21 Oct: Phoenix Sports 4 Rams 0

Today the Rams headed up the M2/A2 into southeast London, for their first ever visit to Phoenix Sports, who took all the points at Southwood in the season's opener. And while the storm clouds cleared a little as the game progressed, the only post of gold at the end of the rainbow was for the home side.

Paxman netted first in the 16th minute, in very windy conditions, but the lineman did not realise he had run from behind the defender when the ball was passed and ruled it offside. However it was the home side who registered first on the scoresheet, when poor defending in the 37th minute allowed Luke Miller to give Phoenix the lead. The lead was doubled on the stroke of half-time, when Christie Pattison’s 25 yard strike hit the cross-bar, but then came down and into the net off ‘keeper Luke Watkins’ back.

The Rams started the 2nd half brighter, like the weather, but on 63 Jeff Dish-Kessie made it 3-0. Ramsgate were forced to replace Tom Chapman with Joe Kane 5 minutes later, and shortly after Frankie Sawyer added a 4th. With less than 15 to go TJ Jadama came on for Adam Woollcott, while on 83 Phoenix went down to 10 after centre-half Steffan Wright was dismissed following a foul on Jake Mackenzie.

Rams: Luke Watkins, Jake Mackenzie, Jack Penny, George Crimmen, Luke Wheatley, Jake Munday, Tom Chapman (Joe Kane), Adam Woollcott (TJ Jadama), Rory Smith, Danny Lawrence, Alfie Paxman. Unused subs: Billy Munday, Jacob Mensah, Lewis Mitchell.

Attendance 103

Ramsgate will be looking to turn things around at Southwood on Tuesday, when old Kent League rivals (and close neighbours to Phoenix) VCD Athletic make their first visit to Ramsgate for 13 years.

Updated 13:40 - 11 Jan 2018 by Edward Lucas