Let's hope it's Folkestone and Ramsgate in the next round!, says Jim Ward

RAMSGATE boss Jim Ward says Whitehawk are there to be beaten – when the two sides lock horns again in the FA Cup Preliminary Round Replay at Southwood Stadium on Tuesday night, writes Stephen McCartney.


The Rams came away from Brighton with a goal-less draw in Saturday’s encounter and the Scot wants his side to finish off the job on home soil.

Reflecting on Saturday’s clash, the Scot said: “When you watched the video you wonder why there wasn’t any goals in the match. It was an exciting game, end-to-end.

“To be fair to them it was more down our end then theirs, so I’m not hiding from the fact they were better than us.

“But at the end of the day when you go to these difficult places you’ve got to set your stall out, which we did, and we take them down to our place on Tuesday and see if we can be on the front foot a bit more.”

Ward admitted he didn’t go down to East Brighton Park looking for a draw.

He said: “We weren’t negative as that.  We played 4-3-3 and our two wingers tucked in a little bit, but we also should have had two penalties, both stonewallers.  You could see them on the video.  But they had their chances as well to be fair, my keeper Darren Hawkes was decent.”

But with the Ramsgate faithful in full voice, Ward believes his side can send their league rivals crashing out of the FA Cup – and hopefully book a trip to Folkestone Invicta (who travel to Whyteleafe on Tuesday night) in the First Qualifying Round on 17 September.

“I fancied my chances down there,” said Ward.  “They’re a good side but all good sides are there to be beaten, but we’re not bad either.  We’ve gone a while without being beaten, all the pre-season games and the last five or six games we’re unbeaten so there’s no reason to be negative and there’s no reason to be worried.  Just get on with it – it’s the FA Cup.”

Ward added: “Listen Neil Cugley (Folkestone Invicta's manager) is a big pal of mine like you know, but he said to me last week he would rather we won, only we could have a beer afterwards, no other reason.

“They knocked us out a few years’ ago, let’s hope it’s Folkestone and Ramsgate in the next round!”

Visit Ramsgate’s website:  www.ramsgate-fc.co.uk  

Ramsgate  v  Whitehawk
FA Cup with Budweiser Preliminary Round Replay
Tuesday 6^th September 2011
Kick Off 7:45pm
at Southwood Stadium, Prices Avenue, Ramsgate, Kent CT11 0AN