By pitchside reporter Andy Mason
Ramsgate (0) 0 v Sittingbourne (0) 1
82 Taylor
A warm welcome in the sunshine to the WW Martin community stadium as The Rams took on visitors the Brickies. Rams were looking to recover from back to back defeats and Sittingbourne were still looking at the chance of a play off spot.
The entertainment was in full swing on Non-league day with live music from Karl Dawson with a free glass of prosecco for the mums, promising a lively afternoon.
With a good early start we were hopeful for a great game, both sides were pushing forward and at the 9th minute a Brickies free kick was hit wide by Alex Fisher.
Both sides cancelled each other and there were no real chances on goal in the first 20 minutes.
At the 24th Miller was set up with a great opportunity, Brooks stayed strong to save the shot, Brickies were playing well and threatening but there were no real efforts on goal, a superb last ditch tackle by Coyle prevented Caney-Bryan going through.
Both sides looked equally as good as each other, it was a very fair, well-played game at that point. In the 37th Rams created a rare opportunity with Ajayi making space to shoot but wide of the goal. It was an even but entertaining half.
Underway in the second half, at the 53rd a great opportunity for the Brickies saw Alex Flisher through keeper to beat Russell who stands firm and he shoots wide.
Second half saw Rams playing from deep and being closed down, with the Brickies preventing Rams passing game, the Rams were finding it extremely difficult to create any meaningful opportunities.
The Rams were trying to move the back line higher up the pitch which was condensing the play in to the middle, Russell in the Rams goal was also following his defence out and was on the edge of his area even when the Brickies picked up the loose ball.
At the 82nd Taylor picked up the ball in his own half, took a couple of strides forward and from about three meters inside his own half lobbed the ball towards goal, leading to a Brickies winner. Rams should have seen it coming as they had tried a few times before but not managed to get the right connection on the ball.
Rams now had to just attack all out, sending everyone forward, even the keeper up for corners, in an attempt to restore parity but to no avail. The Brickies held firm and put themselves in with an outside chance of the playoffs.
Rams with now three consecutive defeats drop to 5th in the table with Herne Bay snapping at their heels just 1 point behind.
Rams next three games are against the other play off chasing sides the performance up front needs to improve if they want to be in the mix at the end of the season with just 5 games left.
Teams:
Rams
1Jacob Russell, 2Jerald Aboagye, 6Denzelle Olopade, 8Mitchell Chapman, 10Ashley Miller
11William Hoare, 14Joshua Ajayi, 15Harvey Smith, 16Jamie Coyle, 17Ben Fitchett, 19Jake McIntyre
Subs: 3Karn Miller-Neave, 4Lee Prescott, 5Callum Emptage, 12Eddie Carrington, 20Tijan Jadama
Brickies
1Harry Brooks, 2Samuel Okoye-Ahaneku, 3Taylor Fisher, 6Lex Allan, 7Harry Stannard
8Daniel Taylor, 9Kane Rowland, 10Johan Caney-Bryan, 11James Witt, 18Alex Flisher, 14Emmanuel Dasho
Subs: 5Sam Flisher, 15Toby Bancroft, 16Tyler Anderson, 12Nick Treadwell, 13Charlie Taylor
Attendance: 835
Ramsgate supporters man of the match: Denzelle Olopade
Next in action:
02 April away Cray Valley PM
09 April Home Haywards Heath
16 April away Ashford United
