Our last five games of the season are difficult, says Ramsgate boss Jim Ward

Sunday 03rd April 2011

RAMSGATE midfielder Mitchell Sherwood says the Kent Senior Cup is keeping their season alive, writes Stephen McCartney.

The Rams welcome Dartford in the semi-finals at Southwood Stadium on Tuesday night, with the winners meeting higher-league Cray Wanderers or Bromley in the Final.

“It will be a great test for us on Tuesday,” said the 24-year-old former Ashford Town midfielder.

“They won’t like coming down to Ramsgate on a Tuesday night and obviously we haven’t got much to play for at the minute. This is what’s left so it will be a great game for us to test ourselves and get amongst them and see what they fancy on the night.”

The Rams were controversially beaten 2-0 by third-from-bottom Corinthian-Casuals at the weekend, a result that puts them out of the play-off picture in Ryman League Division One South.

Dartford, in eleventh place in Blue Square Bet South, with 12 wins, 12 draws and 12 defeats, came away from second-from-bottom St Albans City with a 2-1 win yesterday, courtesy of goals from Lee Burns and Jack Pallen, which mathematically maintained their league status for next season.

Sherwood warned Tony Burman’s side that the Rams will make it a rough night for them.

“We’ll get amongst them, put a few challenges in and ruffle a few feathers,” he added.

Reflecting on yesterday’s disappointing defeat in Tolworth, Sherwood admitted referee Mark Mellor made a mistake in penalising Ollie Gray for an alleged pull on substitute Joel Thompson at the death.

Gray was red-carded for the alleged offence (which no-one in the ground saw) and Liam Quinn was issued with a yellow and a swift red for dissent towards the Hemel Hempstead based referee.

“I think the referee’s got it a bit wrong in a way,” said Sherwood. “I didn’t see a pull, I don’t know what it was for but apparently he pulled it but the guy (Thompson) got up and had a shot and it’s gone wide - so in my eyes it’s the end of it and you move on. They’ve had the advantage and he’s missed it so you move on but obviously he’s (the referee) pulled it back and he’s sent two of our guys off in the process as well.”

Sherwood rued a couple of chances that he had, as Ramsgate couldn’t beat goalkeeper Danny Bracken, who was playing his first game in eighteen and struggled with taking goal-kicks, leaving Darren Chalke to take them.

“I think it was just a bit flat from the beginning really, but I thought we had enough chances,” reflected a disappointed Sherwood.

“I missed a couple and we had a goal disallowed. We gave away a sloppy goal from a set-piece and we were chasing it from there really, so it was just a bit frustrating but it’s one of those things.

“We were obviously chasing the play-off’s, knowing that we needed to win the game and chase it down. When they went two (players) up front we still wanted to try and win it so when they snatched the one it was a chase from there.

“The disallowed goal killed us a little bit.”

Sherwood added: “I think we’ve been approaching every game with confidence. No disrespect to Corinthian’s, we knew they were unbeaten in four in recent games so we knew it would be a tough game, but we wanted to come here and win.

“It’s hard to put a finger on it really because we had our chances and I think we dominated all of the game so it’s a bit frustrating.”

Ramsgate slipped down one place into eight with 55 points from 38 games - five points behind fifth-placed Burgess Hill Town, who have two games in hand.

Sherwood was asked whether the Rams can grab a play-off place.

“Before today it was doubtful,” he admitted. “I don’t know what the results were today but we were two (points) behind and they had two games in hand as well, so I don’t know. But it’s doubtful, I think.”

Manager Jim Ward admitted his opposite number (Tony Burman) at Princes Park has more at his disposal at Princes Park.

He said: “He needs to win something. He’s got a big enough quad to play half his first team to still be a first team. He’ll come down and they’ll give it a go won’t they?”

Ramsgate have four league games remaining, at home to big-spending Whitehawk on Saturday, then away to Worthing (23 April), at home to Whitstable Town (25 April) and finishing with a trip to Burgess Hill Town on 30 April.

“All difficult, aren’t they?” said Ward. “Whitstable are fighting for their lives. The last four games are really difficult - the last five. We’ve got a Conference (South) side and then we’ve got a couple of teams at the top (Whitehawk and Burgess Hill) and we’ve got really nothing to play for so it’s difficult, but we’ll give it a go, don’t worry about that.”

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

Ramsgate v Dartford

Kent Senior Cup Semi-Final

Tuesday 5th April 2011

Kick Off 7:45pm

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