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Rams closing in on title

IF Ramsgate go onto claim the Kent League championship this season then Slade Green can clearly say that they contributed to their title success after gifting the Rams with all three of their goals inside the opening 33 minutes of Saturday’s clash at The Small Glen. 

The game was just five minutes old when the visitors moved ahead following a call from keeper Lee Heywood, Scott Lewis left the ball and Shaun Welford nipped in to fire the it home from close range.

The Rams dominated the first half and Green were thankful to Heywood on eight minutes when he tipped Ben Laslett’s shot over the bar, while Scott Lewis then rescued the home side with a goal-line clearance to keep out Mo Takaloo.

In between these two Green blocks Ed Vaid fired over when well placed.  The Rams pressure finally paid off on the 16 minute mark as they moved further ahead.  When it seemed that Heywood should have collected the ball following a headed flick on Wellford latched onto the loose ball and duly claimed his second goal of the afternoon. 

Green’s only worthwhile chance of the first half fell to Dean Kearley who side footed wide after a good cross from Wayne Barrett. 

Welford should have claimed his hat-trick on 28 minutes when he met Stuart Vahid’s corner only to plant his header wide with just Heywood to beat. 

With 33 minutes played Ramsgate grabbed their third and final goal, Ed Vahid guided the ball into the box and as Heywood punched the ball out it cannoned back off defender Dean Kearley into his own goal. 

The half time team talk of furious Green boss Terry Malin seemed to have the desired effect as a different Green side appeared after the break taking the game to their opponents and just 2 minutes into the second half a poor clearance from keeper Danny Twyman fell to Ryan Hayes who set up Dean Bowey who fired wide. 

On 55 minutes Green reduced the deficit, skipper Tony Gallagher was fouled in the box receiving a blow to his header that needed treatment and as a result a penalty was awarded. 

Although Dean Bowey’s spot kick was saved by Twyman, Bowey was the first to react to the loose ball and smashed it into the net. 

It was now Green’s turn to dominate, Bowey failed to get any power behind his shot when put through by Gallagher and soon afterwards Danny Little’s clever piece of play put Scott Lewis through only to hit wide. 

Gallagher maybe should have done better than fire high and wide with just the keeper to bear and then Ryan Hayes guided his scissor kick wide from Gallagher’s cross. 

With eleven minutes remaining the game looked set for a grandstand finish when a miscued pass from Shaun Brown fell invitingly for Ryan Hayes but for once the prolific goalscoring form that Hayes has shown all season deserted him and his goalbound shot was kept out by the feet of Twyman. 

In a rare second half attack Welford might have struck again for the visitors while at the other end Bowey volleyed wide from a Scott Lewis cross. 

The result see’s Ramsgate boss Jim Ward closing in on his third Kent League title but at the same time Green not for the first time this season in view of the squad of players we have at the club have once again have not done themselves justice