By pitchside reporter Andy Mason
Sevenoaks Town 1 Ramsgate 2
45+2 Cadogan 21 Carvalho
60 Paxman
A bright cool day at Greatness Park, home of our hosts the Oaks. We had a 3G playing surface so no complaints about the pitch.
Rams went in to this one with a few injuries and loss of midfield player Jadama due to illness and new signing Tom Carlse not quite match ready.
Rams got us underway kicking toward the town end. It was the Oaks that were out of the blocks, the quickest gaining an early corner within the first minutes. A nasty tackle on Olopade in the 6th left him limping and on the 10th he could not continue and was replaced by Emptage.
Emptage’s first touch was to slot a wonderful through ball for Liburd to run on to, his shot just wide of Oaks keeper McCathy’s right hand post.
12th and a free kick for our hosts in a good position, the ball went deep to the back post and was headed back across the goal and headed away by Coyle. Oaks looked dangerous from any set piece sending up their centre halves on every occasion to add extra height.
14th and another dangerous free kick for the Oaks, this time left edge of the Rams box fired straight at Bexon who caught cleanly, distributing quickly.
Miller & Liburd linked up down the Rams right the latter played a great ball outside the full back for Miller to run on to and cut inside. He saw the keeper slightly off his line and tried a delicate lob which went just over, a well worked move and something for the Rams to work on.
21st and Aboagye swooped on a loose ball just inside the Oaks half. He beat the defender and took the ball down the line, crossed low and hard, the tall Oaks central defender unable to get to the ball as it came through to Carvalho who made great effort to get to the back post to slot home.
Emptage got a knock to his nose, the referee sent him to get it cleaned up and Rams were playing with 10 for what seemed like an eternity but was just over 5 minutes. It did allow Oaks to push on but the Rams defence held firm during this period.
Rams had a couple of chances with Miller down the flank squaring a ball in to the danger area but some stout defending from Douglas kept the Rams at bay.
45+2 and Rams should have been awarded a corner but the referee ruled a goal kick, quickly taken and hit long by McCarthy. A Rams player tumbled, ref allowed play to continue. The ball came to Cadogan who unleashed a powerful long range shot, which rifled past a full stretch Bexon to level at half time.
Rams started the second half brightly with Miller down the right wing getting an early cross to the back post. Carvalho was just beaten to the header by Douglas who was having a good game for the Oaks.
54th and a slip by Coyle at the back allowed Mensah to get a shot away low and firmly struck, Bexon saved.
Rams were playing a lot of long ball forward & Liburd was getting plenty of flick on headers but the second ball was just not dropping Rams way.
60th and Rams change of tactic, playing a ball out from the back , found Miller on the right. He trusted in his pace as he played a ball past Douglas and chased it himself, out pacing the centre half. He fired a perfect cross ball with Carvalho & Paxman running in, the ball just evaded Carvalho & dropped perfectly for Paxman to fire home, to complete another brilliant Rams move.
73rd and Bexon called in to action again, this time for a power shot from Baugh. The ball was moving in the air and it looked as if Bexon adjusted his position whilst in the dive, a fantastic save keeping Rams lead.
Rams were attacking still with Osinfolarin going close after some good play down the left side, the ball skimming the bar.
Six added minutes and Oaks were throwing everything at the Rams & Bexon was forced in to another couple of good saves.
A hard fought and well deserved 3 points for the Rams, the management team of Coyle & Southall must be quite happy with their first three games in charge two wins and a draw.
The Teams:
Sevenoaks Towm: 1Tyler McCarthy, 2Oluwadamio (Dami) Olorunnisomo, 3Karn Miller-Neave, 4William Hoare, 5Lexus Beeden, 6Antone Douglas, 7Joshua Ogunseye, 8Emmanuel Mensah, 9David Kawa, 10Kieran Cadogan, 11Solomon Baugh
Subs: 12Rian Bray, 14Bradley Wilson, 15Samuel Johnson, 16Daniel Carr, 17Ruben Carvalho
Ramsgate: 1Josh Bexon, 2Jerald Aboagye , 3Jahmal Howlett-Mundle, 4Jamie Coyle, 6Denzelle Olopade, 8Lee Prescott , 10Ashley Miller , 12Jack Paxman, 14Rowan Liburd, 11Gil Carvalho, 19Jake McIntyre
Subs: 5Callum Emptage, 9Kane Rowland, 13Lee Hook, 15Archie Simmons, 18Theo Osinfolarin
Attendance: 193
RFSA: Ram of the match: Jack Paxman
Entertainment: 4*
Ramsgate next in action:
15 Feb Home Faversham Town 7:30pm
18 Feb Away Sheppey United 3pm
25 Feb Home VCD Athletic