Ramsgate gave a five star show on Saturday afternoon against a sorry Herne Bay outfit with goalkeeper Jack Delo having a day to forget with two memorable mistakes and the concession of a penalty that gifted the home side goals.

Both teams started the game brightly with both teams getting the ball down and playing passing football on the almost perfect pitch and it was Herne Bay who had the first chance after five minutes.

A cross field ball from the centre from Danny Walder found Dean Grant on the left, he cut inside before feeding the overlapping Gary Sayer from left back whose cross found the tall Jordan Casey eight yards out but his free header was somehow blocked close to the line.

A few minutes later, Ramsgate had their first half chance. Stephen Butcher intercepted a forward pass before releasing Ian Pulman down the right who slid the pass into James Sherman whose turn and shot produced a comfortable save from Delo in the Bay goal.

The game was end to end but the home side were having the better of the opportunities with Ian Pulman forcing a good save from the keeper after a one two on the edge of the area with James Everitt.

It was Ramsgate who took the lead in the 33 of the pitch before putting Pulman through inside left, Pulman was taken down by the advancing Delo in goal and Everitt converted the resultant penalty underneath the goalkeepers dive.

The game was still pretty even with Herne Bay playing some pretty football without ever penetrating and it was from a Herne Bay corner on the stroke of half time that Ramsgate took a two goal lead.

After Danny Walder’s first effort was cleared back out to him, he cut in but his left foot cross was horrifically sliced towards the centre circle where Ian Pulman was waiting to release the onrushing Tom Chapman who outmuscled the defender before delightfully lobbing the ball into the back of the net to give the Rams a two goal lead at half time.

Ramsgate made it 3-0 just a minute into the second half with an almost laughable error from Jack Delo. Pulman struck a speculative shot from 30 yards plus and did not strike the ball cleanly at all but miraculously turned away in sheepish celebration when Delo dived over the ball and let it creep into the bottom corner and effectively put the game to bed.

Ramsgate were well on top and shots at goal from left back Robinson and Everitt went close before Herne Bay got a consolation goal. Stuart King inswinging free kick was dispatched at the back post by a towering header off the underside of the bar by Jordan Casey with half an hour to go.

The away fans believed there was a chance to get back in the game but there belief wasn’t to last long as Ramsgate were to make it 4 just minutes later. Delo nervously squirmed a free kick around the post for a corner and from the resulting corner, Delo would make a costly mistake, dropping the ball towards his own goal where Sherman was waiting to pounce and slammed home.

Herne Bay heads and energy levels dropped and Ramsgate dominated possession with Pulman and Laslett going close before Aaron Millbank made it 5 with a delightful move. Everitt held the ball up for Pulman who fed Millbank on the angle whose crisp low drive from just inside the area across the keeper made it 5.

Things were to go from bad to worse for Herne Bay when goalscorer Casey was to go off injured with ten minutes left, leaving them to play the remainder of the game with 10 men after all three substitutes had already been used. Ramsgate had two more great chances to make it 6 in stoppage time with Millbank pulling the ball back to Pulman 6 yards out but his shot was blocked causing an almighty goalmouth scramble which eventually led to consecutive corners.

Substitute David Pilcher running from the centre circle in added on time and bending a shot towards the top left corner but a stupendous save from Delo was too little too late on a day to forget for Herne Bay against their Kent coast counterparts.

Ramsgate: Shaw, Butcher, Robinson, Murray (Pilcher 82) Hill (cpt), Laslett, Millbank, Sherman (Schulz 70) Pulman, Everitt (Treadwell 76), Chapman.

Subs not used: Miller, Hawkes

Herne Bay: Delo, Eastwood, Sayer ( Lawrence 57), Walder, Kennett, Bonner, M turner, Welder ( J Turner 74), King, Casey, Grant ( Cutts 67).

Subs not used: O’connell, Lloyd.