Rams 3 Sittingbourne 2

With the announcement before today’s match of a pioneering partnership between Ramsgate FC and WorldLink Sports / BetButler, regular punters will certainly be looking forward to reviewing the odds in the coming months. With today’s visitors Sittingbourne having failed to find the net in their last four league matches, few would have bet against the Rams opening the scoring and so it was when Ian Pulman was released by Luke Wheatley on the edge of the box and made it look easy by rifling home in just the third minute. Indeed both teams started with energy although it was the hosts who proved to be a much better wager. This was primarily through scorer Pulman and winger Pascal Ebigbo, who linked up on a number of occasions, notably in the 25^th minute when Ebigbo’s cross from the right allowed Pulman time to control the ball before again firing into the Sittingbourne net. As the half progressed so did the Rams and Ebigbo, who had only lasted 3 minutes in their last match before being sent off, looked set to put in a full and lively shift. Despite Luke Wheatley receiving a caution for a foul just outside the box Ramsgate finished the half strongly by taking a three goal lead into the break. Having played much further up field than his customary defensive role recently, this paid off for Liam Quinn when, despite being felled on the wide right edge of the box, he picked himself up in the course of play and calmly squared the ball for the advancing Steve O’Brien to put the ball past Matt Reed for the third time.

The Brickies made a couple of changes early in the second half and this, coupled with their hosts apparent overconfidence, paid dividends when Joe Goldsmith was put through clear of the Rams defence in the 59^th minute and calmly lofted the ball over the oncoming Danny Twyman and into the net, giving his team their first goal in 430 minutes of league action. Just a couple of minutes later Hicham Akhazzan could have added to that goal when he was also found free in the middle of the home defence but his shot was easily saved this time by home ‘keeper Twyman. The game now looked more like a competitive Kent derby match and, as things het up, first Ramsgate’s Simon Pettit and then Sittingbourne’s Jonathon Hogg were cautioned by the referee for fouls on the opposition. Despite surprise participant Joe Dolan, who had been reported as leaving the Rams due to travel problems, hitting the crossbar for the hosts it was ‘Bourne who scored next when a defensive slip by Gareth Cornhill allowed the advancing Joe Nwoko in on goal and despite his wide position he gave no quarter as he slotted home to narrow the gap to 3-2 with fourteen minutes left on the clock.

With Sittingbourne clearly on the ascendancy, Ramsgate would have been grateful for twice receiving a man advantage. First Brickies’ scorer Nwoko was forced off the pitch for three minutes through injury and with all their allowed substitutes used the visitors had to play temporarily with ten men. This however was made permanent at the death when Jonathon Hogg received his second yellow (and obligatory red) card of the match for an obstruction on Tom Chapman who had replaced the impressive Pulman just before the end of ninety minutes. Now with the numerical advantage made permanent and the final whistle within grasp it was the Rams who concluded things with a last gasp attempt to score when substitute Joe Taylor, who had replaced Ebigbo, found himself in space wide on the right wing. The move however broke down and the match was ended with Ramsgate running out 3-2 winners and, despite at least finding their scoring boots again, the visitors returned home having collected no winnings today. With mixed fortune over the festive period Jim Ward will take his team on the road to open 2012 when they visit Hythe Town, currently one place above the Rams and odds-on to provide another tough game on Bank Holiday Monday.

Ramsgate  :  Danny Twyman, Gareth Cornhill, Peter Wedgeworth, Luke Wheatley, Joe Dolan, Ben Laslett, Pascal Ebigbo (Joe Taylor 90), Liam Quinn (Capt), Ian Pulman (Tom Chapman 87), Simon Pettit, Steve O’Brien

Unused Substitutes  :  Ollie Gray, James Gregory, Dean Grant