Ravens roar back to beat Ramsbottom United

Second-half comeback sees FC Isle of Man snatch victory

A spirited second-half comeback saw FC Isle of Man fight back from two goals down to claim a 3-2 win over Ramsbottom United in the NWCFL Premier Division this evening (15 August).

The visitors deservedly led through a close-range Gareth Hill strike on 36 minutes before the Ramsbottom United striker was on target again with a near-identical finish six minutes into the second half.

Just after the hour mark, FC Isle of Man fought back as two quickfire goals from Charlie Higgins levelled the contest before a Dean Pinnington diving header got 'The Ravens' a decisive third in the 71st minute.

Victory also sees FC Isle of Man continue their unbeaten start to the 2026/27 campaign ahead of a trip to Droylsden next Tuesday evening (18 August).

On a sun-drenched night at The Bowl stadium, both teams took to the turf hoping to build on undefeated starts to the latest league season.

Much of the first period was a cagey and scrappy affair with the first real moment of quality coming in the 36th minute.

FC Isle of Man's Karl Clark scuffed a clearance on the edge of his own penalty area which was seized upon by Ramsbottom United's Oscar Radcliffe who then squared a low ball for Hill to stab into the net from around two yards out.

With work to do after the break, FC Isle of Man started the second half brightly but were undone once more just six minutes after the restart.

It was again the Radcliffe and Hill combination which did the damage with the former on the right squaring to the latter who guided his effort into the far corner from just a few yards out.

With even more of a challenge in front of them, FC Isle of Man got themselves back into contention on 61 minutes when substitutes, Ste Whitley and Charlie Higgins, combined with a Whitley cross from the right finding Higgins at close range who guided a header into Ramsbottom United goalkeeper, Reece Trueman's bottom left-hand corner.

Just two minutes later, FC Isle of Man were back level - a corner from the right was flicked on by defender, Alex Maitland, sparking a scramble in the Ramsbottom United box.

Higgins got a telling strike on goal which hit the inside of the post and crossed the line just as Trueman began to scramble the effort away.

With a new lease of life, FC Isle of Man smelt blood and capitalised on that by taking the lead for the first time on 71 minutes.

Whitley found the overlapping run of Callum Sherry on the right who fired a low cross into the box which was met at the back post by the diving header of Dean Pinnington who fired home to complete the turnaround.

With the game now on a knife edge in the closing stages, both sides squandered big, late chances to change the outcome.

Ramsbottom United's Charlie Cox's direct corner on 86 minutes from the right nearly found the net before it was headed off the goal line, onto the crossbar and out by FC Isle of Man defender, Karl Clark.

Meanwhile, in the fourth minute of second-half stoppage time, Higgins spurned the chance to claim his hat-trick when a Tomas Brown ball across the Ramsbottom United box found him and - with only Trueman to beat - he missed his shot entirely to see the chance go begging.

FC Isle of Man's next match will be against Droyslden on Tuesday, 18 August, kicking-off at 7.45pm at The Butchers Arms.

Man of the Match: Charlie Higgins (FC Isle of Man)