a very comfortable and largely untroubled victory for FC United of Manchester, who are now just three points away from assured promotion.

If there were any doubts that the managements and team see themselves in other than a vicious fight to retain their Evo-Stik Northern Premier League status, never mind the games in hand, the approach to this game should consign them to the rubbish bin.

Compared with the previous three games, even in continuing defeat, this was an improved performance from the Rams and one which offered at least a shard of optimism of awakening from the nightmare.