It was another five star home performance for Ramsgate as they effortlessly saw off fifth placed Beckenham town by five goals to nil. On a chilly day at the WW Martin Community Stadium, an amazing £700 was raised for the Motor Neurone Disease Association, with hundreds of supporters walking a mile with Rams fan Ronnie Megrath before the game.
The Rams were unchanged from their 3-2 win at Littlehampton Town the previous Tuesday, and immediately began the game on the front foot. TJ Jadama sliced a shot wide in the fourth minute before Tom Clifford drove a shot from Joe Taylor’s lay off a few minutes later. The early goal the hosts craved arrived in the eighth minute after a cross into the box from Lee Martin. Benny Bioletti’s header hit the underside of the bar and was adjudged to have bounced over the goal line by the officials.
The home side continued to keep the pressure on the Becks, and a host of last ditch tackles were made by defenders Jack Holland and Mudiaga Wanogho to keep the scoreline at 1-0. Tom Hadler made his first save of the game on 20 minutes, pushing a shot from Steven Townsend wide of his right hand post.
Billy Munday forced Becks goalkeeper Damian Niemczycki into a save from a rasping shot a few minutes later, before the Rams were denied what appeared to be a clear second goal in the 31st minute. Alfie Paxman’s shot was saved by Niemczycki before Jay Leader’s follow up appeared to cross the line. The officials were unmoved though, and play continued despite the Rams’ protests. Paxman had another free kick saved on 37 minutes, but despite the constant pressure 1-0 was how it remained at the interval.
The pressure continued after the restart, with the home side dominating possession – however it was Beckenham who had the first chance of the half. Louis Theophanous broke down the left, but his shot was turned away by Hadler at his near post. Henry Douglas then shot straight at Hadler from the resulting corner.
Ramsgate didn’t let this ruin their stride though, and they kept up the pressure. A lovely move down the left resulted in Bioletti squaring for Paxman, but his low shot was deflected just wide from eight yards. In the 61st minute, the hosts were awarded a penalty after Bioletti was unceremoniously bundled to the ground by Wanogho after a lovely clipped ball by Munday. Taylor stepped up to send the keeper the wrong way for his 37th goal of the season to make it 2-0.
Three minutes later and the hosts grabbed their third goal. Munday linked up with Roarie Deacon, and the Rams’ right back took a touch before unleashing an unstoppable shot into the roof of the net from the right side of the box. Deacon grabbed his second of the game just two and a half minutes later, combining with Taylor before touching past a defender and finishing low into the bottom right corner of the goal with his left foot.
The Rams were rampant, and they made it 5-0 in the 76th minute. Deacon cut the ball back towards Bioletti from the byline, and his touch then fell to Jadama, who composed himself before passing the ball into the back of the net off the right hand post.
There was time for Taylor to lift a shot over the bar when one on one with Niemczycki, but 5-0 was how it finished on a special day both on and off the pitch. Ramsgate are next in action with a trip to Erith Town this coming Saturday, with kickoff at 3pm.
Ramsgate: Hadler, Deacon, Ellul, Leader (Barnes), Clifford, Martin, Munday, Jadama (Gard), Bioletti (Ajayi), Paxman (Garrett), Taylor. Sub: Newcombe.
