Ramsgate

1 - 2

AFC Hornchurch

Takalobigashi 4

H/T 1 - 2 Att.: 315

Ramsgate

AFC Hornchurch

RAMSGATE 1 HORNCHURCH 2
First match of the season, at sunny Ramsgate, a ground that until this season was in a time warp, but they have now added two small covered terraces behind each goal, the side remaining uncovered. No rain, that makes a change for Ramsgate. Bar packed solid with Urchins, most of whom were wearing the new strip. Home support hard to find. Pitch green and looking in very good condition.

Urchins, with Mark Goodfellow, Lee Hodges and Stefan Ball making their debuts, started confidently, Dean Green’s long pass from the half way line finding Simon Parker, who flicked on to Kris Lee, and his first time shot was well saved by Jack Delo. Ramsgate conceded the first of many free kicks, and Lee Hodges floated the ball across to Parker who nodded on to Kris Lee, who cut in and hammered the ball home for what would have been the opening goal, had not the linesman flagged for an offside that was seen by him alone. From the indirect free kick, Elliot Styles headed the ball out, and Pettit’s long throw found MOHAMED TAKALOBIGASHI, and he turned and cracked the ball home in the fourth minute, in what was Ramsgate’s first attacking move of the match.

Urchins came back strongly, Hodges taking another free kick, which Eastwood headed out, and Kris Lee headed back, just over the bar. Frank Curley was then brought down by Maxted, Hodges took the free kick, and Davis cleared from Parker. The ball was promptly played back up the field to Hodges who raced clear but was pulled back for offside. Curley was again the victim, this time being brought down by Dowley, who was booked, and Hodges took the free kick , and Laslett cleared. As pressure built up, Ramsgate looked more and more vulnerable, and Urchins levelled when Dean Green started the move, finding Lee Hodges, who played a long ball deep to SIMON PARKER, on the edge of the area, and Simon neatly lobbed the keeper to score.

Incessant pressure on the home defence was rewarded when Simon Parker took up the running, found DEAN GREEN out on the right wing, and Dean fired in a low shot which was a goal all the way. Ramsgate were rarely in the match as an attacking force, although a long throw from Pettit looked dangerous until Richard Goddard headed out, the ball falling to Lee Hodges who sent Kris Lee away, with the resultant shot skimming the post. Hodges again, out to Tomlinson, forward to Lee, whose shot rebounded off a defender. At the other end, a long clearance by Burton reached Schultz who moved forward and fired in a shot from the edge of the area, with Dale Brightly making an excellent diving save. Another free kick, Hodges once again the taker, saw him try and shot at goal and Jack Delo did well to save right under the bar. Mark Goodfellow then played a good pass out along the right side to Lee who made ground and his shot was inches over the bar.

Half time and a good first half performance, though played had frequently been stopped for the many free kicks, the referee appearing very lenient. No changes at the interval, and Urchins again set the pace, Goodfellow’s long throw finding John Purdie, onwards to Andy Tomlinson and inside to Kris Lee, whose shot was handled out for a corner, though not by the keeper. Loud appeals for the penalty were ignored, and Hodges took the corner, which saw Parker homing in, and Davis managed to get in a tackle as Simon was about to shoot.

Another Hodges corner was well held by Delo, and then both sides exchanged bookings, Andy Tomlinson first and Ben Laslett a minute later. Two minutes later came the most atrocious decision ever seen at Ramsgate. Elliot Styles was badly fouled inside the home half but play was waved on, and seconds later Frank Curley was hacked down by Takalobigashi, and both linesmen raced onto the pitch to tell the referee, who appeared to have missed everything, what happened. A long discussion ensued, Takalobigashi was called over, and a red card was the only possible decision. What did we get instead? Just a weakly waved yellow. Even the normally placid EastSide were furious. There was no justice. Or was there?

Hodges again, this time sending Lee down the left wing, but there was no one in the middle to touch home Kris’ centre. Styles to Curley, a long ball to Simon Parker, and his trademark lobbed shot just skimmed the crossbar, Ramsgate put their three substitutes on and Pettit’s long throw was cleared by Goddard, and back came the Urchins, with a long run by Curley who then found Parker, who cracked his shot inches wide of the post. A Hodges pass found Dean Green whose shot rebounded for a corner, and Stefan Ball came on for his debut, to replace Kris Lee, closely followed by Des Boateng, who replaced Lee Hodges who had come in for a good deal of close attention from the home team. Stefan Ball made a quick impression, breaking through the middle and firing the ball home, the goal being disallowed for offside, and then Ross Wall came on for Simon Parker. Ball made a long run on the right, leaving the defenders trailing, and his cross found Wall, who could not control the awkwardly bouncing ball. The referee signalled five minutes stoppage time, and Ramsgate piled forward, and one minute into stoppage time the referee awarded a penalty, after allowing play to continue for several seconds before taking notice of the linesman. The decision was not a popular one with the away following, as there was no foul and the referee was a lot closer than the linesman, and to add insult to injury, it was Mohamed Tokalobigishi, who should not have been on the field, had the referee correctly awarded a red earlier on, who stepped up to take the kick. Justice was done when Dale Brightly dived to his left to save the shot, and then blocked the follow up shot, with John Purdie clearing the second follow up off the line. Up the field came the Urchins, Boateng to Wall and back again, with Des Boateng being pulled back to offside. Seven minutes into the five minutes of stoppages, and another throw in, everyone came up, even the home keeper, and Pettit hurled the ball into the goalmouth, where Dale Brightly calmly caught the ball, played it upfield, just as the final whistle went.

An excellent all round performance, a perfectly good goal disallowed for offside, three other near misses, and 150 Urchins went home happy.

Ramsgate

AFC Hornchurch