Hythe Town 3-2 Ramsgate - It was pleasing to bounce back after the Folkestone game - Scott Porter

HYTHE TOWN  3-2  RAMSGATE
Ryman League Division One South
Bank Holiday Monday 2^nd January 2012
Stephen McCartney reports from Reachfields Stadium

HYTHE TOWN maintained their push towards the play-off’s in their inaugural Ryman League Division One South campaign with victory over local rivals Ramsgate.

Both managers deployed a negative formation of 4-5-1 during a fruitless first half, but the game exploded into life during the second half in front of Hythe Town’s largest home crowd of the season.

Kane Rice opened his goalscoring account for Hythe with a speculative low drive five minutes into the second half, before Ramsgate snatched two goals in the space of only 139 seconds to lead, courtesy of Ian Pulman’s eighth goal for the club and Gareth Cornhill’s penalty.

Referee Graeme Ions awarded his second spot kick of the game, which Hythe skipper Dave Cook emphatically converted to claw the home side level with twenty minutes remaining, before substitute Brendon Cass scored Hythe’s winner soon after with a quality finish.

Hythe Town boss, Scott Porter, was delighted that his side have bounced back from that 8-0 horror show away to neighbours Folkestone Invicta on Boxing Day, to claim wins over Faversham Town and Ramsgate over the Bank Holiday weekend and they remained in ninth place in the table after this win.

He said:  “It was always going to be tough, a local derby and it was hard. 

“I thought it was a good game of football, a battling performance from us, a battling performance from them.

“It was a topsy-turvy game and we’ve come out on top and I’m delighted with the reaction since the Folkestone game to be honest with you.”

Only three sides have won at Reachfields Stadium in all competitions this season and Ramsgate boss Jim Ward said: “It’s a small pitch, they’ve got a way that they play and first half to be fair to them we were never in the game.  They had 60-65% of the ball, although they never created many chances, they still had loads of the ball.

“We had a chat at half-time, of course they go and took the lead then but I thought second half we played very well and we deserved to get a draw at least, but sometimes you don’t get what you want!”

Ramsgate, meanwhile, put in a poor performance and they have claimed three points over the three-game Christmas programme.    A win over Sittingbourne was sandwiched by defeats to Whitstable Town and Hythe Town.

But Ward added: “Six points out of 12 because we beat Walton & Hersham (before Christmas)!

“We should’ve beat Whitstable, perhaps we should’ve got something today but it was hard today.  There’s not many teams who get things down here.  It’s a tight pitch, it’s the smallest pitch in the league and they’ve got the long throws and stuff like that and they use that and they work hard for one another on a small pitch but when we got at them second half we were the better team.”

With both teams lining up with just a lone striker (Craig Thompson for Hythe and Pulman for Ramsgate), chances were at a premium during the first half as both camps packed the middle of the pitch.

Ramsgate created the first chance inside the opening four minutes when skipper Liam Quinn powered a header to release Pulman through on goal but the striker took his time and allowed Hythe to get bodies back to block.

But a flying Danny Twyman save denied Hythe from opening the scoring with the half’s best chance.

Left-winger Taser Hassan released Thompson down the inside left channel and the striker cut in before cutting the ball back to Hassan, who cracked an angled right-footed drive from 30-yards, which was caught by the diving Ramsgate keeper.

Hythe enjoyed plenty of possession during the first half and they missed a decent chance in the 18^th minute.

Long throw specialist, Aaron Lacy, hurled the ball to the edge of the Ramsgate penalty area and Thompson flicked the ball on and Cook turned and hooked a right-footed shot over from inside the D.

Hythe continued to press against a sluggish Ramsgate side (who lost winger Pascal Ebigbo to an injury to his back) and they created another chance just after the half-hour mark.

Hassan swung in a free-kick from the left and the unmarked Thompson stooped to head the ball towards the goal, the ball took a deflection and bounced past the near post.

And livewire Ronnie Dolan picked up the ball and sprinted towards the edge of the Ramsgate penalty box, but his left-footed shot failed to trouble Twyman as he blasted the ball high over the bar.

Reflecting on the first half, Porter said: “We sort of sussed each other out.  We got the goal and they had to go with two up top so it was important and the game got stretched a bit.  Obviously we got back in and I went two up top so it’s great rewards for the lads for digging in and driving it out in the end and I’m delighted.”

The game desperately needed a lift and Twyman was forced into making a fine save early in the second half, following a right-wing corner.

Rice drilled a low ball back to the edge of the penalty area and Thompson cracked a right-footed shot on the turn from sixteen-yards, which took a deflection and Twyman flicked the ball over with his outstretched right arm to prevent the ball from looping into the top right-hand corner.

But Hythe deservedly broke the stalemate when Rice slammed a low right-footed shot through a crowd of bodies to find the bottom left-hand corner, leaving the Ramsgate keeper rooted to the spot, from 25-yards.

Porter praised Rice, who joined the club in November from Ryman Premier League strugglers Horsham, saying, “He’s got it in his locker, against Faversham and today.  It’s pleasing.  I think we deserved it as well.  We definitely deserved that (goal) after our first half performance and it obviously changed after that.”

Ward added: “Speculative shot from the edge of the box has fell into the bottom corner.  It’s one of them.  It’s gone across everybody.  If he meant to do that fair play to the lad, but I don’t think so!”

Hythe continued to have the momentum in a one-sided derby and Thompson laid the ball off for the supporting Dolan, who let fly with a powerful right-footed drive from 22-yards, which flew into the keeper’s arms in front of his chest.

But the game turned in Ramsgate’s favour in a crazy 139 seconds.

Cornhill floated a cross into the penalty area from the right and Hythe keeper Paul Egan rushed off his line to punch the ball away.  Unfortunately for him the ball dropped onto Pulman’s right boot and the striker’s shot bounced into an open goal to bring Ramsgate level after 62 minutes

Porter said: “That’s goalkeepers for you.  If you come, sometimes they catch them, sometimes you punch them and no-ones there.  If was a bit unlucky that someone was there but it’s disappointing because we played so well up until then.

“All credit to my lads to come back.  Going 2-1 down to come back and win the game is very satisfying.”

Ward was full of praise for Pulman, who started the season with Conference South side Eastbourne Borough after leaving Whitstable Town during the summer.

“He’s a livewire.  He played with a bad ankle so he was really struggling but you can’t keep him down.  He wanted to play so he made the penalty as well.  It was definitely a penalty.  Other days the referee might have done more than just give a penalty.”

Pulman fell to the ground following Lacy’s challenge just inside the penalty area and Referee Mr Ions pointed to the spot.

Cornhill stepped up and fired his right-footed penalty into the bottom right-hand corner.

Porter said: “My lads’ are saying Pulman dived but at the end of the day that’s strikers for you.  I’m not going to sit here and diss anyone, that’s what strikers do and if he’s done it he’s clever.   If he was in my team and done it I’ll be pleased as well.”

But Hythe didn’t dwell on their disappointment for too long as they levelled with their next attack.

Cornhill turned from hero to villain when he fouled Hassan inside the penalty area and Twyman was given no chance when Cook smashed his right-footed penalty into the bottom left-hand corner.

Porter said: “That’s what Dave’s all about.  A bit of pressure there and he’s rose to it.  Taser has done well down the flank and he got our reward.”

Ward complained about the decision, saying, “The boy (Hassan) made a good run, he got inside my full-back.  It was never a penalty!  He’s (Cornhill) got a full toe punt on the ball. The ball’s going out towards the corner flag.   How can it be a penalty?  The referee got a bit excited there!”

Immediately after the goal, Porter made a match-winning double substitution, bringing on Richard Sinden and Cass up front.

He said: “When you’ve got Brendon Cass sitting on the sideline and Sinden you’ve got goals in you.  It’s not about the (starting) eleven.  I say it week in, week out.  It’s about the squad and Cass showed great class there to dip it over him there and a great run and that’s what Brendon Cass is all about and it’s great to have him at the football club.”

And Cass made an instant impact as his ninth goal of the season sealed the home side the points in the 75^th minute.

Cook stabbed an excellent through ball to put Cass through on goal and despite a last-gasp lunge from Ramsgate defender, Luke Wheatley, Cass dinked the ball past Twyman to find the bottom near corner.

Ward said: “The ball was given away easy in the middle of midfield.   We should’ve won the first header.  Quinny (Liam Quinn) lost it in the lights and the boy won the header easy.  He took his goal well to be fair to him and then how many chances did we create after that?”

Ramsgate pressed for a point late on.  A header from central defender Luke Wheatley was headed off the line by Lacy was their best attempt.

Porter, meanwhile, paid tribute to the Hythe supporters for sticking by his side after their embarrassing
8-0 humiliation at neighbours Folkestone Invicta.

He said: “It was pleasing to bounce back after the disappointment of Boxing Day.  We’ve had a long hard chat with the players, individually and as a squad and I can’t fault them.  They’ve proved to me they want to be involved at the football club and play for the football club and after the Folkestone game that’s a massive two wins.  It makes the New Year all the better.

“The Folkestone game was always going to be tough. After what happened at Folkestone to bounce back and do what we done today is a massive credit to us as a team.  We’ve worked hard over Christmas and we got our rewards and it starts the New Year off well.”

Porter thanked the fans’ by saying, “It proves that the fans’ have kept faith in us as well.  For 309 people to turn up on a Bank Holiday after the Folkestone game is a credit to them and I’m pleased they’ve come through the gate and I’m absolutely overjoyed that they’ve gone home smiling hopefully and we see them next week.”

Hythe Town: Paul Egan, Aaron Lacy, John Walker, Pat Kingwell, Nick Reeves, Ronnie Dolan, Dave Cook, Nick Barnes, Craig Thompson (Brendon Cass 70), Taser Hassan (Lee Winfield 90), Kane Rice (Richard Sinden 70).
Subs: James Dryden, Tom Parkinson

Goals: Kane Rice 50, Dave Cook 70 (pen), Brendon Cass 75

Booked: Craig Thompson 20

Ramsgate: Danny Twyman, Gareth Cornhill, Peter Wedgeworth, Luke Wheatley, Joe Dolan, Ben Laslett, Pascal Ebigbo (Dean Grant 29), Liam Quinn, Ian Pulman, Jordan Cheadle (Joe Taylor 61), Stephen O’Brien.
Subs: Ollie Gray, James Gregory, Tom Chapman

Goals: Ian Pulman 62, Gareth Cornhill 64 (pen)

Booked: Luke Wheatley 23

Attendance: 309
Referee:  Mr Graeme Ions (Westerham)
Assistants: Mr Paul Yates (Maidstone) & Mr Leigh Crowhurst (Uckfield, East Sussex)