Reserves 3 West Wickham 3 – KIC

The Reserves welcomed West Wickham to Southwood for this Kent Intermediate Cup tie and, with a number of players called up for 1st team duty, brought a couple of Under 18s into this county cup fixture.

A lively game, against an experienced and physical opposition started with an own goal a-piece, with the visitors taking the lead when Anthony Woodward’s header went past young Josh Mattless in the 8th minute, and the West Wickham right back turning a Rams’ cross into his own net 11 minutes later. West Wickham led at half-time however after the left winger’s header went into the net off the right upright (and sprang back against the left upright and out onto the pitch again – bizzarre). Ramsgate started to get more of the play in the 2nd half and, after Joe Hickman’s volley hit the bar while the ‘keeper was stranded at the edge of his area in the 66th minute, Shane Mitchell’s cross was side-footed into the West Wickham net by Dan Hughes in the 80th.

The young Rams’ fitness looked to be paying dividends in extra-time and, with their opponents clearly tiring, West Wickham’s ‘keeper effort kept his team level. In the 114th minute a penalty against the run of play saw West Wickham re-take the lead, but the Rams continued to attack and as the game moved into stoppage time on extra-time a Josh Merry corner was headed home by Courtney Robinson to take the tie to penalties.

The tension continued to rise as the Rams failed to score their first two (one miss and one save) while West Wickham converted both, but after each team had taken 5 the tally was the same as the score after extra-time – 3-3. So, into the sudden-death phase, and it was Courtney Robinson who scored from the spot, while Josh Mattless saved West Wickham’s reply, for the Rams to go through 4-3. Attendance 21.

Ramsgate: Josh Mattless, Luke Alexander, Josh Merry, Anthony Woodward, Joe Hickman (Jordan Wells 72), Luke Furness (c), Jon Hindley (Saidou Camara 113), Courtney Robinson, Shane Mitchell, Dan Hughes, Neil Hoggart (Ryan Freedman 120). Unused sub: Josh Wood.