Pre-season friendly
Burnham Ramblers 1 Maldon Town 1

Ramblers completed their pre-season with another decent result against Ryman League opposition. This rounds off a very successful warm-up period in which seems to auger well for the coming season.

The visitors took the lead with a well-taken goal from Dan Hayden, which was equalised by Burnham's Dean Allen. Ramblers used 17 players and more than held their own in an even contest. They probably should even have won and, on two occasions, wasted very good openings with a careless final ball.

Their manager, Derek Robinson, hopes such profligacy has been left behind in the warm-up.

Robinson now has around 22 first-team candidates from which to choose a starting squad for Saturday's opener against Enfield 1893, who missed the title last year on goal difference only.

The game will be a good test for this very able Ramblers squad. During the build-up to the season, they have looked difficult to break down, even by supposedly better-class opposition. Last term they conceded far too many bad goals which, long before the end of the season, took them out of the frame.

However, with Bradley Woodards back fit at centre half and the addition of the talented George Allder at full back, Ramblers already look a much tighter team.

Up front they have a number of options, ranging from the experienced and physically imposing Allen to the mobile and pacey Llloyd Wilson and Stewart Fergus. On top of that, the manager has a very promising youngster in Billy O'Sullivan, who will obviously be putting the others under pressure.

In midfield Ramblers have been strengthened by the arrival of Jordin Tolan from Bowers and the return to fitness of former skipper Dan Wornham.

In pre-season, 17-year-old Jamie Abbott has also looked impressive, with a fierce tackling ability for someone so young. But he will be competing for a start with another couple of outstanding youngsters - last year's player of the year Jack Callow, and young Adam Dale, who missed most of the second half of last season.

Robinson say he is delighted with the depth of this squad, but even moreso by the attitude being displayed. There will undoubtedly be several clubs in the league this year with the ability to make players much more lucrative offers, but the keyword at Ramblers is commitment this year.

The manager has signed only the players he believes have the right attitude and who appear willing to put the team and the club ahead of themselves.

1:59pm Tuesday 5th August 2008

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