Rams down to nine men but finish Mounties 2-1 in qualifying final

MACARTHUR Rams fought tooth-and-nail with only nine players to salvage a2-1 qualifying final victory.

Boys ram play up to win

MACARTHUR Rams fought tooth-and-nail with only nine players to salvage an emphatic 2-1 qualifying final victory against Mounties Wanderers last Sunday.

The Rams booked their spot in the NSW Premier League Men's 2 first-grade semi-finals this weekend and will face minor premiers St George.

The Rams opened the scoring in the first half after an attacking move down the left allowed striker Shannon Hankin to head home a cross and go into the break 1-0.

But the second half was disastrous for the Rams, with players Adam Wither and Joel Craig sent off with red cards.

Mounties capitalised on the shortage and found an equaliser with 10 minutes remaining.

The Rams dug deep and found the winning goal through Kyohei Kimura, who delivered a powerful strike after a loose corner.

The Rams' defence, the league's best with only 20   goals conceded from 22  games, held on for the ­victory.

Rams senior convener Steve Goodwin praised the teams' efforts.

"It was a tough win and the boys showed grit to get a win with a two-man deficit," he said.

Goodwin said the Rams' win and draw record against St George this season gave the side confidence.