By pitchside reporter Andy Mason
Sevenoaks (0) 0 Ramsgate (2) 5
Blue shirts black shorts All yellow
6 Miller
20 Jadama
60 Peck
62 Ajayi (p)
86 Lear
With warm conditions at the Bourne Stadium, good cloud cover and a light breeze the playing surface 3G pitch seems the way forward for the non-league clubs as it generates great revenue to keep them in existence.
Ramsgate came into this game on the back of a 2 – 1 win against Faversham keeping their league unbeaten run going. Sevenoaks buoyed after a 3 – 0 win away at Phoenix Sports may have been a tough test for the Rams. A good win means Ramsgate go top of the table subject to other results.
In the 5th minute, with great interplay by Ramsgate, the ball is put through to Ajayi on the right, he beats a couple of defenders before squaring the ball across the box for Miller to run on and fire home. Then the game settled down into a more even pattern with Ramsgate moving the ball quickly from side to side of the pitch. Sevenoaks resorted to long balls to the corner wingers.
It was Ramsgate that continued to press with Ajayi and Miller linking up extremely well and swapping from wing to centre forward. An unlikely supplier of Ramsgate’s second goal came as Emptage crossed from the right for Jadama to crouch and head home on the 20th minute.
Ramsgate certainly had the beating of this side, both wing men for Rams terrorised their opposing defenders. Ajayi stormed through taking on all comers, getting his shot away just over the bar, so the game appeared very one sided approaching half time.
Jadama was pulled back, giving Rams a free kick wide on the right swung in but cleared. Half time could not come soon enough for Sevenoaks, trailing Sevenoaks 0 Ramsgate 2.
It was a bright start to the second half for Sevenoaks as they tried to push Ramsgate back with an effort to get back in the game. The Ramsgate defence stayed resolute in their endeavour to keep Sevenoaks at bay. In the 60th minute a fantastic solo mover from Peck going down the left, broke a couple of tackles and fired low to the keeper’s right to give Ramsgate a third. The Rams continued to press with their opponent beaten and were awarded a penalty in the 62nd minute for Ajayi to step up and convert Ramsgate’s 4th, it was a long way back for Sevenoaks now.
Russell in the Rams goal was demanding a clean sheet from his defence and encouraging his team mates to achieve this. Rams continued to push and substituted Lear makes it a 5th goal in the 86th minute just after coming on for the Rampant Rams.
Can they be serious contenders? If they perform to this standard every week I don’t see why not!
Teams:
Sevenoaks: Bridle-Card, Skerry, Bah, Cabune, Divine, Gunner, Sawyer(C)(off63), Wright(Y45)(off , Schafer(off70), Collins(Y69) , Walsh
Subs: Peate, Cooney, Holmes(o n, Deakin(on70), Town.
Ramsgate: Russell, Aboagye, Williams, Emptage, Olopade, Peck(Y37) (off63), Chapman(C)(off81), Miller, Ajayi(off85), Coyle, Jadama
Subs: Prescott(on81), Chiedozie(on63), Takalobighasi, lear(on85), Kennelly
Attendance: 150
Man of the match: Ramsgate’s Joshua Ajayi