By Darius Sarrafan
It was a five star bank holiday Monday performance for Ramsgate as they eased to a 5-1 home victory over AFC Whyteleafe at Southwood.
Manager Ady Pennock named an unchanged starting XI after a spirited display in going down 1-0 at Welling two days previously. It was a game where the Rams were incredibly unlucky not to come away with a point, and they emphatically got back on track in this performance.
An Alfie Paxman braced was sandwiched by a superb strike from Rowan Liburd, with Callum Jones firing in his sixth goal in six games. Ade Cole pulled one back with a bizarre goal straight from a kickoff, before sub Solomon Ogunwomoju scored a fifth late on.
In truth, the Rams were rarely troubled throughout the game, but they had to be patient early on as the visitors clung on. Jones’ shot stung the hands of Slav Huk, whilst Billy Munday had a header acrobatically cleared off the line.
Munday won the Rams a penalty in the 20th minute, beating Aaron Goode to a loose ball in the box after good work by Jones. Paxman coolly sent Huk the wrong way from the spot to bag his first goal of the season.
Liburd made it 2-0 late in the first half after more relentless pressing from the home side – a hallmark of their play so far this season. Bivesh Gurung showed former reality TV star Montel McKenzie no love as he won possession, before Munday found Liburd. The big striker’s first time effort from 20 yards curled into the far-right corner of the goal – giving Huk no chance.
Just four minutes into the second half it was 3-0 after McKenzie found himself on an island in defence. Jones’ relentless work-rate again paid dividends as he robbed the former Folkestone man, with Liburd then teeing up Paxman to beautifully curl home his second of the game.
Eddie Wright signed on loan for the Rams from Leyton Orient last week, and the 18 year old shone during a very lively cameo from the bench – earning two assists in the process. His first found Jones in the right channel, and the red hot striker emphatically found the bottom-left corner to make it 4-0.
Cole’s outrageous strike straight from the kickoff reduced the arrears to 4-1, before the Rams restored their four goal advantage with five minutes to go. More good work by Wright saw him win the ball high before finding Ogunwomoju 12 yards out. He swept a first time shot beyond Huk to round off a perfect day for the home side.
Fellow sub and new signing Latrell Lewis could’ve added even more gloss to the scoreline late on, but he was superbly denied by Huk as the home side recorded a thumping victory.
They are next in action in the FA Cup first qualifying round this coming Saturday at Southwood, with Bracknell Town the visitors. Kickoff is at 3pm.
Ramsgate: Henly, Lukombo (Ampadu), Winfield, Brown, Clifford, Gurung (Mann), Bland, Munday (Wright), Jones (Lewis), Paxman, Libya’s (Ogunwomoju) Star man: Rowan Liburd.
