lymington261105

Quick fire Rams make long trip worthwhile

This was never going to be an easy game, as Lymington & New Milton’s recent results prove, having disposed of highflying Horsham 3-1 in their previous home match, writes John Vahid.

However, Ramsgate came away from the cold and windy New Forest with a well-deserved win that should certainly have been over as a contest in the first fifteen minutes.

Within the first minute, midfielder Stuart Vahid blasted just over the bar from outside the box, after being put clean through by Steffan Ball with just the ‘keeper to beat.

The onslaught continued and in the 5^th minute a telling cross from the right wing was met on the far post by Shaun Welford, whose cheeky back flick found Sam Denly on the near post to tap in for his second goal in as many games after joining from Kent League side Herne Bay.

And with only seven minutes on the clock Ramsgate were two up when Stuart Vahid received the ball on the left-hand side of midfield, beat two defenders, sending the ball hard and low along the Lymington goal line and off unfortunate defender Peter Smith into the home goal.

It wasn’t until the 23^rd minute that the home side tested Danny Tywman, through Linnets’ captain Darren Powell’s 30-yard free kick.

The rest of the first half was dominated by Ramsgate, and in particular Ben Laslett who ran the midfield. Once again the visitors could easily have increased their lead, denied by an over-zealous assistant who ruled a Welford goal offside, with other chances wasted by Ollie and Warren Schulz and Edd Vahid.

Man of the match Laslett ran the show in the centre of the park as the home side’s attacks were broken down, whose determination turned defence into attack, allowing the wide midfielders to constantly run at the home defence and cross dangerous balls into the opponent’s box.  At half time Ramsgate went in two goals to the good, which in reality should have been three or four.

At the start of the second half, Simon Pettit came on to replace Steffan Ball (dead leg) and Ramsgate continued as they left off in the first half, putting pressure on the home defence.

In the 49^th minute Welford received the ball in the centre of midfield, headed on to Stuart Vahid, who calmly chested the ball down and drilled it low past the home ‘keeper into the bottom right-hand corner of the net to give the Rams a three goal lead and end the game as a contest.

In the 58^th minute a rare raid by the home side saw the ball cleared off the line by defender Ollie Schulz, whilst three minutes later midfielder Lee Minshull replaced Schulz who was struggling with a knee injury.

The Vahid brothers linked well in the 70^th minute, when defender Edd’s long diagonal pass found Stuart, whose shot was well saved by the home ‘keeper, and the resulting corner by James Gregory sailed just over the bar. A minute later Laslett, hoping for his first goal for the Rams, saw his bullet of a shot well saved by Watson in the home goal.

With fifteen minutes remaining the home side began to press and made a few useful runs and crosses into the Ramsgate area, only to be denied on a number of occasions by goalkeeper Twyman.

In the 80^th minute the Linnets keeper was lucky still to be on the pitch when he picked up a blatant back pass from his defender eight yards from goal.  The resulting free kick was cleared of the goal line for another corner. A minute later David Cory replaced Gregory at left midfield and with six minutes to go, Shaun Welford was again denied what appeared to be a perfectly good goal by a second strange offside decision from the same assistant referee.

At the final whistle Ramsgate were notable winners, making the long 340-mile round journey all worthwhile, with another three points in the bag.

Ramsgate: D.Twyman; E.Vahid; J.Gregory (D.Cory 81); L.Morris; O.Schulz (L.Minshull 61); B. Laslett; S.Vahid: W. Schulz; S.Welford; S.Ball (S.Pettit 46); S.Denly   Subs not used:  M. Munday & S. Suter

Attendance: 115