Ramsgate 1-1 Beckenham Town - It's a toss of a coin, whoever holds their nerve will get promoted, says Ramsgate assistant manager Nicky Southall

Ramsgate 1 – 1 Beckenham Town
Location	WW Martin Community Stadium, Prices Avenue, Ramsgate, Kent CT11 0AN
Kickoff	08/04/2023 15:00

RAMSGATE  1-1  BECKENHAM TOWN
Isthmian League South East Division
Easter Saturday 8 April 2023
Stephen McCartney reports

RAMSGATE assistant manager Nicky Southall says the teams that will hold their nerve in this enthralling Isthmian League South East Division promotion race will be promoted in the next 20 days.

 

Ramsgate extended their unbeaten run to 13 games (including one cup tie) since centre-half Jamie Coyle replaced Steve Lovell on 2 February – but seven of those games have ended in draws and as a result the league leaders lost their place at the summit to Chatham Town, who host Ramsgate on Easter Monday.

Fifth-placed Beckenham Town were on course of being the first team to win here since 29 October, when Sevenoaks Town followed in the footsteps of fellow Kent sides Sheppey United and Faversham Town in claiming victories here in October.

Steven Townsend tapped in his eighth goal of the season to hand Jason Huntley’s men a deserved lead inside the opening 19 minutes.

However, this end-to-end clash finished just the same as the game at Eden Park Avenue on 7 February, all-square at 1-1, as Tijan Jadama headed in his 13^th goal of the season with just six minutes remaining to give dominant Ramsgate a deserved equaliser.

“Frustrating really, more than anything, we had enough chances. They had a few chances as well but I think if you look back their goalkeeper was probably man-of-the-match for them,” said Southall.

“We got into some really good areas, we just couldn’t find that killer cross, killer pass, whatever you want to call it.  It really does make a difference in terms of the game against Chatham, whether we both won, or both drew or both lost, one win, one loss, Chatham’s the game isn’t it?”

“Beckenham are a very good team. We went there and drew 1-1 with them earlier in the season. They’re a good team, got some good players, good forwards, so you’ve got to respect them.  I think they’re in the play-offs as well so for us a little bit tinged with disappointment but it doesn’t make any difference in terms of what we’ve got to come against on Monday against Chatham.”

Beckenham Town assistant manager Phil Wilson admitted: “I think before the game you’d be happy with a point.  I think as the game went on and the way we conceded the goal, we’re a bit disappointed not to come away with all three points.

“But I think in the grand scheme of things a point here, as well as we go into the rest of the last four games, we’ll take a good point here.

“We were in a good position at half-time but they came at us and no doubt they shaded the attacking side of the game in the second half.  But I think on chances, we probably had more clear-cut chances than them in the second half and we needed to capitalise on those chances to take a bit of pressure off.

“Ramsgate are a very good team, I think they’re 13 unbeaten now and you can see why.  They’re dogged, they work hard and they are good at what they do.

“It was like a game of basketball at times.  We needed to slow the game down in the second half and they’re used to the pitch.  We haven’t done well on 3G pitches this season and I think we needed to slow the game down at times to try to take the sting out of it. It was very difficult, which is a credit to them.”

Beckenham’s results on 3G pitches this season have seen them beat Lancing 3-2 in their first game at this level; draw Ashford United 2-2, before losing to Sevenoaks Town (0-4), Chatham Town (0-3), Sheppey United (1-5) and a 1-1 draw at Ramsgate today.

Ramsgate went into this game with back-to-back draws against Haywards Heath Town (3-3) and away to Chichester City (2-2) in midweek, while Beckenham Town suffered a heavy defeat at Sheppey United in their last outing 14 days ago.

Beckenham Town started this game well and created their first opening after only 149 seconds.

Ramsgate holding midfielder Denzelle Olopade gave the ball away some 35-yards out and Beckenham’s 26-goal talisman Louie Theophanous strode towards the edge of the box before dragging his right-footed shot across goalkeeper Josh Bexon and past the far post from 22-yards.

“It wasn’t really his day today really with his finishing. I don’t think he’s worked the keeper once, maybe one save on a tight angle,” said Wilson.

“We knew where Ramsgate’s weaknesses were and I thought in the first half more so we took advantage of that at times and as the game went on I thought our confidence grew in the game as well.”

Beckenham Town’s right-back Harvey Brand then rolled the ball out to holding midfielder Danny Waldren out on the right, who whipped in a great cross which Bexon went to punch away only for Nick Curran (playing in the number 10 role) to steer his header past the right-hand post.

“The keeper’s just got a touch on it. I don’t know whether it was a header or it hit his head but yes, it could’ve gone anywhere that header,” admitted Wilson.

“It was good work on that far side. We didn’t panic on the ball and Waldren put in a couple of good balls from that position there today.”

Ramsgate’s Ashley Miller – playing wide left in a three-man attack – cut inside and his right-footed drive from 25-yards took a deflection before flashing past the near post.

Beckenham Town goalkeeper Nick Blue had an outstanding Easter Saturday down on the Kent coast and was called into making the first of several saves in the tenth minute.

Miller floated a right-footed free-kick in from the left and Jadama guided his free downward header towards the bottom far corner, only for Blue to get down low to his left and hold on to the ball just in front of his goal-line beside the post.

Beckenham Town deserved their lead when it arrived with 18 minutes and 37 seconds on the clock.

Townsend played the ball to Waldren, who switched the play with a long precise diagonal over to Theophanous wide on the left touchline.  The striker had no support as Coyle came over to close him down but Theophanous cut into the box and fizzed over a low cross towards the near post.

Ramsgate’s left-back Tom Carlse had a chance to clear his lines but failed to and Townsend placed his left-footed shot into the bottom left-hand corner from six-yards.

“It was a great ball from Waldren.  We were screaming for it earlier.  I think Magic (Brissett) was in there as well and someone laid it back to Waldren and he's got that reverse pass and he’s played a great ball out to Louie and Steve was in the right place at the right time for a tap in,” said Wilson.

Southall added: “The goal came from us in good possession and we’ve given the ball away cheaply and they’ve broke on us.  We had a chance to clear it, miss-kicked it and it just fell for their boy in the six-yard box and he’s put it away but it's so avoidable in terms of that chance.

“It’s just frustrating.  It’s on Tom’s right foot, he’s left-footed, he’s held his hands up in the dressing room. He’s a man about it.  We seem to get punished for every little mistake at the moment.

“To be fair we dug in and we kept going and it looked like there was only going to be one team that was going to win the game.”

Ramsgate – who play out from the back before Coyle launches long balls forward – produced a well-worked move and were to be denied by Blue again in the 26^th minute.

Right-winger Gil Carvalho and Miller linked up inside the final third before Rowan Liburd shrugged past a couple of Beckenham players and found himself in a central position just on the edge of the box and his right-footed stinging drive forced Blue to use both of his hands to palm the ball up above his head and the ball looped up and drop over the crossbar and behind for the sixth of Ramsgate’s eight corners.

“That just shows you the keeper has played really well for them. He’s made some great saves.  On another day, those chances go in,” said a frustrated Southall.

Wilson, a retired goalkeeper, added: “You know what you’re going to get with Bluey. He’s been doing it his whole career in teams that are challenging at the top and to be challenging at the top you need a goalkeeper like Bluey.”

Ramsgate kept knocking on the door and Jadama played a one-two with Miller before cutting inside and past Jamarie Brissett before placing a low right-footed drive towards the bottom right-hand corner from 22-yards, which Blue dived to his left to hold once again.

Jack Paxman - who started in the middle of the park before moving over to the right-wing - wasn’t pressed in the 36^th minute, so decided to drill a right-footed drive flashing through a crowd of players and past the far post from 30-yards.

The impressive Jadama drove forward before playing the ball out to Carvalho out on the right and his angled drive deflected off Beckenham’s centre-half Mudiaga Wanogho and was destined to nestle inside the bottom near corner, only for Blue to dive to his left and grasp the ball in his safe pair of hands beside his near post.

Beckenham Town weathered that storm, however, and created three chances of their own to increase their lead, going into the interval.

Brissett and Freddie Nyhus linked up well and played in right-back Brand, who got in behind Ramsgate’s left-back Carlse, but his angled drive was kept out by Bexon’s legs.

Fifty-three seconds later, Waldren found himself out on the right wing again and he floated in a great cross into the middle where Theophanous’ free-header from eight-yards screamed over the crossbar.

“You want Louie to do better with the connection there. It was a great cross. I think it was just a little bit behind Louie but it just wasn’t his day today in front of goal,” admitted Wilson.

Southall added: “A late run, a good ball in. Their cross selection was probably better than ours.  You put in that kind of ball and ask questions of defenders and it's difficult to defend.  We didn’t put the right crosses in and it wasn’t really difficult for them to defend so that’s probably the main difference for us winning the game and getting three points.”

Brand then played the ball down the line to release Theophanous, who drilled an angled shot from just outside the corner of the box, which was comfortably dealt with by the Ramsgate goalkeeper.

Both Southall, who has played football professionally in every single tier of English football from the Premier League down to this level, the eighth-tier, during his career and Wilson were asked their thoughts at the break.

Southall said: “Just keep going, keep moving the ball. We thought the tempo was a little bit slow. We said keep going, get the chances, get the ball wide and get it up to the big man (Liburd) up top and hopefully they’ll tire.

“They looked like they were tiring but all the time that they’ve got something to hang onto, the longer the games goes on without you getting that equaliser, it just brings on the anxiety for the players, fans and everyone and you start taking shots from silly angles and there’s desperation.  It’s all about decision making, top players have that decision making.”

Wilson added: “We needed to slow the game down, make sure we’re not getting dragged out.  They move the ball well. We were happy with their centre-halves having the ball and playing longer football.  That’s not what they wanted to do really and I think we did particularly well when they were playing the ball up to their forwards and getting around them and making sure that they couldn’t do anything with it, so we were quite happy with it.

“We just wanted to take the sting out of the game and make it uglier because it was like basketball, end-to-end.”

Ramsgate dominated large chunks of the second half, as Beckenham Town had something to hang onto and fight for.

A quality first touch from Miller under pressure within the final third saw him thread the ball through to Liburd, who wriggled past his marker before stroking a right-footed shot straight at Blue from a central position 18-yards from goal after only 97 seconds, which set the tone.

Paxman fed the ball into Jadama in space, who then dragged his right-footed shot across Blue and flashing past the far post from 25-yards.

Ramsgate were building up slowly and patiently and Beckenham Town received a slice of luck in the 56^th minute.

Once the Rams got the well-worked move moving, Jadama linked up well with right-back Jerald Aboagye by playing a one-two before unleashing a right-footed stinging angled drive towards the top near corner from just outside the corner of the penalty area.

The ball crashed against the underside of the crossbar, dropped down and Carvalho’s acrobatics ensured the ball screamed over the crossbar.

Southall felt it did not cross the line, going by the reaction of the Ramsgate’s players.

“I thought TJ (Jadama) was absolutely incredible. He carried the team along, his work-rate and he’s too good for this level, in my opinion.

“I don’t think it was over the line. I’m not sure, I’m not at an angle I can see but I don’t think the boys appealed for it but it’s a great strike.  It’s hit the bar, come back off the line.

“It’s a bit of an awkward height for Gil. He’s tried the acrobatic, maybe he could’ve done a little bit better and kept composed and kept the ball alive and maybe pick a pass out.”

Wilson replied: “I did say that could’ve been in, the way it bounced back out, I would suggest it could’ve crossed the line.  It could easily have been a goal, I think.  You ride your luck sometimes and we earned a bit of luck throughout the season so if it was, then it wasn’t given.”

Beckenham Town put their bodies on the line to ensure Ramsgate didn’t force an equaliser around the hour-mark as Blue denied Liburd scoring with a low drilled shot and after pinball inside the box, Paxman floated the ball back into the box and Liburd guided his header past the right-hand post.

Coyle and Southall made changes between minute 63 and 77 as Blaise Riley-Snow operated in the middle of the park, Kane Rowland up front and Youssouf Bamba out on the right-wing.

Huntley and his management team, meanwhile, gave Waldren and Curran a breather, especially with their next outing coming in 48 hours’ time, with George Goodwin operating in midfield and Tunde Aderonmu out wide on the right.

You got the feeling that Ramsgate would be the team to score the next goal as Beckenham Town were hanging on at times but the away side should have snatched their second goal inside the final 15 minutes.

Brand fed the ball into Aderonmu, who played in the eight-goal Brissett and faced Bexon in a one-on-one but the Ramsgate goalkeeper came out on top in the dual, using his legs to make a big save at a key moment.

“I think that’s one of our clear-cut chances. It was probably the best chance of the second half, I think, for both teams,” said Wilson.

“Magic has got loads of quality, Louie ran across him as well, which I’m not sure whether that put him off slightly. It was a good save by the keeper but I did expect us to finish that.”

Southall added: “You talk about their goalkeeper but our goalkeeper’s made a few good saves as well. It’s good for Josh, he’s been beating himself up of late with goals going in.  He made a critical save at the time because we were trying to push forward to try to get the equaliser at the time.

“We went 4-4-2 at the end just to get two wide players and two strikers on at top and you’re going to leave yourselves a little bit open for those chances.  The gamble paid off and we got the point.”

Ramsgate missed a glorious chance to equalise just 50 seconds later.

Bamba hung over a great cross from the right wing for the unmarked Miller to head straight at Blue in the centre of his goal, just six yards out.

“It was a big moment and it probably fell to the wrong player in the box,” admitted Southall.

“Ash is not renowned for his heading and he know he isn’t.  He’s more of a one-v-one dribbler and has a little bit of quality when he comes into it. I think if it was anybody else, maybe Kane Rowland, I think we’ll be scoring but it was a great chance and probably one of our one and only decent crosses, apart from the goal that we scored from the corner.”

Wilson added: “That was probably one of the more clear-cut chances, fortunately he just headed it straight at Bluey really.  It almost took the sting out of the ball so it ended up being not much of a chance it he was in a good position.”

Theophanous had no support so had to hold the ball up inside the Ramsgate box and arch his run before getting his shot away, which he drilled past the foot of the near post but the 31-year-old cut a frustrated figure up there on his own.

But Ramsgate kept plugging away and Bamba skipped past Goodwin outside the Beckenham box and lacked composure and rolled his left-footed shot straight at Blue, who dropped down to his knees and comfortably picked the ball up.

Ramsgate’s goal was coming and it finally arrived following their final corner of the game, timed at 38 minutes and 18 seconds on the clock.

Bamba swung the ball in from the left and no one had tracked Jadama’s run to the near post and he capped off a good days work with a free header from inside the six-yard box, which screamed over Blue and into the roof of the net.

Southall said: “We deserved to score. It was a great run getting across at the near post and it’s a great header and he got ahead of the goalkeeper and the equaliser was fully deserved because we didn’t deserve to lose it.

“I’m pleased for TJ because I think he’s too good for this level, probably bordering on League standard. He’s all energy, his work-rate, his desire, he carries the team.  He defends for his life, he goes and attacks.

“He had a good chance right at the end when he went down the outside and got into the box and just over run it. He was exceptional and for me he was the stand-out player on that pitch.”

Wilson said: “That was probably the most important thing, when we’ve defended well as well as we have, for them to equaliser with a free header.

“I think he started on the edge of the box, run through a crowd and lost his man and it was a good move but it’s disappointing that somebody has that much time for a free header.”

There was still time for Ramsgate to keep pressing for a late winner, with Coyle launching forward yet another long ball out of defence, the ball was headed away by Beckenham centre-half Robert Carter and Bamba cut the ball onto his right-foot before drilling his 30-yarder screaming past the post.

Jadama then wriggled his way into the Beckenham Town box before hitting a left-footed shot which Blue used his legs to keep out to preserve a point.

Wilson said: “That’s what you get with Nick Blue. He’s a great character and he obviously makes saves like that in big games and you need a keeper like him.

“Bluey made a save with his leg, which is a great save but they didn’t really have clear-cut chances.  They resorted to a few balls that were put over the crossbar and snap shots at the edge of the box but everything was blocked and I thought we defended really well today.”

Beckenham Town could have snatched victory with the last kick of the game (50:48) after Townsend drew a foul out of Riley-Snow, 28-yards from goal.

Nyhus’ left-footed free-kick was comfortably caught by Bexon, as he stepped to his right, as this end-to-end basketball type football match finished in a draw.

“It was comfortable for the goalie, even know I might have caught that. Fred can hit a great free-kick, not today, it wasn’t to be,” added Wilson.

Kevin Hake’s Chatham Town reclaimed top spot with a 1-0 win at Lancing and have 70 points in the bag with three games remaining.

Ramsgate go there on Easter Monday and are two points behind, while Whitehawk remain in third place on 64 points. Cray Valley are fourth on 62 points and Beckenham Town retain the bottom play-off berth on 60 points, but with a game in hand.

Sheppey United (58 points), Hythe Town (58) and Ashford United (57) are still in with a shout of grabbing a play-off place with three league games remaining.

After Chatham, Coyle’s men welcome Whitehawk here on Saturday 15 April, before a final day trip to Ashford United on 22 April.

Beckenham Town, meanwhile, host ninth-placed Sevenoaks Town (51 points) on Easter Monday, before welcoming thirteenth-placed East Grinstead Town seven days later, before basement side Faversham Town arrive at Eden Park Avenue on Tuesday 18 April, before a trip to relegation threatened Burgess Hill Town (bottom three, 35 points and two points adrift of safety) on the final day.

“This draw gives us confidence going into that Sevenoaks game.  We know what to expect from Harry Hudson’s teams but I’m confident we can get three points on Monday and then we’ve got a run in in the final week of three games that are all winnable. We’ll see where we are in two weeks’ time,” said Wilson.

When asked about the enthralling battle for the top five, Wilson replied: “I think it’s so hard to call. It’s probably one of the most open ends to the season that I can remember.

“Ramsgate and Chatham are up there at the minute but there’s so many games where teams have still got to play each other that teams have to drop points in those play-off places.

“The message to our boys is that we’re in the position that we’re in, it’s ours to lose and give it a go and who knows where we will be.

“For the outside chance of maybe nicking it, then we have to win all four games, with the way the play-offs are. Hythe are quietly going about their business. I think they could well sneak in and we know Ashford had an off day yesterday (losing 2-1 at VCD Athletic), so they can pick points up still.  Sheppey can as well and we’ve got teams that have got things to play for.

“There’s not an easy game for anybody so I think there will be some interesting results but we’ve just got to not worry about what everyone else is doing, worry about our own business and we’ll see where we are at.

“Look, we’ve over achieved this season already. We would obviously be heartbroken if we didn’t get in there now because of the position that the boys have put themselves in but it will be a fantastic achievement for the club (to finish in the play-offs).”

Medway resident Southall cannot wait for the eagerly-anticipated top-of-the-table clash at Chatham Town.

“We’ve got to go to Chatham, a draw wouldn’t be the worst result, obviously, but we want to go there and win the game because of that’s what we want to do but that’s not going to be easy,” said former Gillingham midfielder Southall.

“We’ve got Whitehawk here as well and Ashford but listen, it’s all to play for. Nine points and it’s anybody’s game. It just makes the game on Monday against Chatham even bigger.”

When asked about the promotion battle, Southall replied: “It’s a toss of a coin, whoever holds their nerve, gets that little bit rub of the green, takes their chances when they come by, defends with vigour, siege mentality and hopefully refereeing decisions don’t spoil that along the way.

“This was always going to be a massive game anyway coming three games before the end of the season. We’ve been top of the league for a while, Chatham have and we’ve been on a roller-coaster. It just makes it even bigger.

“I live in Medway so I know how big the game is and I know a lot of friends and family, everyone is talking about the game, so what a game to look forward to and fingers crossed, we can come out and get something from the game.

“You want to be champions, obviously, you don’t want to go through the lottery of the play-offs, especially we’ve been there for most part of the season, but it’s in our hands.

“We’re well capable of beating them and they’re well capable of beating us so it’s a toss of a coin.

“The form you talk about, we’re 13 games unbeaten but in reality, you’d rather have lost two games maybe and win the other games that you’ve drawn because you end up with more points strangely.

“Everyone looks at we’re unbeaten but draws do keep momentum going but they can also hold you back as well.”

Ramsgate: Josh Bexon, Jerald Aboagye, Tom Carlse, Denzelle Olopade (Kane Rowland 63), Jamie Coyle, Taofiq Olomowewe, Ashley Miller (Blaise Riley-Snow 77), Jack Paxman, Tijan Jadama, Rowan Liburd, Gil Carvalho (Youssouf Bamba 69).
Subs: Callum Emptage, Ben Fitchett

Goal: Tijan Jadama 84

Booked: Taofiq Olomowewe 71

Beckenham Town: Nick Blue, Harvey Brand, Archie Johnson, Danny Waldren (Tunde Aderonmu 70), Mudiaga Wanogho, Robert Carter, Steven Townsend, Freddie Nyhus, Louie Theophanous, Nick Curran (George Goodwin 64), Jamarie Brissett.
Subs: Gassimu Jalloh, Yahaya Kamara, Alfie Bloomfield

Goal: Steven Townsend 19

Booked: Danny Waldren 21, Steven Townsend 66

Attendance: 1,062
Referee: Mr Simon Finnegan
Assistants: Mr Jamie Turner & Mr Christopher Cannon