Bamber Bridge emerged 2-1 winners in the latest pre-season friendly held at the Harry Williams Riverside Stadium in Ramsbottom on Tuesday evening. Chris (Goose) Marlow and Danny O’Brian were the scorers for Brig in a hugely entertaining match.

With fans back in the ground, the match had a feel of “Normality” about it, other than a quick temperature check on entry to the ground and the now obligatory 2 metre rule guidance around the stadium, all seemed just as it used to be.
Brig playing in all red started the brighter of the two teams and passed the ball around well in the opening exchanges. Chris Churchman was first to test the Rammy keeper with a shot from the edge of the area, the keeper parrying the shot away. Bamber Bridge continued to dominate and No.7 Tunde saw a shot well saved before matt Dudley tried his luck from 15 yards. The keeper saving both efforts comfortably.
The visitors from South Ribble took the lead on 20 minutes, another fine passing move found Chris Marlow unmarked at the far post, and from the edge of the 6 yard box he calmly played the ball back in the direction it had come from, wrong footing the keeper and finding the corner of the net.

On the half hour Danny Forbes hit a screamer from 25 yards that the home keeper did well to arch back and tip over the bar. Moments later came the first near miss from Ramsbottom a shot from the right hand edge of the area that flashed across goal and just wide of the post. Still it was Bamber Bridge in the ascendancy and Bolton loanee Callum King-Harmes got in a low shot after fine work by fellow Wanderers loanee George Thomason. The half ended moments after it looked like Matt Dudley was about to double the lead, a superb Churchman through ball sent The Brig No.9 clear, as he drew the keeper and shaped to shoot, the ball bobbled on the uneven surface and the mishit shot dribbled wide.

Bamber Bridge made two half time changes, Scott Burton and Danny O’Brian, on for Danny Forbes and Chris Churchman. The half started much like the 1st had ended, as Tunde came close with a long distance screamer that just cleared the bar. Just has the home side looked to be getting a slight foothold in the game Brig did double their lead, a cross from the right wasn’t cleared and it fell to Danny O’Brian who smashed it home from 10 yards. Brig made two further changes, Oscar Radcliffe and Joe Booth on for Matt Lawlor and George Thomason.
On 75 minutes Rammy pulled a goal back, a hard low drive giving Danny Roccia no chance. The home side almost grabbed an equaliser minutes later, but the effort from the edge of the area whistled just past the post. On 85 minutes Matt Dudley looked to have sealed the Bamber Bridge victory, racing on to a through ball, beating the keeper to and sliding it in to the corner of the net. His joy was short-lived as he looked up to see the offside flag raised.

The game ended with Brig back on top and further chances fell to Callum King-Harmes who cut in from the left to hit a fine low shot that was well saved. Joe Booth then saw a close range header saved by the keeper, the keeper also saving the rebound from Boothy. It was Joe Booth again just before the final whistle who tried an audacious 40 yard lob, the keeper backpedalled but the ball cleared the crossbar.
Full time in an entertaining encounter and a good moral boosting victory for the Briggers.

Bamber Bridge: Roccia, Marlow, Wilson, Wisdom, Lawlor, Forbes, Churchman, Tunde, King-Harmes, Dudley, Thomason
Subs: Booth, Burton, O’Brian, Radcliffe