By Darius Sarrafan
Another huge Ramsgate away following made the 220 mile round trip to Lancing on Saturday, where their team cruised to a 5-0 victory to extend their lead at the top of the table to ten points on a windy afternoon at Culver Road. Manager Ben Smith made one change to the side that overcame Eastbourne Town last time out, with Lewis Gard returning from suspension to start in place of Billy Munday.
It was the home side, struggling near the foot of the table, who had the first chance of the game. Tom Clifford had to be alert to superbly deny Callum Brandon Erskine in the fourth minute after a clearance was charged down, with the left back producing a goal saving challenge. Eugene Asike headed the resulting corner over the bar, with the Rams having to weather some pressure early on.
It didn’t take long, however, for the away side to gain a foothold on the game as they began to dominate possession. Gard hooked an effort wide of goal from 30 yards before Alfie Paxman forced Lancing goalkeeper Alieu Secka into a smart save at his near post after being found by TJ Jadama’s lovely reverse pass. Secka then palmed Joe Taylor’s shot onto the top of the crossbar in the 17th minute, before the Rams’ number nine thrashed a shot wide of goal from the left side of the penalty area.
Secka was on hand again to deny Taylor in the 23rd minute before the Rams took the lead a minute later. A long ball was played from the back by Jay Leader, and Benny Bioletti brought the ball under control before turning inside and shooting into the far corner of the goal from the right edge of the penalty area via a deflection. Two minutes later the Rams doubled their lead after Gard’s cutback was expertly curled home first time from the edge of the box by Leader.
Gard curled an effort over the bar in the 35th minute, but Ramsgate couldn’t add anymore goals to the scoreline before the half time interval and went in 2-0 up. The second half started in the same fashion as the first ended, with the Rams continue to dominate both possession and territory. Lee Martin laid the ball off to Clifford two minutes into the second half, and he unleashed a strike that went just over the bar from 25 yards.
Jadama then glanced a Roarie Deacon free kick wide of goal from ten yards in the 57th minute, before Taylor forced Secka into a superb point blank save after being found by Paxman’s cross a minute later. The home custodian was proving to be Taylor’s nemesis, and he again made a superb save to deny the Rams’ leading goal scorer two minutes later. Bioletti rolled a lovely thoughball to Taylor, who shot low to Secka’s right, but he got down superbly to make a one handed save to tip the ball wide.
In the 68th minute, however, Secka was unable to prevent the visitors from finally adding to their lead. Taylor squared the ball across the penalty area for Paxman, and his low shot nestled into the bottom-right corner of the goal to make it 3-0. The floodgates opened after this, and three minutes later it was four as Taylor finally bagged his goal, reacting quickest to turn a shot into the goal from six yards after Deacon had a shot blocked.
A fifth goal arrived in the 74th minute after substitute Josh Ajayi latched onto a superb lofted pass from fellow substitute Munday. His cross was turned in by a sliding Paxman for his second of the game and 17th goal of the season. Leader fired over from twelve yards three minutes later from Taylor’s cutback, before Secka denied Taylor yet again with another great save shortly after.
There was time for a debut from the bench for 16 year old Fin Waddell late on. It was another proud moment for the youth programme at the football club, marking the fifth time this season that a local youngster has come off the bench to make his first team this season.
5-0 is how the scoreline remained, with the large contingent of away fans in jubilant mood at the final whistle. Ten points clear with seven games remaining means that supporters are just starting to dream. The Rams are next in action this coming Saturday with a home game against Merstham at the WW Martin Community Stadium. Kickoff is at 3pm.
Ramsgate: Hadler, Deacon (Garrett), Barnes, Leader, Clifford, Martin, Gard (Munday), Jadama, Bioletti (Ajayi), Paxman (Waddell), Taylor. Sub: Newcombe.
Star man: Alfie Paxman
Photo by Alex Tuddenham
