Ramsgate 1-1 Margate - Referee takes flack as nine cards are produced in Battle of Thanet

Saturday 01st August 2009

RAMSGATE 1-1 MARGATE

(Margate won 2-1 on aggregate)
Thanet Gazette Cup Second Leg - Pre-Season Friendly
Saturday 1st August 2009
Stephen McCartney reports from Southwood Stadium

THERE is no such thing as a friendly when these two Thanet sides clash. Referee Mr Richard Joss dished out SEVEN of the NINE bookings to the Rams as their bitter-rivals Margate walked away with the Thanet Gazette Cup today.

Although scores finished level during this Southwood Stadium contest, it was the blue side of Thanet that picked up their first piece of silverware of the season. Although the players didn’t celebrate their success, the silverware was in Margate’s company inside the boardroom afterwards.

Curtis Robinson’s strike during the first leg at Hartsdown Park in midweek proved to be the crucial moment during the 180 minutes of derby football, as both sides played out a hard-fought draw in front of 370 supporters.

But both managers complained that Ramsgate based referee Mr Joss dished out yellow cards like confetti and made some strange decisions.

The Rams were eager to get back on level terms in the tie and they had an eighth minute header ruled out for offside.

Left-winger Sam Jones, who seems rejuvenated following a successful spell with Ryman Premier League champions Dover Athletic, played his part.

Twisting and turning Margate’s Luke Wheatley, Jones delivered an excellent cross for Warren Schulz at the far post, who did well to nod the ball back to Simon Pettit, who headed the ball across the goalkeeper to find the bottom far corner.

However, Ramsgate’s celebrations were halted by an offside flag, which was raised as soon as Schulz stretched to head the ball back to his team-mate.

Ramsgate goalkeeper Shaun Alliston was called into making a comfortable save when Aaron Lacy drove a right-footed effort from 25-yards, straight into the goalkeeper’s arms.

Margate goalkeeper Pat Mullin was called into action after 17 minutes when he blocked Simon Pettit’s swept shot at the near post.

Margate did create another couple of chances during the opening 20 minutes, but efforts from Lloyd Blackman and Robinson were off target.

But Margate doubled their aggregate advantage with a fine goal which must have been worked on the training ground.

It arrived in the 28th minute when Joe Healey delivered a corner kick from the right and Blackman nipped in front of his marker Jason Dolby at the near post to head past Allinston, who committed the cardinal sin of being beaten at his near post, from just six-yards.

But Ramsgate were lifted as a fine goal brought them level on the day with six minutes of a lively first half remaining.

Long-serving skipper Schulz stroked the ball towards the far side with his right foot to play in Ben Brown, who did excellently to dink the ball over the advancing Mullin, and as defender Jack Haverson failed to get back to clear the ball off the line at the far post, the Rams’ were able to celebrate.

Schulz was almost the Ramsgate hero when he met a booming cross from the right with a downward header, which bounced agonisingly off the near post, and Mullin did what he does best by preventing the ball crossing the line.

On this performance, Ramsgate are now a side that try and keep the ball on the ground, and they called the Margate goalkeeper into early second half action.

Once again, Jones’ skill created the chance when his left-flank cross was met by Pettit’s looping header, which was plucked out of the air from just beneath his crossbar by Mullin.

However, a controversial moment almost gave Margate the lead in the 55th minute.

Striker Blackman conned the referee when he took to the ground too easily following Schulz effort to clear the ball from inside his penalty area.

Ramsgate hotly disputed the decision, Schulz, Jones and Andy Hadden joined Dolby (who was booked earlier in the game and was then lucky not to be red carded for a foul on Blackman on the hour-mark) in the referee’s note book.

The delay certainly helped Ramsgate as Blackman’s right-footed penalty brought a smart low diving save from Alliston to the delight of the Rams’ faithful, who thought justice had certainly been done!

With numerous substitutions and bookings occurring, any chance of witnessing a repeat of the good football of the first half, was none existent.

Alliston denied Dave Cory from scoring at the far post following Wayne Wilson’s corner from the left and the Rams goalkeeper dived to tip away Blackman’s cross-cum-shot after the striker cut in from the left - and another one from the right.

Ramsgate almost forced a penalty shoot-out late on when Brown’s run and cut back from the right was struck first time by substitute Aaron Firth at the near post, but the former Herne Bay striker brought a fine save out of Mullin.

Both managers, who were speaking to www.kentishfootball.co.uk in the boardroom afterwards, were of the same opinion that referee Mr Joss was too quick in dishing out nine yellow cards in what was supposed to be a pre-season friendly.

Margate boss Terry Yorath said: “Myself and Jim (Ward) had a talk with the referee before the game and we said to him if there’s going to be any problems to give us a shout and obviously he didn’t listen to what we were saying.

“He knew best sometimes, players were getting booked for silly things and I just felt he got completely lost in the game.

“I don’t like criticising referees, a performance like that when the public come and pay money to watch the game and it’s getting stopped all the time and everyone’s getting booked every five minutes, ok, you can turn round and blame the players and blame myself and Jim, but that’s not the case.

“The referee went into the game wanting to book players. I talked to him an hour before the game and that’s was the one thing on his mind.

“I think the referee’s have got to start somewhere to get experience. Sometimes people with experience are better refereeing games like that today.”

When asked if he took any positives out of the derby game, the Welsh legend replied, “Not really. Ramsgate at times were better than us.”

And Yorath admitted Mr Joss was wrong to give his side a penalty early in the second half.

“I think it could’ve been, it probably wasn’t (a penalty),” he admitted. “It doesn’t matter really because we didn’t score it anyway. What matters is the players came through it without getting injuries and unfortunately everyone’s talking about the referee.”

Scotsman Jim Ward agreed with Yorath’s comments.

“Well, (it was) too start and stop for me,” said Ramsgate boss Jim Ward, when speaking to www.kentishfootball.co.uk.

“The referee’s got himself in a bit of a twizzle. He was the linesman on Tuesday night when it was a bit of a lively encounter and he told me and Terry Yorath, the manager of Margate, he’s not standing for it - and he certainly didn’t stand for it!

“You use these games as a training thing, and nobody got fit today because it was stopped all over the place.”

Speaking about the bizarre second half, which saw eight of the yellow cards brandished, Ward said, “I’ve not seen anything like it in all my life! Maybe the game was too big, I don’t know!

“It’s a football match (between) Ramsgate and Margate and all we’re talking about is the referee and the penalty, well, (Lloyd) Blackman was a yard away from the incident when he fell over, well, shall we say, you know what I mean!”

When asked whether it was a spot-kick, Ward replied, “Never in a million years and Blackman will tell you the same thing!”

And when asked about today’s positives, Ward replied, “I thought we scored a perfectly good goal before that (Brown strike), Warren Schulz was never offside.

“Positives from it? Yes!” And he added: “It’s probably not the best we’ve played this pre-season, but we’ve done things that I thought was good.

“It was too open for me the game. The whole game was open. Yes, we’ll go away and look at the video. The pitch was beautiful. If that’s not the best pitch in Kent, I don’t know what is!”

Ramsgate: Shaun Alliston, Andy Hadden (Curtis Winnett 61, Gary Mickelborough 65), James Gregory, Jason Dolby, Will Graham (Ollie Gray 46), Ben Laslett, Ben Brown, Warren Schulz, Sam Jones, Simon Pettit (Liam Quinn 61), Tom Tsangarides (Aaron Firth 46).
Subs: Gary Lockyer, Dean Powell, Brett Mills.

Goal: Ben Brown 39

Booked: Jason Dolby 24, Sam Jones 54, Warren Schulz 54, Andy Hadden 55, Liam Quinn 73, Ben Brown 75, Aaron Firth 85

Margate: Pat Mullin, Luke Wheatley, Curtis Robinson, Ben Lewis (Dan Young 46), Kieran Morris, Jack Halverson (Kenny Pratt 57), Aaron Lacy (Sam Cliff 57), Wayne Wilson (Aaron Beech 66), Joe Healey, Lloyd Blackman, Dave Cory (Paul Axon 67).
Sub: Aleks Krunic.

Goal: Lloyd Blackman 28

Missed penalty: Lloyd Blackman 55

Booked: Wayne Wilson 61, Aaron Beech 77

Attendance: 370
Referee: Mr Richard Joss (Ramsgate)
Assistants: Mr Saul Kay (Sittingbourne) & Mr Dave Harnett