Ramsgate eased to a 5-0 win at home to Southall, with star man Joe Taylor scoring four on a scorching day at the WW Martin Community Stadium to advance to the first qualifying round of the FA Cup.
The Rams made three changes from the team that won away at Croydon last Saturday, with Joe Ellul, Josh Ajayi and Aaron Barnes coming in for Jay Leader, Benny Bioletti and Andrew Tirivanhu.
The game started at a frenetic pace in the heat, with the visitors going close with an effort from range. Five minutes in and a great ball in from Alfie Paxman found TJ Jadama ten yards out, and he was extremely unlucky to see his volley crash off the near post.
Ramsgate continued to build momentum as the half wore on whilst the away side looked for opportunities on the counter. The Rams hit the front on 29 minutes, and it was a superb team move which ended with a lovely ball from Paxman finding Taylor in the box, and he finished with aplomb in to the bottom corner.
Superb skill and pace from Josh Ajayi on the right wing earned the Rams a free kick on 35 minutes, and it was Paxman again who played the ball in to Taylor, who finished expertly in to the bottom-left corner of the Southall goal with his left foot. 2-0 was how it stayed until the interval.
The second half was played out at a largely slower pace, with the conditions having an impact on intensity levels. Tom Hadler was called in to action to make a superb save on 58 minutes, however, with the Rams stopper in imperious form as always.
Southall were forced in to a goalkeeping change on 69 minutes, with an unfortunate injury to their custodian Michael Edegbe meaning that outfield substitute Anthony O’Connor was forced to go in goal for the visitors.
The Rams looked to increase their advantage after, and Taylor completed his hat trick on 85 minutes after great play in the build up by Lewis Gard and substitute TT Walters. The ball found Alfie Paxman, who completed his own hat trick of assists to lay the ball on for Taylor to finish in to the roof of the Southall net.
Two minutes later and it was 4-0. A superb through ball from Jadama found another substitute, Benny Bioletti, in space on the right wing. His cross found Taylor, whose shot was superbly saved by O’Connor, but he was powerless to keep out the rebound from TT Walters for his first Rams goal.
Deep in to stoppage time the Rams added a fifth – and it was the Paxman Taylor connection doing the damage yet again, with the former’s free kick resulting in Taylor delightfully backheeling the ball home for his fourth. A superb home performance in the summer sun, and Ramsgate will be looking for more of the same when they welcome Sittingbourne to the WW Martin Community stadium in their next game.
COYR!
Hadler, Deacon, Ellul (Tirivanhu), Barnes (Walters), Carlse, Gard (Bola), Jadama, Clifford (Elito), Ajayi (Bioletti), Paxman, Taylor
Photo Credit: Ian Mulcahy
