Ramsgate laid down an early marker in the Isthmian Southeast will a come from behind 4-2 win over Sittingbourne at a very soggy Southwood.
The Rams were fast out of the traps in both halves, opening the scoring insider two minutes and then netting twice in the opening three minutes of the second to grab a lead that they were not to relinquish.
For the Brickies, though it was definitely a case of what might have been.
In an opening half played in pouring rain, the home side flew out of the blocks and Benedict Bioletti reacted fastest to Joe Taylor’s ball in from the right to prod home.
It stung Sittingbourne into action and the visitors levelled just five minutes later when Troy Howard blasted home after Joe Boachie’s shot had been well saved by Tom Hadler.
And for a while it got even better for the visitors as Donvieve Jones retrieved a ball that seemed to be drifting behind, and his fine ball back into the box was brilliantly netted by Mitch May following on from the big strikers FA Cup hat-trick last weekend.
Just before the break, May almost turned provider as doing very well down the left, his lay back fell to Richie Hammill and his drive was deflected inches too high with Hadler beaten.
The second half was not a minute old when the home side levelled for a second time as the visitor’s defence could not clear a ball in and Tom Carlse stroked the home side second equaliser.
And within two minutes the Rams grabbed a lead that they were not to lose as predatory striker Taylor converted TJ Jadama’s cross.
The Brickies were well and truly on the back foot and were thankful to keeper Harley Earle for a sensational save to keep out a bullet header from former team-mate Joe Ellul as the central defender met a corner perfectly.
The game was finally settled by chances at both ends in the seventy-third and seventy-fourth minutes. On 73, Hadler made another brilliant start to keep out a drive from Brickies sub-Henry Sinai after a good run before the home side sealed the points in their next attack as from a knock down at an Alfie Paxman’s corner, Jadama netted the Rams fourth.
Sittingbourne to their credit kept looking for a way back – they had loud cries for a penalty for hands the referee Williams waved away; Howard was inches away from May’s cross and then sub Ryan Kingsford, who was finally making his Brickies debut after finally receiving international clearance was the next to be denied by Hadler and he made his third excellent save of the afternoon beating out the substitutes shot.
This was Ramsgate’s day, but it will take a brave person to bet against both of these sides being involved in the fight for this division come May.
RAMSGATE – Hadler, Carsle (Elito), Leader, Ellul (Ajayi), Barnes, Deacon (Clifford), Gard (Walters), Jadama, Bioletti, Taylor (Bola), Paxman
SITTINGBOURNE – Earle, Lukombo, Jones, Hammill, Smith, Arthur, Howard, Ayman (Kingsford), May, Boachie (Cosgrave), Beckford (Sinai)
Subs – Torsiello, Georgiou
REFEREE – Mr. Williams
Image courtesy of Paul Golding