Hythe Town’s playoff push continued with a hard fought 4-2 win over Ramsgate at Reachfields.

The cannons came into the game in the final playoff place in the Ryman South, five points above sixth place. With five games remaining they looked to take advantage of the games postponed by the recent weather to rise further up the table after a convincing 3-1 win at Molesey in their last match.

Clive Cook made one change from that win in Surrey, this came with John Pilbeam replacing Jack Mahoney.

Their Thanet opponents came into the game stuck with mid table mediocrity. After an impressive start to the season they slumped down to twelfth, meaning their playoff hopes were over by the time they travelled down the coast to Hythe. Jim and Danny Ward made three changes from their side’s 3- loss at South Park at the start of the Easter weekend, these came with Jack Penny, Kane Rowland and Aaron Quain taking the places of Ollie Gray, Tom Loynes and Kane Smith.

It only took thirteen minutes for the opening goal of the game to be scored, a quick passing move from the hosts ended with Frankie Sawyer finding Ian Pulman to his left, allowing the midfielder to hit a fantastic delicate effort over Luke Watkins.

Although Ramsgate looked to work their way back into the game through Wayne Wilson’s free kick flew just over Joe Mant’s goal, it was Hythe who struck again.

Luke Wheatley looked to head the ball back to Luke Watkins, only for the ‘keeper to spill the ball under pressure from Frankie Sawyer, allowing Pilbeam to pick up the loose ball and slide it into an empty net, doubling Hythe’s lead.

The hosts continued to push forward and they thought they had scored a third when a cross from Alfie May fell perfectly to Jack Harris at the far post, but the attacker could only direct his header towards the side netting. Soon though, the football being played was no longer the main topic as tackles started flying in, disrupting the pace of a fairly entertaining game.

With time running out in the first half, one of these tackles resulted in a foul just outside the Hythe penalty area, Aaron Quain stepped up for the visitors and struck a curling shot past Mant, despite the goalkeeper’s best efforts to half the deficit at half time.

Ramsgate carried the momentum they gained from that goal into the second half and they took the game to Hythe. With the first chance of the half Quain pulled play back to Joe Taylor, only for the attacker to slice his shot wide.

The visitors’ pressure was rewarded with some quick thinking from another Aaron Quain free kick. From 30 yards out he spotted Joe Mant out of position, allowing him to hit a strike which deceived the Hythe keeper and ended up in the back of the young goalkeeper’s net, levelling the game.

In another change of the game’s momentum, Hythe once again were on the front foot. Jack Harris’ long ball from the right nearly fell perfectly into the path of Frankie Sawyer, but Luke Watkins did well to intercept the pass, putting an end to the cannon’s swift attacking move.

Soon though, their pressure paid off, and Harris was involved again. This time, his run from the right wing ended with him being tripped in the area by Jack Penny. Frankie Sawyer stepped up to take the spot kick and slotted it past Watkins, giving his side the lead again.

With time running out for Ramsgate, they threw away the chance to gain a point with another mistake between Wheatley and Watkins. The central defender looked to play a pass back to the goalkeeper, only for the ball to roll past his goalkeeper, allowing Harris to pounce on the loose ball and score his side’s fourth as time ran out.

These three points mean Hythe find themselves in third place in the Ryman South Division One South. They remain five points clear of the dreaded sixth place with only four games remaining, the next of which is at home to 19th placed Chatham Town.

Ramsgate remain in twelfth, and with the club standing no chance of either playoff football or a relegation battle, the Ward brothers can now begin to look forward to improving the team for the 2016/2017 season.

 

Hythe Town: Mant, Wilson, Burchell, Pilbeam (Botterill), Cloke, Reeves, Cook, Morrish (Mahoney), Sawyer, May, Harris

Subs not used: Marsden, Sprousen, Hood

Ramsgate: Watkins, Butcher (Mackenzie), Penny, Kane, Wheatley, Girt, Rowland, Wilson, Pulman (Gray), Taylor, Quain (Adams)

Subs not used: Lyons, Smith

Attendance: 232