Chatham Town 0-1 Ramsgate - Mills takes the plaudits

"What can we do" he bemoaned to www.kentishfootball.co.uk afterwards.  "It was a typical Kent derby where whoever scores first wins - we had some real good chances to win a game of football but didn't take them - they had one chance which was saved; then blocked before the fella followed up to score. 

“I'm sure they're extremely happy with three points, especially as their keeper who was drafted in last minute, undoubtedly was the difference between the sides, and kept them in it first half."
 
Ramsgate boss Jim Ward on the other hand was naturally delighted with his sides win. 

He told www.kentishfootball.co.uk:  "The boys were superb tonight!  It was horrible conditions - Our keeper got lost in traffic (how he finished up on the Gillingham Business Park is beyond me) and we had to play under 18 keeper in - not saying he won the game fro us but he made two or three fantastic saves in the first half (on in particular from Richard Avery's header) - I'm well pleased for the boy but he probably wont be on the bench on Saturday - but that's football! 
 
In swirling conditions and at times in torrential rain, both sides produced an entertaining and compelling spectacle and you had to feel for the home side, who did enough to at least warrant a point. 

But then they couldn't find away past an inspired Mills, who all-round display for someone so young was very impressive.
 
The home side created the first chance of the game on 16 minutes when Stefan Gaisie sprinted clear down the right only for his driven cross to be just too far in front of two lunging colleagues as the ball whistled across the face of goal. 

Four minutes later, the former Welling man took advantage of Jason Dolby's slip to play in Brendon Cass, but the Chats top scorer was denied by a wonderful block by Mills who deserved the luck he got as the ball ballooned off the keeper onto the post and behind for a corner. 

Lee Barnett was next to test the young keeper with a low skidding shot that Mills did well to move smartly to his right to save, before came the young keepers save of the night. 

It came of 32 minutes when Ashley Probets corner found Avery's head, and the Chatham skipper saw his fine downward header brilliant pushed round the right post.

As the home side strode forward desperately trying to find the first goal, Cass had a shot well saved by mills before in stoppage time, with their first real penetrating attack the visitors should have taken the lead. 

James Gregory's cross from the left was missed by Warren Schulz on the six yard line, only for substitute Tsangarides (on for the unlucky Simon Pettit) glanced a free unmarked header wide of the far post from no more than four yards out!
 
The second half began in a similar was to the first with Gaisie wriggling clear only to be denied by another fine block by Mills. 

With the home side seemingly beginning to run out of ideas, you felt that the door could be opening for Ramsgate - and so it proved on 74 minutes, when Tsangarides struck the games only goal. 

Barnett's attempted clearance once succeeded in flying towards his own penalty area.  Kenny Pratt reacted quickest and his looping header was brilliantly turned onto the post by a full length Dean Ruddy. 

As the ball rebounded Avery did magnificently to block Andy Hadden's shot, but as the ball ricocheted around the home area, it eventually fell to Tsangarides who poked the ball home.
 
From then on there was only ever going to be one winner, and so it proved as referee McCoy (who had an impressive evening himself) blew the final whistle. 

A short time later, Ward admitted that this could be the start that his side have been looking for. 

He said: "Good performances tonight but still not enough quality - I'm pleased, three points keeps us ticking along nicely.  We've got a decent squad - cover in all departments, and we'll see if we can keep ticking along and try to get that elusive fifth spot."

For O'Brien however, this was Chatham's fifth league game without a win and their fourth defeat on the trot. 

He admitted: "Yes I'm down at the moment but only because I saw this as an opportunity to get our run going - Lew and I aren't used to losing spells - I've spoken to some experienced people in the game, and they've all said that runs like this happen, and there will be a turning point, but because we're young and perhaps a little bit naive, I'm looking for that corner - the way we set our stall out and the ways the boys pressed and played is a good sign we didn't once roll over, we just need to take a couple of the chances we create and we'll be back firing I'm sure."

"If you look at the games in the losing streak there have been stages where we've beaten ourselves - 3-0 down at Whyteleafe by half time speaks for itself - here against (Corinthian) Casuals you back off and give people chance to shoot from 20 yards with the wind behind them they're always going to score goals and its little silly things like that that have cost us if you like, but tonight we defended well from set plays which is good - the only thing I'm down about is that we come away with nothing because we haven't taken our chances."
 
Chatham Town: Dean Ruddy, Ray Powell, Ashley probets, John Wilfort, Richard Avery, Ben Payne, Matt Solly, Jim Lyons, Brendon Cass, Lee Barnett, Stefan Gaisie (Justin Ascheri 88).
Subs: David Hall, Mark Green, Michael Scott, Richard Stroud
 
Booked: John Wilfort 84

Ramsgate: Brett Mills, Andy Hadden, James Gregory, Jason Dolby, Will Graham, Ben Laslett, Liam Quinn (Curtis Winnett 70), Warren Schulz, Gary Mickelborough (Kenny Pratt 70), Rhys Lawson, Simon Pettit (Tom Tsangarides 31).
Subs: Ollie Gray, Gary Lockyer
 
Booked: Will Graham 64, Warren Schulz 67
 
Goal: Tom Tsangarides 74
 
Attendance 133
Referee: Mr Mick McCoy (Worthing, West Sussex)
Assistants: Mr Richard Joss & Mr M Marsh