A breathless encounter at the Dripping Pan saw Ramsgate come away with a point against Lewes on Saturday. It was a truly brilliant game to watch, with both sides keen to express their attacking intent as well as to play their football at every opportune moment.
Manager Ben Smith made one change from the side that defeated Potters Bar Town last time out, with the Rams all time record goalscorer Joe Taylor coming straight into the team after re-signing earlier in the week in place of the injured Ryan Kingsford.
It was Lewes who raced out of the blocks from the opening whistle, with Ryan Bernal firing a great chance over the bar from fifteen yards inside the first minute. Six minutes later Antonio Morgan’s cross from the right was just behind Charlie Walker, with the ball hitting him on the heel before bouncing into the arms of Aiden Prall.
It was a relentless tide of attacking football as the Rooks pinned the away side back in the early stages of the game. Arezi Hamouchene just failed to connect to another cross shortly afterwards, with Mitchell May firing wide for the Rams in a rare foray forward. Lewes bagged the goal their early start deserved in the 17th minute when Ian Gayle powered in a superb header from a corner.
Prall had to be on his toes to deny Walker six minutes later before Devonte West struck a shot that went straight into the hands of the Rams stopper. The tide turned after this, however, as a tweak in system allowed the away side to not only grow into the game but dominate the rest of the half.
Tom Clifford fired wide from distance on the half hour as the Rams camped themselves inside the Lewes half. May’s cross just eluded Taylor shortly after, before some heroic defending saw the Rams’ strikers close range effort blocked on the line before Billy Munday’s header was controversially ruled out for an apparent foul on Rooks goalkeeper Louis Rogers.
On the stroke of half time, Ramsgate bagged a deserved equaliser. A long throw was cleared back out to Alfie Paxman on the left, and his pinpoint cross was bravely nodded home by captain TJ Jadama from close range to the joy of the travelling 120 Rams fans behind the goal. It remained 1-1 going into the half time break.
It remained one way traffic as the second half kicked into action, with Ramsgate creating more chances in the process. Jadama was adjudged to have dived in the box under a strong challenge from a Lewes defender in the opening stages, before five minutes later Paxman struck the crossbar with a volley from the left side of the area. Benny Bioletti’s follow-up flashed just over the crossbar from fifteen yards.
Jadama was set clear on goal by May in the 53rd minute but could only drag a left footed shot wide of goal under pressure from Gayle, and despite the dominance the away side just couldn’t find the back of the net. Ten minutes later, it was the Rooks’ turn to hit the woodwork as a superb cushioned volley from Jack Burchell fifteen yards out crashed into the top of the crossbar and bounced clear.
Both sides continued to attack with intent, but it was the Rams who were still looking more likely. Sub Donvieve Jones, superb in his comeback from injury, drove to the byline before cutting back for Lewis Gard to fire over the bar from Taylor’s layoff in the 68th minute, before Roger’s made a superb one handed save to take the ball off Taylor’s feet after May had crossed low across the box five minutes later.
A real sucker punch occurred in the 77th minute as Lewes retook the lead with a moment of individual brilliance. Bernal picked the ball up on the right wing, and cut inside before unleashing an unstoppable right footed effort across Prall from 22 yards into the left corner of the goal.
This Ramsgate side has been known for its resilience and character for a long time now though, and these qualities shone through again as they levelled three minutes later. Sub Kai Garrett’s superb cross was bundled in by Taylor from close range to bag the goal his third debut for the club fully deserved.
Both sides could’ve won it late on, with Garrett heading just over the bar for Ramsgate before Andy Janneh fired wide from eight yards in the third minute of stoppage time. Munday came agonisingly close to a winner for the Rams with the last action of the game, getting up superbly to meet a Paxman corner but his header sailed just over the bar.
In truth, a draw was probably a fair result – however the Rams’ attacking play as well as their adaptability was truly something to be proud of as supporters left the ground waxing lyrical about the spectacle they had just witnessed.
Ramsgate: Prall, Barnes (Garrett), Brown, Binnom-Williams (Jones), Paxman, Clifford, Munday, Jadama, Bioletti (Gard), May, Taylor. Subs: Jackson, Todd.
Star man: Donvieve Jones.
Photos courtesy of Dan Whitehead and Lewes FC.
