I'm happy with the players we've got but need to start picking up points, says Jim Ward

Thursday 14th October 2010

RAMSGATE boss Jim Ward hopes a good old fashioned English breakfast will help his side knock Arlesey Town out of the FA Carlsberg Trophy on Saturday, writes Stephen McCartney.

All but two of his squad will meet at Southwood Stadium on Saturday morning for breakfast before jumping on the coach to play the Bedfordshire outfit in the First Qualifying Round.

Arlesey are currently in third place in the Zamaretto Division One Central and are unbeaten on home soil, whilst the Rams are suffering in the bottom six of the Ryman League Division One South.

“We’ve got Arlesey, who by all accounts are a very good side,” Ward told www.kentishfootball.co.uk ahead of their 242 mile round trip.

“It’s a long journey for us, we’re leaving at half-past-ten on Saturday morning so we’ve got all the players coming in for breakfast at the club and we’re able to do that now because except for Mark Lovell and Mitchell Sherwood, everyone else lives in Thanet so we’re all coming down for breakfast before we get on the coach. We’re going to pick Mark and Mitchell up at Medway services.”

When asked what he knows about their opponents, Ward said: “We’ll they don’t let many in and they don’t score many, so it’s going to be a dour old game.

“It’s the FA Trophy, we had a good run in it last year when we got to the last qualifying round and nearly made the first round but got put out by (Blue Square Bet South side) Bishop’s Stortford, which was a really good achievement for us.”

Ward admitted it’s “strange” that his side are struggling towards the wrong end of the league table after ten league games.

“It’s a strange one, I’m not rushing around trying to sign players, although I’ve signed Simon Pettit back this week from Maidstone, because I feel we don’t need anybody and we can’t put points on the board,” he said.

“We held our own against a very good Tonbridge side on Tuesday night (losing 2-0 away from home in the Championship Manager Cup), on other night’s we might have nicked a draw.

Pettit returns to Southwood Stadium following a miserable spell at Maidstone United, a side that are rooted to the foot of the Ryman Premier League table.

Ward added: “He phoned me up and asked me to come. He’s always been my player and he’s a good player and we need a bit of steel and he’s good in the changing room.

“I’m not rushing out for centre halves, or midfield players or forwards or anything. I’m happy with what I’ve got but we’ve not got enough points on the board to justify what I’ve just said.”

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

Arlesey Town v Ramsgate

FA Carlsberg Trophy First Qualifying Round

Saturday 16th October 2010

Kick Off 3:00pm

At Armadillo Stadium, Hitchin Road, Arlesey, Bedfordshire SG15 6RS