Scorers:
Ramsgate – Ian Pulman, Steve O'Brien, Simon Pettit, Michael
Yianni
Merstham – Roscoe Dsane (pen), Liam Thomas
Team: David Wilkinson (GK), Dean
Hamlin, Dean Gunner (Tommy Youle), Adam Moriarty (c), Liam Thomas, Adam
Broomhead, Sam Tucknott, Fabio Saraiva, Harry Ottaway, Roscoe Dsane (Omar
Folkes,), Liam Wright (Louis
Clark)
Unused Subs:
Louis Hollingsworth, Junior Kaffo
Merstham
Man of the Match: Adam Moriarty
Referee: Adrian
Oldershaw
Attendance: 170
Match Sponsors: IN/A
Earlier This Season: Merstham 4 (Harry
Ottaway (2), Roscoe Dsane, Fabio Saraiva) Faversham 2 (Pascal Ebigbo, Warren Schultz)
Last Season: Ramsgate 0 Merstham 1 (Harry
Ottaway)
Photos (Click
on Name):
Match Review: ‘A work in
progress’ was Hayden Bird’s response as his new charges left the field after the
4-2 defeat at Ramsgate. Earlier in the season at Moatside Merstham had exacted
the same score on the Rams so honours for the season were equal. A positive
Merstham took the lead in the 20th minute with a Roscoe Dsane penalty but 15
minutes later Ian Pulman equalised for the Rams followed shortly after by a goal
from Stephen O’Brien to give the host a 2-1 lead at the break. Merstham looked
lost in the second half after conceding a third goal within minutes of the
restart. Merstham grabbed one back late in the game when Liam Thomas headed home
a Sam Tucknott free kick however on the stroke of time Michael Yianni gave
Ramsgate their fourth. -
Johnny Moatside

Match Report: David
Kirkaldy

Merstham
flattered to deceive as Hayden Bird’s first game in charge ended in defeat
despite the Moatsiders taking the lead against Ramsgate. After a bright opening,
Roscoe Dsane’s penalty gave Merstham the lead midway through the first half but
two goals in five minutes from Ian Pulman and Stephen O’Brien put the hosts in
control before the interval. Simon Pettit extended Ramsgate’s lead before Liam
Thomas set-up a tense finale but the hosts put the result beyond doubt in
stoppage time through Michael Yianni to leapfrog Merstham in the
table.

Merstham
players were eager to impress their new manager and made a promising start when
Sam Tucknott headed Dsane’s cross from the left narrowly past the post inside
the opening two minutes. The Moatsiders looked comfortable in possession
spreading the ball around from side-to-side with conviction and were rewarded
for their persistence on 20 minutes. Fabio Saraiva’s fierce effort from the edge
of the area was parried away by goalkeeper Danny Twyman and the rebound fell to
Liam Wright who was bundled over inside the area. The referee pointed to the
penalty spot and Dsane confidently despatched the kick into the bottom right
corner to send Merstham into a deserved lead. Ramsgate fought their way back
into the contest and to make matters worse for Merstham they gifted their
opponents their equaliser on 37 minutes. Thomas under hit his pass back to David
Wilkinson allowing Pulman to round the keeper and slot the ball home into an
empty net. The game completely changed with Ramsgate now in the ascendency and
they took the lead two minutes before half-time. Pettit’s long throw was flicked
on at the near post towards O’Brien who managed to get in front of his marker to
prod the ball past Wilkinson from close range to leave Merstham reeling at the
interval.

The
Moatsiders regrouped in the second half and should have equalised three minutes
after the restart but an unmarked Dsane volleyed Liam Wright’s cross wide from
ten yards with the striker showing his frustration by placing his hands over his
face. Ramsgate again exploited Merstham’s weakness at defending set-plays on 66
minutes when O’Brien’s free-kick saw two Ramsgate players waiting unmarked at
the far post as Pettit headed home for a two-goal advantage. Merstham lost their
cutting edge upfront and creativity in midfield with the second half seemingly
passing them by. Then from out of nowhere, the Moatsiders grabbed a lifeline
after 78 minutes when Tucknott’s free-kick saw Thomas unleash a bullet header
that flew past Twyman to cut the deficit back down to one goal. Merstham pressed
forward in the final stages but failed to unlock a resolute Rams defence and
Yianni took full advantage of the open space left by the visitors in the third
minute of injury time clipping an effort over Wilkinson to seal victory for
Ramsgate.