Chatham Town 0 Ramsgate 2

Tonight the Rams travelled to Maidstone Road for the Kent Derby re-arranged from the August Bank Holiday Monday. The weather wasn’t quite the same but it was a lively-encounter against former Rams’ star Paul Foley’s Chatham side.

Ramsgate started brightly, and in the 2^nd minute forced a corner that was cleared as far as Paul Axon on the edge of the area, but he couldn’t keep his shot down and it flew over the bar. Six minutes later and Chatham had a good chance when the linesman’s flag stayed down and Joe Fuller’s cross found Callum O’Shea, who blasted over. Chatham started applying more pressure now and after another six minutes a Fuller cross was met by Brad Potter, but he headed over the bar. Ramsgate began to establish themselves as the half progressed, and in the 20^th minute the first shot on target of the game came from Mitchell Sherwood, whose volley from just outside the area had all the pace needed but went straight into the arms of Adam Molloy. Two minutes later and a James Gregory freekick from the right found Mark Lovell at the far post, and although he headed down with power Molloy reacted quickly to push the ball round the post. In the 26^th minute another Ramsgate freekick went into the danger zone was punched clear by Molloy as far as Axon, but again the midfielder’s shot went over. The Rams kept the pressure on until the interval, and in the 44^th minute good skill by Joe Taylor saw him control a long cross ball under pressure and the find Sherwood with a flick-on header, the midfielder crossing into the area where Molloy got down smartly to snatch the ball off Lovell’s feet. Chatham countered, and although Fuller again crossed from the right, the ball sailed safely across the pitch and past the danger zone.

The light rain that started midway through the first half became much heavier during half-time, adding more zip to the already slippery surface. Ramsgate created another good chance when a good cross from Sherwood seemed bound for Lovell at the far post, but another good anticipation saw Molloy intercept right off Lovell’s head. The game was starting to stagnate somewhat, but a double substitution by Ramsgate in the 64^th minute rejuvenated the Rams’ attack, with Ryan Harker replacing Curtis Winnett at right back and Warren Schulz taking up an attacking midfield role from Axon. Within a minute a cross was intercepted by Sherwood on the left, who spun the defender and moved to the edge of the area, where his half volley curled into the top right corner to give the Rams the lead. Chatham manager reacted by introducing defensive midfielder Kevin Winchcombe for the lively O’Shea a minute later, but the pressure from the Rams meant that another goal was inevitable. Four minutes later this appeared to be the case when a corner swept into the box, and Schulz managed to head it past the post from the centre of the goalmouth. Another change for Chatham in the 73^rd minute, when former Rams defender Lee Maskell replaced Potter, but within a minute the lead was doubled. A good run by Sherwood down the left flank saw him cross to the centre, where skipper Ben Laslett pushed it out to Harker wide on the right, with the substitute’s cross being turned into the goal by Lovell. Striker Tom Tsangarides replaced Taylor in the 81^st minute, and while Chatham did not give up nothing really threatened Conor Quinn’s clean sheet, the closest effort being an overhead kick by Jon Hogg from the 15 yards after a corner was half cleared, but this landed on the roof of the net.

Ramsgate: Conor Quinn, Curtiss Winnett (Ryan Harker 64), James Gregory, Luke Wheatley, Liam Quinn, Ben Laslett (c), Aaron Beech, Mitchell Sherwood, Mark Lovell, Joe Taylor (Tom Tsangarides 81), Paul Axon (Warren Schulz 64). Unused subs: Ollie Gray and Brett Mills.