Kentish Football 
East Grinstead Town 2-1 Ramsgate - Yes, we could have walked off but what's written about me and Ramsgate if we refused to play the game because there's no official, says Ramsgate boss Ben Smith following first league defeat of season
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East Grinstead Town 
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Ramsgate |
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| Location | East Court, College Lane, East Grinstead, West Sussex RH19 3LS |
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| Kickoff | 03/12/2024 19:30 |
EAST GRINSTEAD TOWN 2-1 RAMSGATE
Isthmian League South East Division
Tuesday 3 December 2024
Stephen McCartney reports from East Court
RAMSGATE manager Ben Smith claims a farcical situation has marred a great victory for East Grinstead Town after his side suffered their first league defeat of the season to open up the Isthmian League South East Division title race.
Drew Cooney’s side went into this game sitting in sixteenth-place in the table, having picked up 17 points from their 16 games, having lost five of their last seven outings in all competitions.
Ramsgate arrived at East Court at the summit, with 49 points (16 wins and a draw) from their 17 games and with a 100 per cent away league record.
However, East Grinstead Town were a well-organised outfit and recalled attacking midfielder Final Lovatt, 21, scored twice with two clinical strikes to put the home side in the driving seat, watched by a crowd of 102 on a chilly Tuesday night in early December.
Ramsgate’s talisman striker Joe Taylor notched his 29th goal of the season, from the penalty spot in the 82nd minute.
But before the game could re-start, referee Simon Faires revealed that he had ‘pulled his calf and couldn’t sprint,’ and the game was delayed for 17 minutes before senior assistant referee Matthew Dyson took the whistle and a qualified official (Referee's coach Philip Wilks) left his seat in the main stand, got changed and took the flag.
Ramsgate goalkeeper Tom Hadler was controversially sent-off by Mr Dyson – before the game had restarted – and Smith was also sent-off for ‘foul and abusive language’, but Cooney’s men ran out winners and leapgrogged over Steve Lovell's Herne Bay into fifteenth-place in the table, six points clear of the relegation zone that contains Hythe Town, Lancing, Steyning Town Community and Phoenix Sports.
“Congratulations to East Grinstead. I thought East Grinstead worked really well, worked really hard. They took their chance when they come and you have to give full credit to East Grinstead,” said Smith.
“I think the end has marred a great victory for East Grinstead, so you have to give full credit to East Grinstead.”
East Grinstead Town went close to taking the lead with only five minutes and 49 seconds on the clock following their only corner of the night.
Central midfielder Charlie Harris delivered a deep corner towards the back post where centre-half Glenn Wilson sent his free-header just past the near-post from the corner of the six-yard box.
East Grinstead Town were showing plenty of desire but their right-back Oliver Spinks was their weak-link, as Ramsgate often clipped balls in behind the high full-back and the home side often kept at least 10 men behind the ball, with lone striker Omar Folkes holding the ball up well.
No one pressed Ramsgate centre-half Joe Ellul, who clipped a long ball over the top of Spinks to pick out left-wing-back Alfie Paxman, who whipped in a quality delivery towards the near-post where Taylor jumped out of Ricardo Thompson’s pocket to plant his free header sailing past the left-hand post from eight-yards.
“It’s unlucky. He just got a bit too much on it. For him, it’s a good chance but he just got a bit too much on the ball,” added Smith.
East Grinstead Town had 10 men behind the ball when Lewis Gard fed the ball into right-wing-back Roarie Deacon, who placed his left-footed angled drive harmlessly wide of the far post from 25-yards.
“We did break them down. We made chances, we created chances, we didn’t take them and that’s what happens when you don’t take your chances,” said Smith, when asked about East Grinstead’s defensive shape.
“I don’t want to take anything away, I think they deserved their win but let’s not sit here and say we couldn’t break them down. We absolutely broke them down, a number of times. We were on the goal-line a number of times and didn’t score so that’s the game in a nutshell. They took their chances and full credit to them.”
East Grinstead Town grabbed the lead with a sublime chipped finish from Lovatt with 16 minutes and 28 seconds on the clock.
Lovatt was in a central position some 15-yards from the half-way line and he rolled the ball out to left-winger Camron Lawson, who played a low pass in behind Ellul to feed the ball back to Lovatt and he took a touch before sending his left-footed chip over a flat-footed Hadler to find the top far corner from 12-yards on the angle.
“Look, it’s a great finish. We’ve got to be tighter but again let’s now talk about what we could’ve done and what we should’ve done. You give credit to the striker, it’s a great goal,” added Smith.
Ramsgate’s build-up play was often slow and they found Cooney’s men to be well-drilled outfit, often playing a 4-5-1 formation and not pressing the Ramsgate's defence while they played out from the back - and Ramsgate took a while to get going.
East Grinstead Town goalkeeper Matte Pierson made a vital save in the 37th minute, as Ramsgate counter-attacked through the heart of the pitch.
Deacon broke before feeding right-winger Benedict Bioletti down the middle before he released attacking midfielder Tijan Jadama, whose sublime first touch took Wilson out of the game before his right-footed shot was blocked by the legs of the advancing goalkeeper.
Smith added: “He’s got to score! He’s clean through. It’s a great run. He has to score, clean through on goal. Yes, nine (times) out of 10 he will score. The keeper had a great game, he played really well, he’s got to score.”
Goalkeeper Pierson got away with the dark arts of timewasting at every opportunity, something that was ignored by both referees during the course of the game.
Gard released Paxman in behind Spinks before cutting into the box and his looping cross was cleared and Taylor’s flicked header back towards goal was comfortably plucked out of the air by the busy Wasps’ goalkeeper.
Spinks opened the gate once more but this time Gard’s cross from close to the by-line clipped the top of the near-post in the 38th minute.
Ramsgate kept knocking on the door and Cooney’s side had 10 men behind the ball for the next raid on goal, this time from the other side of the pitch.
Jadama fed Billy Munday, who put in a low cross from within the right-channel towards the near post and Bioletti nipped in front of Thompson to poke his first-time shot straight at Pierson from inside the six-yard box.
Ramsgate who dominated the corner count by seven-to-one, went close with their third corner delivery.
Deacon floated the ball in from the right and Jay Leader came up from the back to send his free-header just over the crossbar, the ball landing on top of the roof of the net, as East Grinstead Town went into the break with a slender lead.
Smith said: “I told them just keep doing what we were doing. We’ll open them up, we’ll create chances but I said someone has to step up and start taking those chances – it can’t always be on JT (Joe Taylor).
Taylor is one of the most prolific strikers in the country but do Ramsgate rely on him too much for goals? Jadama (eight), Paxman (seven), Bioletti (four) follow in Ramsgate’s goalscoring charts this season.
Ramsgate remained patient as they created yet another chance three minutes and 51 seconds on the clock.
Ellul clipped a long diagonal over the top of East Grinstead’s left-back Alex Andrade-Filipe to release Jadama, who floated in a deep cross towards the back post. The ball was cleared out to Paxman, who took a touch before his angled left-footed drive from a tight angle was blocked by Pierson’s legs at his near-post.
“He’s got to go across the goalkeeper, another good save. He (Pierson) had a great night,” added Smith.
East Grinstead Town counter-attacked following Paxman’s cleared left-wing corner and Hadler made a comfortable save in the 52nd minute.
Lawson fed Lovatt before Folkes’ drilled shot was charged down on the edge of the Ramsgate penalty area and the ball came out to an unmarked Spinks, whose left-footed drive from 35-yards rolled towards goal and was comfortably gathered by the 28-year-old goalkeeper.
East Grinstead started to attack just before the hour-mark as Harris played the ball to holding midfielder Terlochan Singh, who played the ball out to Harrison on the right and he put over a cross towards the near post where Folkes’ downward header bounced into Hadler’s gloves for a routine save.
East Grinstead Town punished Ramsgate’s sloppy defending while playing out from the back, as Lovatt clinically scored his second goal of the night, timed at 13 minutes and 55 seconds on the clock.
Substitute left-winger Tom Cadman played a 20-yard pass along the deck into Folkes, who laid the ball off to Lovatt, who drove a right-footed shot across Hadler to find the bottom far corner of the goal from 22-yards.
“We were pushing bodies forward and got done on the counter, going up the hill but Folkes – I thought he was really good tonight, really, really good,” said Smith.
“It’s a neat finish and at that stage you’re kind of looking around at everyone, you’re looking for a bit of a reaction. Give credit, the boys didn’t stop.”
Smith responded by bringing on Aaron Barnes, Lee Martin and Joshua Ajayi, changing formation to a back three of Tom Clifford (left), Leader (central) and Barnes (right) and Ajayi, Jadama and Taylor didn’t get much change out of Thompson, who was outstanding at the heart of the home side’s defence.
Barnes travelled over the halfway line but had his pocket pinched by Lovatt, who switched the ball out to Harrison on the right before he put in a low cross towards the edge of the box for Lovatt, who took a touch before his rasping right-footed drive was beaten away by Hadler in the 69th minute, to deny the former Bromley and Beckenham Town attacker scoring a hat-trick.
Central midfielder Munday played the ball along the deck to release Ajayi, who sprinted past Wilson, who did well to chase after the Ramsgate attacker.
Ajayi’s pace took him to the right by-line and his cross struck the raised hands of Wilson and referee Simon Faires pointed to the spot (34:11).
Taylor took several attempts to place the ball on the penalty spot and was harshly shown a yellow card by the referee (35:43).
Taylor sent Pierson the wrong way as he despatched his right-footed penalty just left of centre to bring Ramsgate back in the game, with 36 minutes and 30 seconds on the clock.
Smith said: “He’s getting booked, what is going on there? He’s about to take a penalty, we’re 2-0 down with 10 minutes to go, about to take a penalty and the referee’s booking him for trying to place the ball on the spot!
“I mean, have you ever seen anything like that in your life?!
“At one point, I thought he was going to be sent-off for touching the ball again. That’s his (Taylor’s) routine.
“It is crazy! From that moment on, right, from that moment on, it turned into a circus, an absolute circus!”
Before East Grinstead Town could restart the game, the referee walked towards senior assistant referee Matthew Dyson before the referee walked over towards the dug-out and told both managers that he had pulled his calf and ‘couldn’t sprint.”
Before the game could re-start, with the referee in conversation with both managers and both sets of players not knowing what was going on. Ramsgate chairman James Lawson was on the phone and offered advice to his manager.
Mr Dyson pulled out a red-card from his pocket and pointed it at Hadler (46:27), who was standing close to the half-way line at the time. It’s the first time in this website’s 21-year history that an assistant referee/linesman has sent off a player!
Hadler appeared to be in a state of shock over the bizarre incident and it took him a while to leave the pitch, finally crossing the byline (the dressing rooms are close to one of the goals at the clubhouse end of the stadium) with 52:09 on the clock.
Ramsgate substitute goalkeeper Henry Newcombe came on (53:23) with Clifford the man to be sacrificed, before Mr Dyson FINALLY re-started the game (53:46) with East Grinstead kicking off.
Assistant referee Adan Siage swapped sides and ran the line from the dug-out side of the pitch while the injured referee watched the rest of the game, standing up between the two dug-outs. Coach Darren Beale and the substituted Ellul stood on the edge of the Ramsgate technical area in Smith's absence.
Reflecting on the events, Smith said: “It turned into an absolute circus. One minute we were going to play without no lino, then it was one of their players’ was going to run the line, which you can’t do.
“At this point the lino’s still got his linesman’s flag in his hand and he sends (Tom Hadler off) – all this is going on for a good five or six minutes – talking about the best way to play this and the League official is there etc and then Tom (Hadler) has said ‘I’m sure he needs to be a qualified official’, and he’s (Dyson) sent him off.
“It is mental! It is mental! The linesman has sent him off, issuing him the red card. The linesman hasn’t even become the referee yet. It is insane! It is insane! It is absolute insanity! Bizarre!
“We’re told ‘respect, respect, respect.’ At this point, we’re trying to calm everyone down. Everyone’s travelled all this way.
“I felt for East Grinstead because it was marring a good performance from them. It absolutely overshadows the game.
“Any momentum we’ve got in the game is absolutely done. We’ve just scored a penalty. We want to get back there, put the ball on the spot and go again. It is bizarre. It is bizarre and then to have our goalkeeper sent-off in the same thing, I’ve never known anything quite like it.”
Smith revealed why he was shown a straight red-card by the replacement referee, whilst the game was in progress (54:43).
“I got sent-off because they had one football. We were playing with one ball, so I got sent-off for shouting ‘we’ve only got one ball, what is going on?!’ I said ‘we’ve got one f***ing ball, we’ve only got one f***ing ball!’ and he comes over ‘foul and abusive language’ sends me off.”
Smith was asked whether he contemplated walking off the pitch and forcing an abandonment of the game - before the game re-started and before his red card.
“Yes, we could’ve walked off. I don’t think you can play with no officials,” came his reply.
“Look at the level of football. We talk about how non-league has become more professional, non-league is this, non-league is that and yet we’re saying we can play with no officials. Like, you can’t do one way and not the other.
“We’ve not driven 20 minutes around the corner to play at Jackey Bakers (a recreation ground in Ramsgate) for a game. Like, people pay money to watch this so there’s also a duty to the spectators. It’s turned into a farce, an absolute farce!
“I’ve had it before (against) Haywards Heath, I refused at half-time to play the game.
“We had a League official here. He said ‘we had to play it,’ otherwise ‘you could be deducted points.’
“Also, in my head we’re 2-1 down. If we were 2-1 up, I’d be a little bit more inclined not to play the game but at 2-1 down, it’s just killed us, absolutely killed us but I don’t want all that to take away from Drew’s side, they’ve had a great performance tonight and credit to them.
“The referee’s putting the decision in my hands when it’s his decision! He’s telling me ‘you need to make a decision!’ How is it my decision? He puts it on me.
“What’s said if we walk away tonight? At 2-1 down and refuse to play the game because there’s no officials, which any manager would be doing their nut about. What’s written about me? What’s written about Ramsgate Football Club if we do that? To put that in my hands, is absolutely insane!
“We were robbed om the last 10 minutes of what then looked like a bit of a grandstand finish and a good end to the game. We were robbed of that but do you know what, fair play to East Grinstead. Sometimes the opposition, they make their own luck and they have made their own luck tonight.
“Their keeper pulling off God knows how many saves and lads’ putting their bodies on the line and taking their chances. They’ve made their own luck.”
Ramsgate bossed the rest of the game in possession as the home side were content to sit back and protect their lead and hit Ramsgate on the counter-attack as they pushed bodies forward.
Munday played the ball out to the pacey threatening Bioletti before Ajayi’s first-time drive from 20-yards was comfortably gathered by Pierson, stepping to his left (59:50).
Taylor went close to grabbing an equaliser with a deflected drilled effort, which flashed across the face of goal and only just missing the foot of the far post from a tight angle (62:29).
East Grinstead Town hit Ramsgate on the counter-attack (67:42) when Newcombe made a comfortable save to deny substitute striker Connor Tighe scoring from 20-yards, as Martin pressed in an attempt to charge down the shot.
Dyson blew the final whistle (69:07), as East Grinstead Town claimed a shock victory.
Elsewhere, Ashford United were held to a 1-1 draw by AFC Croydon Athletic at Homelands, while Sittingbourne came away from Littlehampton Town with a 1-0 win.
Ramsgate’s lead has now been cut to five points, while second-placed Sittingbourne do have a game in hand.
Sittingbourne (44 points from 17 games), Beckenham Town (41 points from 20 games), Margate (39 points from 18 games) and Sheppey United (35 points from 17 games) make up the play-off quartet.
When asked about the title-race, Smith replied: “We’ve played 18 games. There’s no title-race until the last 10 games of the season. I’ve said, it’s one game at a time.”
Ramsgate travel to bottom-six side Littlehampton Town (four wins, four draws and 10 defeats) on Saturday – the home side have extended their winless run to five games after losing to Ryan Maxwell’s side tonight.
“We’ve got to turn up and roll our sleeves up, which I know the boys will do. The boys are hurting in there, they’re not devastated. They know they’ve got a job to do on Saturday,” said Smith.
“I’ve said from minute one of the season, it’s always about the next game, so why am I going to stop now because we’ve lost a game. That’s gone now and we move onto the next game. We dust ourselves off and go again.
“We didn’t perform badly tonight, let’s have that right. We did NOT perform badly. A lot of things didn’t go our way and that happens sometimes. A lot of things didn’t go our way tonight and that’s a credit to Drew (Cooney) and East Grinstead.
“They absolutely worked their socks off, battled their hearts out and its fine margines. We could’ve been going in three or four one up at half-time. It’s fine margins in a game of football and we didn’t and that’s when you go fair play to the opposition.
“We’ve dominated the game. We’ve had a shed load of chances, even with 10 men and going up the hill. So, what do I have do do? Go in there and slate my boys, like we’ve not put in a bad performance. Tell me a player that played terrible tonight? There ain’t one!”
East Grinstead Town: Matte Pierson, Oliver Spinks, Alex Andrade-Filipe, Terlochan Singh, Ricardo Thompson, Glenn Wilson, Camron Lawson (Tom Cadman 56), Charlie Harris (Khalifa Jabbie 90), Omar Folkes (Connor Tighe 75), Finlay Lovatt, Luke Harrison (Matthew Daniel 90).
Sub: David Romer
Goals: Finlay Lovatt 17, 59
Booked: Terlochan Singh 70, Matthew Daniel 90
Ramsgate: Tom Hadler, Roarie Deacon (Joshua Ajayi 64), Alfie Paxman, Jay Leader, Joe Ellul (Aaron Barnes 64), Tom Clifford (Henry Newcombe 90), Lewis Gard (Lee Martin 64), Billy Munday, Joe Taylor, Tijan Jadama, Benedict Bioletti.
Sub: Kai Garrett
Goal: Joe Taylor 82 (penalty)
Booked: Tijan Jadama 71, Joe Taylor 81
Sent Off: Tom Hadler 90, Ben Smith 90 (manager)
Attendance: 102
Referee: Mr Simon Faires
Assistants: Mr Matthew Dyson & Mr Adan Siage
Referee Coach: Mr Philip Wilks
Red Dragon I.T. Ltd