Herne Bay 1-2 Ramsgate - I'm fuming! I'll take banter all day long but I'm not having people abuse me from five yards away - there's a line and they crossed the line, says Ramsgate boss Ben Smith

Herne Bay 1 – 2 Ramsgate
Location	Winch's Field, Stanley Gardens, Herne Bay, Kent CT6 5SG
Kickoff	28/08/2023 15:00

HERNE BAY  1-2  RAMSGATE
Isthmian League South East Division
Bank Holiday Monday 28 August 2023
Stephen McCartney reports from Winch’s Field

RAMSGATE manager Ben Smith says he was fuming over the personal abuse that he received upon his return to his old club as his charges inflicted Herne Bay’s first defeat of the season.

Herne Bay took the lead after only 129 seconds through central defender Harrison Pont – in front of a crowd of 1,039 at Winch’s Field.

Ramsgate controlled most of the second half and levelled through former Gillingham winger Jordan Green just 85 seconds in.

Another winger, Lee Martin, 36, bent in the winning goal for Ramsgate before Pont was sent-off by referee Daniel Blades in the 88^th minute, for picking up two yellow cards.

“It was a classic derby wasn’t it, scrappy affair,” said Smith.

“We were chasing the game from the third minute. It’s not what you want, especially on a hot day like this but also great character and the quality showed through in the end.”

Herne Bay’s full-time boss Steve Lovell reflected on his fifth game in charge of the club.

“A game of two-halves, I think.  First half we played really, really well and took the lead and had two or three opportunities to kill the game off, which we didn’t do and against good teams you can’t do that. 

“There’s going to be a time in the game when they were going to be on top and at the start of the second half they came out, which we thought they would do and they started well and got the equaliser and soon after got the second, which was disappointing really.

“The boys worked hard and gave everything. We can’t ask for no more than that. Just a little bit of naivety with them. They’re a young team and we just got them together this (summer), so they’ll learn, they will learn and they’ll get better.”

Both managers were asked about their thoughts of coming against their former clubs.

Welshman Lovell managed the Rams from 27 April 2022 until 30 January 2023, with the club sitting in second-place in the Isthmian League South East Division table at the time.

Lovell said: “Just a game of football. It doesn’t matter to me. It doesn’t matter who’s managing there, or where we’ve managed before, the day counted and that’s all that counted.  It was a game today against another team.

“Obviously Ramsgate are favourites for the league and quite rightly so with the amount of money they’re spending down there and the quality of players that they’ve got there.

“It was always going to be a tough game but I thought we acquitted ourselves well, especially first half. I thought we were much the better side and I’m disappointed not to go more than 1-0 up.”

Smith, meanwhile, lead Herne Bay into the Isthmian League Premier Division for the only time - after beating Haywards Heath Town and Ashford United in the play-offs in April 2022.

When asked about making his first return to Winch’s Field, Smith replied: “Great – we won three points, what it's all about.”

When asked to reflect on his time at Herne Bay, Smith replied, “under-appreciated.”

A security guard interrupted the post-match press conference and spoke to Smith about the culprits being ushered out of the stadium - so Smith was asked about the reception that he received.

“I’ll take banter all day long but when I joined this club along with a number of other people, they were in an absolute mess and we got promoted,” said Smith.

“The proper supporters here, fantastic. The idiots that I have to deal the abuse from five yards away from me, I’ve said it before, it’s just disgraceful!

“I’m fuming! I’m not having people abuse me from five yards and think just because there’s a fence there, they think that’s fine – but I didn’t expect any different.

“Simon Halsey, he won the double here, got to a Vase Semi-Final, he didn’t have a great reception when he came back here. He done fantastic for the club, so I didn’t expect it to be any different.

“I expected some banter and to be honest with you I half expected some abuse from people there, but there’s a line and they crossed the line and I’m not having it.

“So when we score, of course, I’m going to turn round to them, do you know what I mean.  Like, you can’t expect just to abuse and poke someone and not get a reaction.

“I said we’d be quiet on the sideline and yet just got it, got it, got it from them.”

Herne Bay opened the scoring following their first attempt on target, just 129 seconds into the game.

Holding midfielder Archie Burnett’s set-pieces were on the money during the first half and he whipped in a set-piece with his right-foot some 30-yards from goal, which Ramsgate half-cleared.

Burnett then drove in a cross back into a crowded penalty area for Pont to slide and poke his shot past Tom Hadler from six-yards.

Lovell said: “We have put a lot of good balls in to the box and Ponty could’ve had another two goals from set-pieces and headers, which we didn’t hit the target with.”

The former Gillingham boss added: “I felt it was a good game of football. A good crowd, everybody gave everything and that’s all we can ask for. I think everybody enjoyed it.

“I’m pleased with the performance, really pleased with the performance but disappointed with the result.”

Smith added: “I said the only way that they were going to score was like that.  They scored in the third minute, so not great.

“We massively, we just switched off so early in the game. We defended the first ball well but it ain’t the first one that kills you.”

Ramsgate went close to restoring parity on derby day in the sixth minute when Alfie Paxman and Martin linked up well down the left and the ball was worked inside to Tijan Jadama, the attacking midfielder hitting a first-time right-footed drive screaming just past the right-hand post from 22-yards.

Ramsgate then went close with a well-worked training ground set-piece routine.

Right-back Paxman cut the ball back from the right, Michael West dummied the ball at the near post and let the ball run through to Martin, who struck a first-time right-footed drive just past the same upright.

“It was unlucky really, great play. We caught them off guard didn’t we but yes it was unlucky,” said Smith.

“We get frustrated at times after we just conceded so maybe we snatched at it out there but it was great play, very well worked.”

It was then Herne Bay’s turn following their first of six corners (the same number as Ramsgate) in the 17^th minute.

Left-back Frankie Smith cut the ball back from the right to Burnett, who whipped in a first time cross for right-back Daniel Carrington to flick his header over the bar.

Ramsgate produced a good slick move in the 21^st minute, which was comfortably turned over the crossbar by Herne Bay goalkeeper Josh Bexon.

Left-back Jack Parter played the ball into Martin, who rolled the ball out to the other side of the pitch for Paxman in space and he cut inside and unleashed a left-footed angled drive which was at a nice height for the keeper to push the drilled shot over his crossbar with an outstretched glove.

“I thought their keeper had a great game for them.  He made some very good saves, to be fair to him and his kicking was excellent,” said Smith.

“His kicking made it the game that they wanted and made it anything other than a football game, so credit to them.”

Lovell added: “It went straight at him and he just put it over the bar but I think that was their only effort on target they had in the first half.  They missed a couple across the face of the box but we defended well. 

“In the first half I thought Tom Hadler was the one that was doing a lot more work than our goalkeeper.”

However, Herne Bay went close to doubling their lead at the halfway mark, following their second corner of the game.

Burnett swung the ball in from the left towards the back stick where Carrington knocked his header back where it came from.  The ball was headed away by Ramsgate’s holding midfielder Bode Anidugbe and central midfielder Jacob Gilbert recycled the ball back towards an unmarked Burnett, who cut inside and flashed his right-footed angled drive across the keeper and just past the foot of the far post from 16-yards.

The first half was pretty much end-to-end and Ramsgate centre-half Sinn’kaye Christie had a couple of headed efforts go past the post after meeting a couple of set-pieces, a corner from West and then Martin’s free-kick.

Herne Bay then had a headed effort, this time Pont found plenty of space just outside the Ramsgate penalty area to flick his header, which was comfortably gathered by Hadler, following another precise free-kick from the impressive Burnett.

Ramsgate, however, missed a golden opportunity to level proceedings in the 37^th minute, following a three-man raid.

Paxman played the ball down the line to release six-goal striker Joe Taylor in behind Pont down the right channel and he put it on a plate for Jadama at the near post but he attempted to poke the ball in from inside the six-yard box but the ball rolled across the keeper and past the far post.

Lovell said: “They’re only going to get opportunities. Joe Taylor is a good centre-forward, the best centre-forward in the league by far and I thought our centre-halves (Pont and Friend) dealt with him and worked really hard and we worked really hard to nullify him, especially in the first half.

“Second half he came into the game a lot more but I still feel we did well against him but we couldn’t get out at them second half as much as we did in the first.”

Smith added: “It’s a miss! It’s an open goal. He’s gone with the wrong foot but they’ll come, that will happen for him.

“He’s got to score, hasn’t he? Someone’s of TJ’s calibre as well, he’s got to score but happy he’s getting in at the right place.”

Smith was asked what was missing from his players during the first half.

He said: “Just sort of control. When you concede after three minutes suddenly you’re chasing the game. You need to have the right mentality then and we didn’t have the right mentality in the first half. 

“There’s 87 minutes left to score.  I just said (at half-time) we’ve got to go out with the right mentality. We’ve just got to go out there and settle down.  There’s a long time left in the game, get a goal early then the game will open up for us.”

Lovell added: “The first 10 minutes of the second half is the most important.  You’ve got to hold on and make sure we don’t give them anything and what happens, they score within two minutes of the restart, so we can’t legislate for that.”

Ramsgate came out of the traps with all guns blazing and took only 85 seconds to equalise.

Martin and West linked up inside the final third, Green flicked the ball with his head on the edge of the penalty area and Bexon pulled off a smart double save to push Martin’s shot into Taylor’s feet, whose effort was blocked by the keeper’s knees before the ball fell to Green, who clinically placed his right-footed shot across the keeper to find the bottom far corner from the corner of the six-yard box.

Smith said: “We had a couple before that that just went wide. I thought it was fully deserved. I thought Jordan was excellent. It was a great time and from that point you think we were going to go and get the second.”

Lovell added: “There were three attempts, the keeper has made two saves and then the third one, no one was there to defend it, so I’ll have a look at that and see where the boys where positionally.

“Ramsgate are going to have chances, their front three, they’ve got Joe Taylor, Lee Martin and Jordan Green. Martin and Green are League players and Joe, up front, is the best centre-forward in the league, so I think we acquitted ourselves very well against them and I’m just disappointed not to get something out of the game.”

Former Gillingham winger Green, shrugged off Frankie Smith outside the box but drove his right-footed shot across the keeper and harmlessly rolling wide of the far post from 25-yards, before Herne Bay went close to taking the lead following a set-piece.

Burnett floated a deep free-kick from the left which was met by an unmarked Liam Friend, who planted his header towards goal and Hadler clawed the ball away high to his right at his near-post.

Lovell said: “Tom was in the League One squad when I was at Gills. He saved that one and I thought Frendy was going to score it.  There was another one that got cleared off the line, I think it fell to Kane (Rowland), when I thought it was going in.”

Smith added: “Free header, that was disappointing. Awful from our perspective, really awful and Tom Hader does what I expect the best keeper in the league to do, a great save and not only, some people would save it but a great save, strong hand, cleared it out and he’s made it difficult for the onrushing players to deal with that, so really good save.”

Ramsgate sealed the deal with 15 minutes and 44 seconds, courtesy of a counter-attacking goal.

Jadama fed Parter, who drove over 60-yards down the left before reaching the channel before he cut the ball back beyond Taylor inside the penalty area and Green’s weak right-footed shot was blocked by Bexon’s legs. 

However, Green held his composure inside the box and worked the ball back to Martin, who bent his left-footed shot across the flat-footed Bexon to find the bottom far corner from 16-yards.

“It was a great goal from Marts. He picked his levels up in the second half.  I thought he weren’t at it in the first half, as we know he can be, but I thought second half him and Westy (Michael West) particularly picked it up,” added Smith.

Lovell said: “Again, it’s the follow-up. We do the first thing but then the second thing we’ve got people in places to react to the second ball.  Josh has made the save, someone has got to be in the position to help him out.

“That came from us losing the ball in midfield again. I thought we worked really hard, especially first half on the defensive shape but I felt when we had the ball we didn’t use it well as we should’ve done and that was disappointing.”

An unmarked Martin cut in from the left before cracking a right-footed drive from 25-yards, which was comfortably held by Bexon at head height in the 65^th minute, as Ramsgate continued their control of the game.

Ramsgate striker Taylor had late chances to add to his goalscoring tally since his move from Isthmian League Premier Division side Lewes in the summer.

Taylor tried to steer his shot in from a tight angle, which Bexon did well to kick the ball away towards safety.

Referee Daniel Blades pulled out a yellow and then a red card for Pont (42:46) after Pont had lost the ball to Taylor down the flank and Pont pulled back the Ramsgate striker to prevent him potentially cutting into the penalty area.

“JT (Taylor) was getting beaten up, he was getting dragged all over the place,” said Smith.

“I’ve said it before, people underestimate how good he is.  People don’t give him the credit he deserves. He’s not a tap-in merchant. He does everything for the team. 

“I lost count how many times he held the ball up for us, or rolling people. He was taking three of them on at the end there when the game got stretched – he’s fantastic.”

Reflecting on the red-card decision, Smith replied: “It’s not Wrestling! I mean I thought it’s harsh on him (Pont) because he’s the one that got caught, if that makes sense, by a number of their players were doing it.”

Lovell gave his take on the decision to send Pont off.

“Well, it was.  He got caught on the ball and he’s lost it and Joe’s free on his way and he’s pulled him back, so yes, it definitely two yellows.”

Taylor skipped past the sliding Frankie Smith on the edge of the Herne Bay penalty area and reached the by-line but from a very tight angle his driven shot flashed along the goal-line and past the far post.

Herne Bay almost snatched an equaliser with 51:20 on the clock.

Substitute central midfielder Daniel Haastrup played the ball into striker Kane Rowland who bounced the ball over to substitute right-winger Sammi Takalobighashi (who’s father Mo played under Jim Ward for Ramsgate and Maidstone United).

Given plenty of space by Parter, Takalobighashi cut in and hit a left-footed drive from 25-yards, which was comfortably saved by Hadler at his near-post.

“He got it back on his left-foot and had a swing but it never troubled Tom in the goal really,” added Lovell.

“We huffed and puffed after that because with the 10 men we tried to throw men forward and made subs to try to freshen it up.

“Two-one is the same as 7-1 – you’ve lost the game – but the performance was very good and if we can work on and build on that, we’ll be fine.

“I thought this game is probably the best we’ve played all season and we didn’t get anything out of it, so it just shows you this league is wide open but we’ve got quality in the squad to make it better and win more games than we’re going to lose.

“Everybody is beating everybody, it’s an open league and it’s one that we’ve just got to keep working on and hopefully get the points that we need.”

The referee played 46:58 in the first half and 52:09 in the second.

Both sides are in FA Cup First Qualifying Round action on Saturday, with Herne Bay travelling to Redhill, while Ramsgate travel to Chatham Town.

Redhill sit in second-place in the Combined Counties League Premier Division South table with three wins out of three, three points behind leaders Farnham Town but with a game in hand.

Lovell said: “We played Bedfont Sports from the league below and they gave us a hard game at their place (1-1 draw, before winning the replay 3-0 at home), so they’re all hard games.  If the teams now turn up and they play well and we don’t, then it’s a tough game.

“I want to win every game, put in performances every game. The results will look after themselves.  Today you’re up against the best side, probably, in the league and we put up a good performance but we didn’t get anything out of the game and that’s disappointing.

“But it’s only three (league) games gone and 37 to go, so it’s going to be a long, hard season.”

Chatham Town, meanwhile, have reached the summit of the Isthmian League Premier Division for the first time, with five wins out of five.

“We’re underdogs – we won’t say that very often this season,” said Smith.

“We’ve got a lot to work on. Chatham are a good side, a top side. They were promoted last year.  It’s a free-hit as such. We won’t get many of them and I’m looking forward to going and testing ourselves.

“Six points over the Bank Holiday weekend (after beating Littlehampton Town at home 4-0 on Saturday), but we’ve got a lot to work on, a lot to work on for us to get to where we want to go.”

Smith has a budget that means Ramsgate must be challenging for and winning promotion at the end of the season.

“Absolutely, why wouldn’t there be pressure?  There’s pressure because internally I don’t do anything half-heartedly. I do it to win and a part of me, when I was offered the job at Ramsgate, a part of me was ‘no’ initially because I didn’t know if I could put my heart into it but it’s a fantastic club, fantastic people running the club.”

Three Bridges are the surprise early leaders in this division with eight points from four games, with Cray Valley (seven points from three); Chichester City (seven points from three); Hythe Town (six points from two) and Sevenoaks Town (six points from three) in the play-off zone.

Ramsgate are in sixth-place with six points from three, while Herne Bay lie in tenth-place with four points from their opening three league outings.

Herne Bay: Josh Bexon, Daniel Carrington (Finlay Whitton 79), Frankie Smith, Archie Burnett, Liam Friend, Harrison Pont, Gil Carvalho, Jacob Gilbert (Daniel Haastrup 79), Kane Rowland, Mobolaji Dawodu, Theo Osinfolarin (Sammi Takalobighashi 79).
Subs: Danny Walder, Harry Brown

Goal: Harrison Pont 3

Booked: Harrison Pont 44, Mobolaji Dawodu 67

Sent Off:  Harrison Pont 88

Ramsgate: Tom Hadler, Alfie Paxman, Jack Parter, Bode Anidugbe (Freddie Oliver 80), Daniel Johnson, Sinn’kaye Christie, Lee Martin, Michael West (Medy Elito 86), Joe Taylor, Tijan Jadama (Benedict Bioletti 68), Jordan Green.
Subs: Joe Ellul, Louie Procopi

Goals: Jordan Green 47, Lee Martin 61

Booked: Bode Anidugbe 51, Michael West 81, Jordan Green 90

Attendance: 1,039
Referee: Mr Daniel Blades
Assistants: Mr Christopher Cannon & Mr Marian Stoichitoiu