Three first half strikes from a resurgent Sittingbourne earned them the spoils against a struggling Ramsgate side who surrendered meekly in the closing stages of the first half.

Frustratingly for the Rams caretaker management duo of Dean Hill and Mark Weatherly, their charges recovered after the break but never looked quite capable of wrestling the points away from the Brickies who extended their recent run to just one defeat in ten.

For Sittingbourne joint boss Mick Wyatt was full of praise for his strike force as they raced into a three goal half time lead. He admitted, “Apart from 45 minutes against Hythe last week, we’ve played pretty well in the last ten games. The team are a good bunch of lads and we’ve just tried to gel them together and at the minute it seems to be working. Nick (Davis, the joint manager) and I had a chat a few weeks back about going 4-4-2 and playing our two main striker down the middle and we really haven’t looked back.”

Meanwhile for Rams caretaker boss Hill it was a tough defeat to take. “I’m devastated!” he admitted. “We lost the game in that 20 minute spell first half when we just didn’t turn up. I cant repeat some of the comments that we’ve used in the last two or three games as we’ve really have been poor. I’m not just blaming the defenders its the whole of the back eight! Yet despite certain individuals letting me down today (and I told the players at half time) we could had the chances to get back into the game right after half time and if we score who knows! We’ve now got to get back on track in midweek, but I’m telling you now that if we defend like that, we’ll loose!”

It was a tough result for Ramsgate to take given all their off field problems of recent weeks but in all fairness, the points were never really in doubt in the glorious Woodstock Park sunshine, and the only surprise was that it took the home side 17 minutes to break the deadlock. Ryan Golding fired in a shot which keeper Deren Hawkes could only parry straight to Joe Taylor and the Brickies top scorer rolled in number 16 for the season. The lead was doubled on 28 minutes when this time Golding netted. A superb cross field ball from Tom Brunt found Hicham Akhazzan who’s first time shot was only blocked by Hawkes and Golding followed up to net his 14th of the season. Number 15 for Golding followed just nine minutes from half time and was a collective disaster for the Rams defence and concluded what was a miserable 20 minutes for the visitors. Ollie Schulz under severe pressure from Golding tried to usher the ball back to his keeper but Hawkes was slow to come off his line and wanted a pass back to clear. No pass back came as possession was lost and the predator that Golding can be doesn’t miss chances like that when given to him and the Brickies striker duly prodded home number three.
It could have been worse for the Rams as in first half stoppage time, Golding turned provider as a short pass on the edge of the box fell to Brunt, but unfortunately for the young defender, just as he struck it, the ball took a nasty bobble and his shot clipped the bar. Hawkes left the field at half time hobbling and didn’t reappear with Nick Shaw taking his place.

After such a dismal first half performance you looked for a response from the visitors and only a stunning block from Brickes keeper Adam Molloy prevented Ramsgate pulling a goal back in the opening seconds of the second half. Macauley Murray’s long free kick found Schulz, who’s first time header brought the very best out of Molloy as the keeper plunged away to his left to make a great save. There was though nothing that even Molloy could do just past the hour as Ian Pulman made room for himself following a long throw and drilled a ball beyond Molloy’s dive and into the corner. Pulman was beginning to cause the Brickies defence real problems, and was just coming into his own when he went down awkwardly under a challenge and hobbled out of the game, and with him went any realistic chances that the Rams had if getting back into the game, as it petered out into almost a pre season session in the glorious March sunshine.

Both teams face a busy period over the next few weeks – a period with Brickies joint boss Davis said to not looking forward to. With a smile on his face he admitted, “I struggle with two games a week these days – but three! Its a good job we’ve got a good squad – something tells me we’re going to need it!”

SITTINGBOURNE – Adam Molloy, Tom Brunt, Ashley Ulph, Nick Davis, George Crimmen, Jono Richardson, Joe Taylor, Luke Girt, Ryan Golding (Kershaney Samuels 83), Abdul Mansary (Stephen Okoh 65), Hicham Akhazzan (Sam Beale 87)

Subs not used – Sam Hallett and Tom Loynes

RAMSGATE – Daren Hawkes (Nick Shaw HT), David Pilcher, Curtis Robinson, Ollie Gray, Ollie Schulz, Ben Laslett, Tom Chapman, Macauley Murray, Ian Pulman (Nick Tredwell 69), James Sherman (Warren Schulz 65), Aaron Beech

Subs not used – Kane Rowland and Ashley Groombridge

Referee – Mr O Davies
Assistants – Mr A Bakalarz and Mr D Keating