Our performances haven't been great against the bottom sides, admits Ramsgate boss Tim Dixon

Monday 28th January 2013

RAMSGATE boss Tim Dixon says his players’ were fighting fit during their win over Tooting & Mitcham United at the weekend.

The Rams returned to Thanet with three points in the bag thanks to a 3-1 win at Imperial Fields, courtesy of goals from James Sherman, Tom Chapman and Ian Pulman.

The Rams are in ninth-place in the Ryman League Division One South table, with 36 points from 24 games, three points behind fifth-placed Crawley Down Gatwick, who went down to a 2-1 defeat at Folkestone Invicta at the weekend.

Dixon was pleased with his side’s capital gains and said: “Cracking three points. A good, solid performance as well, only marred by letting in a goal in the last couple of minutes, which was a bit disappointing. It would have been good to keep a clean sheet.”

Dixon has seen his players’ hard graft pay off in an Aylesham based gym over the recent bad weather.

”Unfortunately we’ve not been able to do anything with the ball, but we’ve kept our fitness up with the help of a couple of young ladies who have done spin classes and aerobics as well and the lads’ enjoyed that,” said Dixon.

”It’s always good to do something different to mix it up a little bit. The spin session was amazing. I don’t think I’ve seen the lads’ sweat so much! I’m sure they appreciated it. It kept them on their toes!

”We kept going for 90 minutes on Saturday – our fitness levels were really good.”

When asked how he keeps his squad motivated to keep performing during the long, dark winter months, Dixon replied, “It’s keeping it interesting. It’s hard this time of the year to find venues at the best of times. You can’t train at your own ground like some clubs do, even Maidstone’s 3G pitch fell foul to the weather. Sometimes over the Christmas period, if you use a school facility, they’re shut.

”It’s getting the best out of them at the best possible type of facility. We used a gym in Aylesham and they’ve been really useful. We’ve had a couple of sessions over there and it’s been really good to freshen things up a little bit. It’s keeping everyone together and keeping together as a team.”

Ramsgate travel to Surrey on Tuesday night to face a Walton Casuals side that are second-from-bottom in the table, five points clear of Three Bridges, who occupy the sole relegation spot.

Walton Casuals are managed by Danny Carroll, a popular midfielder who played for Bromley in the George Wakeling era.

”As we keep saying all season, no game is easy in this league and they’ve already beaten us at home so we certainly won’t take the game lightly,” said Dixon.

”It’s a bit off an Achilles heel this year, the team’s at the bottom. Our performances haven’t been great but we need to address that and bring another three points on to the board.

”Again, the last two away games, Tooting & Mitcham and Whitstable, we’ve got good wins in those fixtures and it will be a very similar game tomorrow. We have to be up for the fight.”

Thirteenth-placed Chipstead, who are only four points behind the Rams, visit Southwood Stadium on Saturday.

Dixon said: ”Another team that are pretty inconsistent. We lost to them a couple of months back. I thought they played alright that day but we were very poor. It was probably our worst performance of the season so it’s back to our home ground after a couple of games on the road, where we need to put on a performance.”

Ramsgate have eighteen league games – and at least one Kent Senior Cup tie – to fit in during the last three months of the season.

”That’s why you have to have a fairly decent squad and they’ll all play a part between now and the end of the season,” said Dixon.

”We’re still involved in the Kent Senior Cup as well so we’re playing Saturday-Tuesday-Saturday for quite some time now. It is a testing time.

”We don’t want to pick up too many injuries or suspensions and keeping the squad together as a tight unit is vital.

”I’ve only got James Sherman who is missing. He’s got a previous engagement so he’s away for a week, which is disappointing because he scored on Saturday and his performances have been very good.

”On the plus side, Tom Chapman came back for his first game for about seven or eight weeks and scored. He looks fighting fit and raring to go. It’s like a new signing.”

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

Walton Casuals v Ramsgate
Ryman League Division One South
Saturday 29^th January 2013
Kick Off 7:45pm
at The Waterside Stadium, Waterside Drive, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey KT12 2JP