Kentish Football 
Dulwich Hamlet 2-4 Ramsgate - Zack Thomas is a name to be remembered, says Jim Ward
Tuesday 11th January 2011
DULWICH HAMLET 2-4 RAMSGATE
Ryman League Division One South
Tuesday 11th January 2011
Stephen McCartney reports from Champion Hill Stadium
RAMSGATE boss Jim Ward unearthed yet another Sunday League gem in striker Zack Thomas - as the Thanet side’s largest away win of the season moved them up a couple of places into eleventh spot - just six points adrift of fifth place.
The Rams got off to a flying start in south London as they took the lead through Mark Lovell’s early penalty, before Dulwich Hamlet responded as Junior Kadi marked his 100th appearance for the club with a quality free-kick.
The third goal of the game arrived in the 12th minute through Warren Schulz and the Ramsgate star gave the visitors’ a two-goal advantage later on before Dulwich Hamlet pulled a goal back just before the break through David Moore’s header.
But 24-year-old Thomas, who had earlier replaced Lovell, finished off a fine slick move to wrap up the points with the only goal of the second half with eighteen minutes of a pulsating game remaining, as Ramsgate stretched their unbeaten run to three games since the turn of the New Year.
“We knew what we were coming up against when we came up here and they also played a couple of fella’s who I didn’t expect them to play,” Ward said afterwards.
“Junior Kadi has been a great player for a lot of years and the free-kick he took and planted in the top corner was a great goal and he controlled a lot of their play, but of course he’s not the youngest in the world and we got around him and I thought we controlled midfield with Quinny (Liam Quinn) and (Ben) Laslett, who really took control in there.
“I thought the two wide men were excellent, I thought (Aaron) Beech and (Paul) Axon caused them all sorts of trouble, especially for the fourth goal. Well, that will be close to goal of the season any place and the guy that tapped it in, Zack Thomas, he is a Sunday morning player. We’ve nicked him out of Sunday morning, we’re having a good look at the boy and he can play.
“It’s a name that’s got to be remembered, Zack Thomas.”
Dulwich Hamlet’s goalkeeper Stuart Robinson, who measures six foot eight, was called into action to save Lovell’s shot on the turn with only 35 seconds on the clock, before the former Ashford Town striker gave Ramsgate the lead after being sent crashing to the ground following Kalvin Morath-Gibb’s penalty box challenge.
Lovell stepped up and smashed a fierce right-footed penalty straight down the middle of the goal, into the roof of the net, as Robinson dived to his right, to give Ramsgate the advantage after only 209 seconds of play.
The Ramsgate boss was delighted with the early goal, saying, “Good start, we haven’t taken the lead in a game for a long time and like I say Kadi got that one back. It was a great free-kick, over the wall and into the top corner.”
But their lead was short-lived as Dulwich Hamlet’s player assistant-manager Kadi produced a moment of sheer class inside seven minutes.
The lively Sol Pinnock was fouled by Luke Wheatley and Kadi stepped up and bent a right-footed free-kick from 25-yards around a three-man wall to place the ball into the top right-hand corner of Ramsgate’s net.
A booming ball out of the Dulwich defence by Francis Duku dropped over Luke Wheatley’s head, but Pinnock’s fierce driven shot was comfortably saved by visiting keeper Jack Smelt.
But Ramsgate regained the lead after 12 minutes when Schulz cracked a right-footed free-kick from 25-yards, which took a wicked deflection off a three-man wall and the ball bounced into the net with Robinson going the other way.
Schulz hooked a right-footed shot across Robinson and past the far post, before his fifth goal of the season put Ramsgate firmly in control after 34 minutes.
Robinson, who lives in East Grinstead, and played for Fisher Athletic during their ill-fated last season in Conference South, gifted the goal for the central midfielder turned striker.
Duku swept the ball back to his goalkeeper but with Schulz approaching, the keeper fluffed his lines and his clearance fell straight to the Ramsgate number eight who gleefully rolled the ball into an empty net with his right-foot.
Praising the 31-year-old Ramsgate star, Ward added: “He was man-of-the-match, Warren Schulz. He did miss one when he put it over the bar, but he won every header. We had a little tactic, get him away from big Francis (Duku), who likes to head the ball away for fun and Warren won every header. He must have won, how many headers did he win tonight?”
Dulwich Hamlet enjoyed a good spell towards the end of the first half and Kadi floated in a corner from the right which found it’s way to Duku, who lashed a fierce drive towards goal, but this was headed off the line by Ramsgate left-back, James Gregory.
Hamlet pulled a goal back a minute before half-time when a move down the right saw Morath-Gibbs cut the ball back to Gerry Gonnella, who whipped in a first time cross towards the far post and Moore powered his header past Jack Smelt.
Ward felt the goal was coming.
He said: “To be fair, their best five to eight minute spell, at the end of the first half, they were really on top and they deserved a goal in that period - they’re a decent team.
“But we’ve come in at half-time 3-2 and I just wanted to see what team of mine was going to come out for the second half because we are a bit in-different sometimes in the second half.
“We were great on Saturday (against Chipstead) in the second half and I thought we were great again today.”
Smelt excelled when he stuck out a right hand to turn aside Kadi’s expertly taken right-footed free-kick, which was heading toward the top near corner before the first half came to an end, with five goals already on the score sheet.
Schulz squandered an excellent chance to net a hat-trick inside the opening six minutes of the second half.
He started the move by flicking the ball to midfielder Liam Quinn, who centred low across the face of the penalty area and Schulz ghosted into the box but lashed a first-time drive over the bar.
The introduction of substitute Curtis Winnett (who slotted in at right-back) allowed Mitchell Sherwood to play further up the pitch and Sherwood picked the ball up inside the Dulwich half and decided against playing in the overlapping Winnett, but rolled the ball to Lovell, who turned and rolled a weak shot into Robinson’s arms.
Ramsgate sealed the points with a free-flowing move in the 72nd minute.
All-action Schulz swept the ball out to the left wing to send Paul Axon sprinting down the channel and he whipped in an inch-perfect low cross between the keeper and the onrushing central defenders and Thomas marked his arrival to perfection by side-footing the ball into the bottom near corner from three yards out.
Dulwich Hamlet’s pacy attack pressed late on and Ramsgate keeper Smelt made a couple of decent saves from substitutes Nick Ogbanuffe and Alim Sesay (Smelt sticking out his right-leg to block the shot following Ogbanuffe’s low centre from the left) late on.
Ward summed up the entertaining game by saying, “Dulwich had their chances but so did we! It must have been a good game for people to watch!”
“They’ve got some good players, Dulwich. Rob Gradwell and Sol Pinnock were good players, I was glad when he took the 10 (Pinnock) off, and I thought the right-back (Dean Carpenter) was an excellent player.”
Dulwich Hamlet: Stuart Robinson, Kalvin Morath-Gibbs, Dean Carpenter, Junior Kadi (Alim Sesay 79), Francis Duku, Lewis Gonsalves, Nyren Clunis, Gerry Gonnella, Rob Gradwell, Sol Pinnock (Nick Ogbanufe 54), David Moore (Joshua Bonnett 69).
Subs: Gavin Rose, Suliaman Bangura.
Goals: Junior Kadi 7, David Moore 45
Booked: David Moore 18, Lewis Gonsalves 62, Francis Duku 80
Ramsgate: Jack Smelt, Ollie Gray, James Gregory, Luke Wheatley, Liam Quinn, Ben Laslett, Mitchell Sherwood, Warren Schulz, Mark Lovell (Zack Thomas 60), Aaron Beech (Curtis Winnett 48), Paul Axon.
Subs: Gary Lockyer, Sam Cliff, Brett Mills.
Goals: Mark Lovell 4 (pen), Warren Schulz 12, 34, Zack Thomas 72
Booked: Mitchell Sherwood 45
Attendance: 154
Referee: Mr Craig Hicks (Sutton, Surrey)
Assistants: Mr Alex Gray (Ealing, London W5) & Mr Peter Zuffa (Walthamstow, London E17)
Red Dragon I.T. Ltd