Ramsgate 3 Dover Athletic 2 THE RAMS ARE GOING UP!!!

A crowd of 1121 saw Jim Ward’s men clinch automatic promotion and if they avoid defeat at home to Ashford Town next Saturday they will go up as DESERVED CHAMPIONS.

“What a day for Ramsgate Football Club,” said manager Jim Ward with a massive smile on his face after this enthralling East Kent derby.

“The biggest favourite that Ryman Division One have seen for a lot of years, Dover, I along with everyone else fancied Dover to run away with the league at the start of the season, well, with a couple of games left, Ramsgate are five points clear.”

Ramsgate came close to opening the scoring after just four minutes when Michael Yianni’s right-footed free kick from the left touchline was met by Ollie Schulz at the far post, whose header clipped the roof of the net.

Dover’s top-scorer Craig Wilkins had three good early chances with headers, that either flew over or wide of the target following corners from Lee Spiller and James Rogers.

But as news filtered through that Cray Wanderers had taken the lead against Tonbridge Angels, Ramsgate had their first chance on 18 minutes.

Stuart Vahid’s 18-yard shot took a deflection of Whites’ defender Daniel Braithwaite - who was later stretchered off with a knee injury - and bounced off the top of Darren Smith’s crossbar.

Good defending from Dover defender Craig Cloke denied Warren Schulz a shot on goal, coming across to nick the ball of the Rams defender as he latched onto Yianni’s through ball.

Play was held up as a dog raced onto the pitch after 28 minutes - upsetting Dover officials.

And Warren Schulz tested Smith was a 30-yard volley after Dean Hill’s long throw was cleared into his path as play was allowed to continue after a steward stopped the intruder.

But Dover took the lead after 31 minutes thanks to Cloke’s fourth goal of the season. Danny Chapman sent a right-footed free kick from the centre circle for Cloke to send a looping header over Jurgen Wild and into the net.

Rams assistant manager Danny Ward was banished to the stand three minutes later following an incident with Dover skipper Spiller when he was allegedly poked in the eye by the Whites midfielder right in front of the Rams dugout.

But Stuart Vahid’s eleventh goal of the season brought Ramsgate level six minutes before half-time.

Yianni’s corner - their third of the game - was met by the right-sided midfielder - heading into the bottom left hand corner from four yards.

With Horsham winning 2-1 against Burgess Hill Town and Cray Wanderers beating Tonbridge Angels 2-0, Ramsgate went close on the stroke of half time when Edd Vahid ghosted in at the far post to head James Gregory’s cross into Smith’s grateful arms.

James Dryden’s 25^th goal of the season (his sixth for Dover) gave Dover a half-time lead - almost five minutes into stoppage time.

Latching onto Wilkins’ ball into the box the former Folkestone Invicta striker nipped in and shot across goal from an acute angle to find the far corner in of the foot of the far post. A typical goal from the striker starting only his second game in four months after a lengthy injury.

With just one goal to his name all season, Ben Laslett doubled that amount when he drove Rams level just 65 seconds after the re-start, with a left-footed drive from 20-yards that found the bottom right hand corner.

Dryden went close with a left-footed free kick from 22-yards that bounced off the top of the Ramsgate crossbar after 51 minutes.

Rogers’ left-footed free kick was met by Nick Humphrey, who headed high above the Ramsgate crossbar.

Dover midfielder Chapman gifted the Thanet side a 63^rd minute corner, heading Wild’s clearance behind.

But Dean Hill came up from the back to head Yianni’s corner over the bar.

However, Smith, who went 498 minutes before conceding a goal, gifted Ramsgate what turned out to be the winner after 65 minutes.

The former Chelmsford City and Heybridge Swifts goalkeeper, who joined the Crabble club last April, allowed Shaun Welford’s long throw bounce over his head and Stuart Vahid reacted to nod the ball into the net from on the goalline.