Ebbsfleet United 3-1 Ramsgate - We've got some good talent coming through, says Kimble

EBBSFLEET UNITED 3-1 RAMSGATE
Kent Senior Cup First Round
Tuesday 20^th November 2007
Stephen McCartney reports from Stonebridge Road

Ebbsfleet United booked their place in the quarter-finals of the Kent Senior Cup, courtesy of goals from strikers George Purcell (two) and John Akinde.

The Blue Square Premier club joined Ryman League sides Cray Wanderers, Chatham Town and Whitstable Town - and holders Bromley (Blue Square South) in the last eight of the County Cup competition.

The Fleet named six players tonight that featured in their sixteen-man squad that held Oxford United to a goal-less draw on Saturday.

Goalkeeper Lance Cronin maintained his place in goal, as his understudy, Rob French tweaked his ankle during training this afternoon.

And the England international denied the Ryman Premier League visitors an equaliser after 25 minutes, beating out Steffan Ball’s penalty.

Mark Ricketts, who was forced off with a hamstring strain at half-time tonight, skipper James Smith, Purcell, Liam Coleman and Lee Maskell, who all travelled to Oxfordshire, all got minutes under their belts.

Former Fleet goalkeeper Paul Wilkerson missed his return to Stonebridge Road, suffering from flu, so Ramsgate drafted in Danny Twyman, back from a 70-day suspension, picked up whilst playing Sunday League football.

The Rams, fifth place in the Ryman Premier League table, were also without central defender Nick Davis, for this low-key first round tie at a wet Stonebridge Road.

Ramsgate, playing against full-time professionals, scored a late consolation through skipper Dean Hill.

Ebbsfleet United got off to a flying start, taking the lead with just 78 seconds on the clock.

Purcell left Twyman rooted to the spot as his drilled left-footed shot on the angle found the bottom right-hand corner from fifteen-yards.

The hosts dominated proceedings early on and Twyman made a fine double save to prevent skipper James Smith, after French first-team star, Sacha Opinel, who missed Saturday’s draw due to suspension, knocked down a corner from Liam Coleman.

Ramsgate did have a couple of half-chances, but they were denied an equaliser after 25 minutes.

Ball, a school teacher during the day, was played in by former Whitstable Town striker Stuart King, but was chopped down by Ebbsfleet right-back, Chris Saunders inside the box on the left-hand side.

With the vocal Fleet fans chanting “England’s, England’s number one” behind the goal, Cronin didn’t disappoint, diving to his left to beat out Ball’s resulting right-footed spot-kick.

This sparked a dominating spell from the Thanet side, but Ball squandered a good chance with a free-kick from thirty-yards, looping his right-footed shot well wide.

And a drilled shot from Scott Holden presented King with a chance from fifteen-yards, but his flicked the ball agonisingly past the far-post.

But the higher up the pyramid you go, the more clinical the strikers get, and Akinde, recalled from his spell with Ryman League Division One South outfit Whitstable Town, doubled the hosts’ advantage after 51 minutes.

Akinde latched onto a ball, which was played over the defence by Liam Coleman, and after cutting inside, the striker drilled a left-footed shot inside the bottom right-hand corner, from twenty-yards.

After receiving treatment from the home side’s physio, referee Mr Ian Gosling was forced off due to injury, and was finally replaced by assistant Mr Paul Kelly, whilst the players did their best to keep warm in the rain.

But the four minute delay proved costly for Ramsgate as they conceded again in the 56^th minute - the watch was stopped during the stoppage.

Twyman could only watch as Purcell cracked a left-footed shot from thirty-yards, which screamed into the left-corner.

Michael West’s last piece of the action was to drill a right-footed shot just past the far-post from 25-yards, as Ebbsfleet’s youngsters impressed.

It was a much better display from the side, especially as they were thumped 7-3 by Tonbridge Angels at the same stage of this competition last season.

But any chance that Ramsgate had of getting back into the game vanished as they missed some good chances that came their way.

Substitute Warren Schulz only had Cronin to beat but stroked a weak right-footed shot straight at the goalkeeper, although he did look offside.

But they did pull a goal back with seventeen minutes left when left-back Hill netted his first goal of the season.

Hill drilled a left-footed free-kick from 25-yards towards the five-man wall, and the ball struck Akinde’s foot and skidded off the wet lush playing surface to find the bottom right-hand corner, leaving Cronin flat-footed.

Ramsgate almost netted another but Ollie Schulz’s header bounced off the right-hand post.

At the other end, Danny Stubbs, who like Akinde was recalled from Whitstable Town, cracked a volley towards goal, which was cleared away by Dan Tanner, after Twyman flapped.

The stocky Ramsgate goalkeeper twice denied substitute Kwesi Appiah and French defender Opinel late on.

But another chance went begging for the visitors’ as Stuart Vahid latched onto Andy Hadden’s pass, and with only Cronin to beat he blasted the ball straight at the well positioned goalkeeper.

“It was an interesting game,” said Ebbsfleet United assistant manager Alan Kimble, when speaking to www.kentishfootball.co.uk afterwards.

“First and foremost the eleven who was out there tried to stake a claim for Saturday’s home game against Stafford (Rangers).

“In the end, ok, it was 3-1, a little bit flattering at times, but their (assistant) manager’s said they had five one-on-one’s.

“Ok, they might have had five one-on-one’s, but three of them were definitely offside!

“Linesman didn’t keep up with play but Lance (Cronin) is there to do a job and thankfully enough not one of them one-on-one’s went in.

“We’re pleased with the 3-1. No matter what team they put out, they put out a very strong team and first and foremost we had to do a professional job, which we did, I thought, personally all over the park.

“After we went 1-0 up, they had a little bit of a spell but overall I think 3-1, we deserved the victory.”

Last season the Fleet were mauled 7-3 by Tonbridge Angels - but Kimble was pleased that the club’s young-guns impressed, and praised youth coaches Paul McCarthy and Ian Docker for their efforts.

“There’s some good prospects coming though, they have done a fantastic job bringing the youth through,” said Kimble.

“If they’re good enough, they’re young enough and good enough, they’ll play (in the first team).

“You could see tonight with Grant Duff, coming on at left-back second half. I thought he had a good debut.

“Kwasi (Appiah), when he came on he showed glimpses of what he could do.

“Overall the young boys they’re growing in stature. When they go out onto that field they’re suppose to be men and that’s what they’re doing now.

“They’re performing to a high standard and they’re young enough and good enough to play in the (first) team.”

With his older brother, and first team manager, Jim Ward up in Edinburgh, attending a family funeral, assistant Danny Ward thought his side acquitted themselves well against a side that’s two divisions higher - and full-time professionals.

“As soon as they came out the hat we knew it was going to be a good surface and we knew we would play against a good team to test ourselves and that’s exactly what we wanted and that’s exactly what we done,” he told www.kentishfootball.co.uk.

He added: “We basically showed them too much respect. We showed them too much respect in the last twenty minutes of the first half and first twenty minutes of the second half.

“When you do that against a good side, that’s what happens.”

Ward, meanwhile, rued the moment that Ball had his penalty kick saved by Cronin.

He said: “It was probably our best spell of the game. We were on top at that stage. They still had chances but we were on top and we might have got another one before half-time.

“It did take the wind out of our sails, but they’re a good side.”

Ramsgate did create some good chances against their higher league opponents, and on another day, those will be converted.

“I think we missed five one-on-ones, we’ve missed a penalty, Ollie Schulz hit the post, against the top goalkeeper in non-league football,” said the assistant.

“We had five tremendous chances. On normal days we would score at least four of them.”

Ebbsfleet United: Lance Cronin, Chris Saunders, Sacha Opinel, Lee Maskell, James Smith, Mark Ricketts (Grant Duff 45), Michael West (Danny Stubbs 62), Liam Coleman, John Akinde, George Purcell (Kwesi Appiah 78) Luke Coleman.
Subs: Jack Barry, Sam Callandar.

Goals: George Purcell 2, 56, John Akinde 51

Booked: Danny Stubbs 80

Ramsgate: Danny Twyman, Laurence Ball, Dean Hill, Dan Tanner, Ollie Schulz, Andy Hadden, Stuart Vahid, Stuart King (Dan Dolton 62), Lee Minshull (Warren Schulz 59), Steffan Ball, Scott Holden (Michael Phillips 62)
Subs: Ben Laslett, Sam Vallance.

Goal: Dean Hill 73

Booked: Stuart Vahid 81, Dan Tanner 90, Laurence Ball 90

Attendance:  286
Referee: Mr Ian Gosling (Sittingbourne)
Assistants: Mr Paul Kelly (Walderslade) & Mr Darren Blunden (Dartford)