Rams 3 Faversham 2

Today’s East Kent derby could be labelled Dannys’ Day, with the home ‘keeper surviving two penalty attempts, and the visitors’ striker failing to score one of the penalties but then finding the back of the net twice from open play – but with Ramsgate and Faversham in 11^th and 12^th places respectively, it was always going to be a close contest.

It was the Rams that exerted the early pressure, and took the lead in the 12^th minute after ‘keeper Danny Twyman’s clearance was flicked on by Warren Schulz into the path of Ian Pulman, who passed a defender on the right before rifling into the opposite corner of the net, taking a touch from ‘keeper Robert French’s fingertips on the way. Danny Hockton had a chance to equalise for the Lilywhites 14 minutes later, but he side-footed the ball over. Two minutes later, after centre-half Ollie Gray was adjudged to have handled in the Ramsgate area, Hockton stepped up to take the penalty but Twyman blocked and gathered the ball to retain the lead. It was 3^rd time lucky for Hockton however, when in the 36^th minute he got on the end of Tom Hickman’s cross, and smashed the ball into the bottom corner to level the scores. As the interval approached a quickly taken freekick by Aaron Quain released Sam Gore down the left wing and into the area, where he was challenged by Twyman and the Rams’ keeper faced his 2^nd penalty of the afternoon. This time Hockton deferred to James Peacock, however the result was the same as the Faversham defender screwed the ball against the left upright.

In the 2^nd half Faversham upped the pressure, and in the 61^st minute took the lead when Gore’s corner found Hockton’s head in a crowded box, and he flicked the ball into the top corner of the net. Five minutes later and the Rams nearly equalised, when Simon Pettit’s long throw was met by Gray’s head as he charged into the area, but good handling from French retained the Lilywhite’s lead. In the 70th minute a double substitution by the Rams saw them freshen their attack with the introduction of Mitchell Sherwood and 17 year old Tom Chapman, and 9 minutes later the latter nearly levelled the score but his shot was cleared off the line by a defender’s diving header. It was from the resulting James Gregory corner that centre-half Gray again out-jumped his opponents, but this time his header found the back of the net. The game continued with end-to-end action, and as the clock approached 90 it was the seemingly tireless Gray who again got on the end of a Pettit throw, to head home the Rams’ winner.

Attendance 232

Ramsgate: Danny Twyman, Gareth Cornhill, James Gregory, Luke Wheatley, Ollie Gray, Ben Laslett, Joe Taylor (Mitchell Sherwood 70), Warren Schulz, Mark Lovell (Simon Pettit 46), Ian Pulman, Steve O’Brien (Tom Chapman 70). Unused subs Andrew Johnston, Dave Parker.