Phoenix Sports 0-1 Ramsgate FC
Ramsgate battled to a 1-0 win away to bottom side Phoenix Sports to keep up their 100% start to the league season, however it was far from an easy ride. The Rams made one change from the team that beat Steyning Town last time out, with Roarie Deacon coming in for Benny Bioletti to start wide on the right.
The game started in familiar fashion, with Ramsgate on the front foot and dominating possession. They couldn’t quite find a way to test Phoenix goalkeeper Taite Holtham early on, with the home side happy to sit back and try and break quickly. The first chance of the game fell to Deacon, who shot from outside the area but TJ Jadama deflected it wide.
On 20 minutes, a Phoenix pass was intercepted by Alfie Paxman, who played the ball through to Joe Taylor. His shot was well saved by Holtam, but the offside flag denied the Rams a corner despite Taylor appearing to be well onside. A minute later and the Rams took the lead, with Myles Judd rolling Taylor in this time. His first effort was saved at the near post by Holtam, but the Rams’ number 9 fired the rebound home from the angle with his left foot to make it 1-0.
The home side looked to respond to the goal, and had a chance to equalise on 23 minutes. Former Ram Deshane Dalling was set clear down the left wing on the counter attack, but his low shot was well saved at the near post by Tom Hadler. Paxman then fired a shot straight at Holtam before Taylor dragged the ball wide shortly afterwards.
The Rams should’ve been awarded a penalty on the stroke of half time. Jadama was taken out as he shot towards goal, but somehow the referee deemed a goal kick to be the correct decision. 1-0 is how it remained at the interval.
Ramsgate started the second half strongly, and had a great chance to double their lead on 49 minutes. Paxman had an effort saved by Holtam, and the rebound was volleyed onto the crossbar by Tom Clifford from ten yards out. The home side grew into the game after this, however, and Dalling curled a shot onto the outside of the post after 56 minutes.
Phoenix were buoyed by this, and the influential Will Efambe was starting to pull the strings for the home side. Substitute Jeff Duah-Kessie had two shots well blocked inside the box within the space of a few minutes before Dalling had a weak shot saved by Hadler.
Billy Munday then came off the bench to make his second Rams debut, and immediately settled into the game. The away side began to enjoy more possession, and the game settled down with the Rams controlling the midfield battle.
Taylor forced Holtam into another save on 83 minutes, but with only a single goal advantage the hosts were still in the game – and they missed a golden chance to equalise three minutes later. A free kick from the left fell to Dalling, but he could only steer wide from eight yards out.
Sub Josh Ajayi forced Holtam into yet another save in stoppage time, but the Rams saw the game out on a sticky yet bobbly pitch. Ultimately, the three points is all that matters – and they are next in action with a home game against Burgess Hill Town at the WW Martin Community Stadium this coming Saturday.
Ramsgate: Hadler, Judd, Barnes (Elull), Leader, Clifford, Martin (Munday), Jadama (Walters) Gard, Deacon (Ajayi), Paxman, Taylor. Sub: Bioletti.
