Our league position doesn't make good reading, admits Rams boss Jim Ward

Monday 01st November 2010

RAMSGATE boss Jim Ward goes into Tuesday night’s home clash against unbeaten side Metropolitan Police, admitting their league position doesn’t make good reading, writes Stephen McCartney.

The Rams came away from Brighton on the back of a 4-2 defeat away to big-budget side Whitehawk at the weekend and look to bounce back against second-placed Metropolitan Police.

The East Molesey based outfit have only played nine league games, following their run in the FA Cup, which was ended by Hendon in a Fourth Qualifying Round replay last week, but they won all of their first eight league games before dropping points for the first time, when Paul Foley’s Chatham Town side came away from Imber Court with a point in a 2-2 draw at the weekend.

“It was a good game,” Ward told www.kentishfootball.co.uk. “They’re a decent side. In my opinion they will be top three. I think it will be them, Leatherhead and Metropolitan Police, who will be everybody’s choice for the top three.”

Reflecting on his side’s seventh league defeat of the season, Ward said: “We more than matched them for an hour and on other days we would have won the game.

“But Tom Tsangarides, who has been flying for us, he pulled his thigh and that didn’t help at all. He had to go off early doors and we just lost that bit of the zip that Tom gives us, but having said that we still took the game to them and we had plenty of chances, plenty of the ball.

“Their keeper made three great saves - 4-2 flattered them! It looked like a draw, but it wasn’t to be!”

Ward wants his side to become the first to beat the Boys in Blue when they visit Southwood Stadium on Tuesday night - but it’s not going to be easy.

“We think we’re as good as everybody else in this league, we keep saying it,” said Ward.

“We will take the game to them on Tuesday night and see what we will get out of it but we will be positive.

“They have got one of the best teams in the league. They’re a team full of experienced players so they’ve got a decent side. There’s no surprise that they went on an eight-game winning streak and are uneaten in nine.”

When asked whether he thinks Metropolitan Police are suffering from a FA Cup hangover, Ward replied, “Other teams have done that and all of a sudden it’s how they deal with the hiccup and it’s how they deal with the hiccup. They drew on Saturday so let’s see how they cope tomorrow night.”

But Ward warned: “Maybe they’ve already got that (hangover) out of the way so we know it’s a stiff task tomorrow night.”

Faversham Town visit Southwood Stadium on Saturday, sitting a couple of places above the Rams in fifteenth place and Ward is expecting a tough game.

He said: “It’s another one, they’re full of good players, they’re going well and consolidating themselves in this division, which is no doubt what they felt they had to do. They would have taken midtable at the end of last season after coming out of the Kent League.

“It’s a local derby, they’re probably the closest to us along with Whitstable, so it will be hard fought, no quarter asked, no quarter given so let’s hope it’s an exciting game and let’s hope the crowd are there.”

When asked about his club’s fan-base, Ward said: “We average about 180. We’re one of the best supported club’s in the division. We’re in the top six. We want to give the fans something a bit more to sing for without a doubt.”

Ramsgate are only five points above the relegation zone and Ward said: “Well, it doesn’t make good reading, we know that!

“We got beat on Saturday to a very strong Whitehawk side and we won two games before that so we need to get back to winning games.

“Our next three games are very difficult, they don’t come any more difficult. But we’re at home but we’ve got to target as many points as we can.”

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

Ramsgate v Metropolitan Police

Ryman League Division One South

Tuesday 2nd November 2010

Kick Off 7:45pm

At Southwood Stadium, Prices Avenue, Ramsgate, Kent CT11 0AN