Corinthian-Casuals 2-0 Ramsgate - We lacked a bit of quality, admits Ramsgate boss Jim Ward

Saturday 02nd April 2011

CORINTHIAN-CASUALS 2-0 RAMSGATE
Ryman League Division One South
Saturday 2nd April 2011
Stephen McCartney reports from King Georges Field

RAMSGATE boss Jim Ward was incensed after his side suffered a controversial defeat away to relegation threatened side Corinthian-Casuals.

Ramsgate, who went into the game on a good run of form, with only one defeat in fifteen games, were in complete control of the game for 80 minutes - but third-from-bottom Corinthian-Casuals completed a two-goal smash-and-grab raid to leapfrog over Whitstable Town into nineteenth place in the Ryman League Division One South table with only five games to go.

The Tolworth-based hosts went into this game on a four match unbeaten run, keeping two clean sheets in the process, but it was hard to stomach that such a poor side had snatched the three points.

Brian Adamson played a negative 4-5-1 formation with lone striker James Cottee trying to pick up any scraps, but the Corinthian-Casuals boss pulled off a master-stroke when he brought on Carlton Murray-Price and Joel Thompson for the final eighteen minutes and the hosts snatched an unlikely victory at the death.

Central defender Scott Hassell slammed home his fourth goal of the season following a 81st minute corner, which was only their third attempt on target.

Ramsgate then had a goal ruled out for offside, when substitute Simon Pettit thought he headed the ball over the line from close range.

But referee Mark Mellor was to be the April Fool when he controversially gifted Corinthian-Casuals their second goal in the fourth minute of stoppage time.

Giant striker Thompson out-muscled Ollie Gray inside the penalty box - and with only goalkeeper Jack Smelt to beat - he clipped a right-footed half-volley inches wide, before the Hemel Hempstead based referee pointed to the spot, sent Gray off for a professional four for being the last man, and then gave his central defensive partner Liam Quinn a yellow and then within a couple of seconds a red card, for dissent.

Sam Robinson stepped up and emphatically rifled the resulting penalty high into the roof of the net, but Ward was fuming.

These comments weren’t a lack of “Respect” towards the referee, just pointing out that Mr Mellor cocked up.

“Ollie reckons he never pulled him back,” insisted Ward. “Nobody in the crowd, none of their players appealed for it. Ollie gets sent off then Quinny gets sent off for dissent. What’s all that about?

“There was only one bad tackle in the whole game and the referee bottled that in the first half. Their captain (Jason Turley) cuts Curtis Winnett in half, Curtis had to leave the pitch at the start of the second half. Now if that’s not more than a sending off than what he deemed pulling a player back, I just don’t know what it’s coming to!

“Respect and all that, but that’s shocking! I’ve had two players sent off in a game where there’s one bad tackle. I don’t understand it. I really don’t!”

If The Football Association are trying to clean up the game to stamp out abuse from players then why do referee’s NEVER red-card Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney for hurling vitriol towards match officials in the Premier League - or in today’s case a F-word rant in front of a television camera when broadcasting live to millions of children who look up to him as a role model - but it’s ok to send off a 24-year-old Ramsgate player called Liam Quinn in front of 101 fans in the Ryman League Division One South?

Manager’s live and die by their decisions, and if they make too many, they lose their jobs. They face the press after their games. Respect is a two-way thing and The Football Association must ask referee’s face the waiting media after games (even in the Ryman League) to discuss any key decisions during their games.

Then everyone from Ramsgate might understand why he awarded a penalty, which was such a bizarre decision, you thought it was a late April Fool’s Joke!

Ramsgate keeper Jack Smelt was awarded the Goalkeeper of the Month Award for March and he made his first save of the game after just 52 seconds, catching Dave Hodges’ shot after he was released down the left.

Danny Bracken, who was making his first appearance in eighteen games, was struggling with kicking and he left goal-kicking duties to Darren Chalke.

But Bracken made a smart low save to his right inside the opening ten minutes, as Ramsgate spread the ball from right to left.

Ben Laslett flicked the ball to Mitchell Sherwood on the edge of the box and the winger cut the ball back to James Gregory (one of three central defenders during the first half), who swept a left-footed shot across the keeper, who prevented the ball finding the bottom far corner.

Ramsgate squandered a better chance half-way through the half when striker Mark Lovell cut in from the right and struck a half-volley past the far post with the outside of his right-boot.

Despite his troubles, Bracken kept his side in the game, by making a couple of saves after the half-hour mark.

Lovell was released down the right and he whipped in an excellent cross with his right-foot which was knocked down by Vahid for Sherwood, who cracked a low right-footed drive, which was blocked by the keeper’s legs at his near post.

Bracken then thwarted Beech scoring with a right-footed drive after Sherwood cut inside right-back Tom Williams and his low cross was cleared out to the Ramsgate midfielder, who was lurking on the edge of the penalty box.

The home side lacked any killer instinct in the final third. Chalke escaped handball shouts before playing the ball over the top of the Ramsgate defence for Jamal Carr (the nippy winger shrugged off Gray’s attentions), who swept a left-footed shot wide.

Ramsgate ended the first half well on top and Bracken made yet another save on the stroke of half-time.

Sherwood and Lovell - who have played together at Sittingbourne and Ashford Town - linked up brilliantly down the left and Sherwood released Lovell down the left and after cutting into the box his right-footed curler was beaten away by the diving keeper.

The second half, however, was a disappointment.

Ryan Harker, who came off the bench to replace Curtis Winnett, who injured his ankle and shin after a lunge from combative home skipper, central midfielder Jason Turley, gifted the ball to Glen Boosey, who skied his shot high and wide after he only had Smelt to beat.

Sherwood squandered a chance after he was released down the inside right channel, but his angled shot bounced agonisingly wide of the foot of the far post.

Boosey - who played in behind Cottee - curled a right-footed shot over the top of the far post when he was presented with the ball on the edge of the D.

A rare attempt on target arrived for the home side after 70 minutes when Hassell floated a free-kick from the right towards the far post and his defensive partner Chalke out jumped Warren Schulz, but the ball comfortably bounced into Smelt’s hands.

Another Ramsgate shot reigned in towards the Corinthian-Casuals goal five minutes later. Sherwood cut a corner back to skipper Ben Laslett, who whipped in a cross which found Lovell, who hooked a right-footed shot towards goal from the corner of the box, but the ball bounced off Vahid’s head and looped over.

Cottee and Boosey were then withdrawn and the home side switched their formation to 4-4-2 and that switch ultimately won them the game.

Corinthian-Casuals grabbed the lead with nine minutes left, following a set-piece from the left.

Robinson swung in a right-footed corner, which was palmed away by Smelt from underneath his own crossbar and the ball dropped invitingly for Hassell to slam a low right-footed shot across the keeper and into the bottom far corner from a tight angle.

Ward said: “They didn’t look like scoring, even when they brought the lads on, they didn’t look like scoring.

“They’ve scored from a set-piece, the lad got away at the far post and we should’ve defended better.”

A blunder from Pettit cost Ramsgate an equaliser just three minutes later.

Sherwood whipped in a corner from the right, which had Bracken flapping at the ball and the ball dropped to Gray, who sent an over-head kick bouncing towards the corner of the net, but Pettit glanced the ball over the line from a yard out - from an offside position.

Ward said: “It was going in, but Pettit’s gone in and put his head in the way and he’s been given for offside. Whether it was or not, I don’t know.”

But the controversy came in the third minute of stoppage time.

Bracken launched a kick up field from out of his hands and the ball bounced over the Ramsgate back four and Thompson out-muscled Gray and clipped a right-footed half-volley, which he tried to curl in to the far corner, just past the far post.

But to the bewilderment of the crowd, the referee awarded a penalty - despite no appeals and produced cards to Gray (red), Quinn (yellow, then red) and Pettit (yellow).

Robinson gave the diving Smelt no chance as he blasted a right-footed penalty into the roof of the net with 49:25 on the clock.

The final whistle brought ugly scenes, with players in pink and chocolate pulling away their team-mate, substitute Mario Quiassala as both sets of players came together and Lovell was issued with a yellow card before the players walked off the lush playing surface.

Ward added: “The referee’s had a decent game. There’s been nothing in the whole game and I’ve had two players’ sent off, who are going to miss crucial games at the end of the season. Disappointed for the officials’, I thought they were better than that!”

Ward admitted his side’s play-off hopes ended today, despite four league games remaining, against Whitehawk, Worthing, Whitstable Town and Burgess Hill Town.

“It’s a funny old game, football,” said Ward. “For the last 15 games we’ve battled and battled and battled and got a bit of quality and all that and today we lacked a bit of quality.

“I can’t knock my lads for not trying but they’re the worst team we’ve played since Christmas and we’ve gone and got beat two-nil.

“It’s a game we had to win. We’ve been on a great run, losing one game in 15. We’ve made some good chances today, we’ve probably created as many chances, certainly as many chances we’ve created in some other games.

“The keeper’s pulled off a great save and we’ve missed the target and when we do score, he’s adjudged to be given offside.”

Ward added: “I’ve said all along, it was very nearly impossible to get in the play-off’s. We’ve enjoyed our run. It’s been good fun. It’s time to start another mini-run until the end of the season.

“We’ve got players in there that are disappointed, but we’ve got a massive game on Tuesday night against Dartford (in the semi-finals of the Kent Senior Cup).”

Corinthian-Casuals: Danny Bracken, Tom Williams, Byron Brown, Darren Chalke, Scott Hassell, Jason Turley, Jamal Carr (Mario Quiassala 80), Sam Robinson, James Cottee (Carlton Murray-Price 72), Glen Boosey (Joel Thompson 72), David Hodges.

Sub: Wayne Finnie.

Goals: Scott Hassell 81, Sam Robinson 90 (pen)

Booked: Jason Turley 33, Tom Williams 87

Ramsgate: Jack Smelt, Curtis Winnett (Ryan Harker 53), James Gregory, Ollie Gray, Liam Quinn, Ben Laslett, Mitchell Sherwood, Warren Schulz, Mark Lovell, Aaron Beech (Simon Pettit 72), Stuart Vahid (Joe Taylor 83).

Subs: Luke Wheatley, Brett Mills.

Booked: Stuart Vahid 77, Liam Quinn 90, Mark Lovell 90

Sent Off: Ollie Gray 90, Liam Quinn 90

Attendance: 101

Referee: Mr Mark Mellor (Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire)

Assistants: Mr Paul O’Hare (High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire) & Mr Steven Borham (Bracknell, Berkshire)