Downbeat Ward plays down play-off hopes - EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

Ramsgate’s trip to Worthing tonight has beaten the weather, having passed a 2pm pitch inspection, writes Stephen McCartney.

Injury-hit Rams have seen their play-off hopes dashed with two successive defeats at the hands of Leyton (3-0) and Ashford Town Middlesex (1-4).

Manager Jim Ward is still without the services of Dean Hill and Shaun Welford who are both nursing ankle ligament injuries and Liam Morris has a bout of flu. Goalkeeper Paul Wilkerson, meanwhile, is serving the second of his three match ban.

“We’re still on the ground again, had five missing Saturday but we’ve got a couple of trailists tonight,” Ward said EXCLUSIVELY to www.kentishfootball.co.uk after news that tonight’s game was going ahead filtered through.

“We got beat Saturday but at least it gives us the opportunity to look at some players and build for next year.”

Ramsgate have clinched back-to-back promotions as they went from the Kent League into the Ryman Premier League in quick succession.

With his side five points adrift of a play-off berth, has Ward played down his side’s chances of clinching a play-off berth?

“Never say never,” he said. “We will have to put together a great run to keep ourselves in the play-off positions.

“I’m not saying it’s impossible but it doesn’t look very likely.

“We’ve had a lot of bad luck in the past couple of weeks with injuries and suspensions.

“We’re not like the Chelmsford’s of the world when you can get somebody else.”

The Rebels are fighting for their Ryman Premier League lives as they are third from bottom in the table and go into tonight’s game on the back of a 2-0 defeat to Chelmsford City.

Chelmsford have the finances to bolster their promotion chasing squad and have captured striker Lee Boylan from Nationwide Conference club Grays Athletic.

Boylan came off the bench late in Grays Athletic's 4-1 win at Welling United on Sunday as Grays, winners of the FA Trophy for the past two seasons, reached this season's semi-finals.

“They will be fighting for their lives,” warned Ward. “Their manager, Danny Bloor, a good friend of mine, has told me to take it easy tonight.

“We’ve been on the phone and tongue in cheek he’s said “they need the three points more than you”.

Visit Ramsgate’s website: www.ramsgate-fc.co.uk

Worthing v Ramsgate
Ryman Premier League
Tuesday 27^th February 2007
Kick Off 7:30pm
At Victor Gladwish Stadium, Woodside Road, Worthing, West Sussex BN14 7HQ