It was a game of two halves at the WW Martin Community Stadium as Ramsgate succumbed to a 2-1 defeat to Cray Valley PM to exit the FA Cup.
A strong first half saw the Rams go into the interval 1-0 up – and their performance probably warranted a bigger lead. A four minute spell early in the second period saw Cray Valley score twice though, and the Rams couldn’t find a leveller despite applying plenty of pressure.
Manager Ben Smith made two change from the side that played out a crazy 4-4 draw against Dartford on Bank Holiday Monday, with Aaron Barnes coming in to start ahead of Jerome Binnom-Williams and Kai Garrett starting in place of Benny Bioletti, who had to pull out after picking up an injury in the warmup.
It was a fast start for the Rams. In the first TJ Jadama surged towards the byline, only to fire a low shot cross the face of goal and just out of reach of Alfie Paxman at the back post. The Millers responded swiftly in the third minute, breaking down the right, but Harry Webster’s heroic block thwarted a goal-bound effort from Dan Ajakaiye.
Other than that score, Ramsgate dominated the opening exchanges. On 20 minutes, Paxman fired straight at Millers goalkeeper Shaun Rowley from the left side of the box. Moments later, Paxman’s pinpoint cross found Kai Garrett, who could only slice wide from six yards.
The pressure continued as Garrett, in the 23rd minute, threaded a delightful ball to Webster in the inside-right channel, but his low cross was cleared. Five minutes later, Garrett cut inside and beat a defender, only to blaze over from distance.
As the game settled, the Rams sought control, maintaining possession while probing for openings. Their persistence nearly paid off when Paxman slipped in the box, but Mitch May spun his marker and poked a low shot goalward, only for Rowley to make a great one-handed save low to his left.
The breakthrough finally arrived in the 41st minute, rewarding the Rams’ dominance. Billy Munday won possession and fed Jadama, who clipped a precise ball to Garrett down the right channel. His low cross was steered home by May, giving the Rams a deserved 1-0 lead at halftime.
Mitch May opens the scoring / AT Photography
The second half began in somewhat quiet fashion, but the first chance fell the way of Ramsgate. In the 50th minute, May won the ball back and set up Garrett, who drove forward but sliced wide from the right side of the box.
The visitors equalized two minutes later when Webster’s foul in the box led to a penalty, which was confidently dispatched Tom Beere. The turnaround was complete in the 57th minute as Cray capitalized on a long ball into the channel. Ajakaiye controlled, turned, and fired low past Prall, clipping the post on its way in for a 2-1 lead.
The Rams battled to regain parity. Cray’s defense held firm, though, and had the next clear chance of the game as Matthew Vigor side-footed over from 20 yards in the 71st minute. Four minutes later, Denzel Gayle crossed into the box but Ibby Akanbi fluffed an airshot from 12 yards.
The Rams responded, with Sha’mar Lawson’s pinpoint cross to the back post finding Paxman, whose header drifted just wide into the side netting. The away side squandered a golden chance in the 81st minute when Akanbi sliced high and wide from ten yards after a dangerous move down the left.
As the clock ticked down, the Rams threw everything forward. A long throw in the 89th minute saw Jadama’s header fall to sub Zack Jobe, but his effort drifted wide from a promising position. Despite their late pressure, the Rams couldn’t find an equalizer, leaving the Millers to celebrate a hard-fought 2-1 victory.
Alfie Paxman heads wide late on / AT Photography
The Rams will rue their missed chances in a match that showcased their potential but underlined the fine margins of football. They are next in action with a visit to Billericay Town this coming Saturday.
Ramsgate: Prall, Webster (Jobe), Barnes, Brown, Clifford, Munday, Kingsford, Jadama, Garrett (Lawson), Paxman, May. Subs: Binnom-Williams, Grant, Jackson, Bioletti.
Star man: Billy Munday
Photos by: AT Photography
