Kentish Football 
Ramsgate 1-2 Whitstable Town - It was a day for heroes, hails Whitstable boss Justin Luchford
Tuesday 27th December 2011
RAMSGATE 1-2 WHITSTABLE TOWN
Ryman League Division One South
Tuesday 27th December 2011
Mike Green reports from Southwood Stadium
What more could you wish for from a Bank Holiday afternoon - an end to end local derby packed with incident and controversy that kept the 300 plus crowd thoroughly engrossed throughout was certainly what the doctor ordered!
After Whitstable Town raced into a two goal lead against ten men before themselves being reduced to ten which allowed Ramsgate a sniff at a point that they only grabbed in stoppage time from a very unlikely source.
Justin Luchford the Whitstable boss was naturally very happy after the game.
He said: “At last! “I've seen one of my teams play out there and give we absolutely everything for the cause - Marc Cumberbatch arrived at five to three and was an absolute lion for us in the first half before his ankle swelled up when he took his boot off at half time.
“It was a day for heroes; people who have gone through the pain barrier. We shouldn't have had the players available to play the game today. I've asked them to do me a favour and play today as we couldn't afford to have come here today short staffed to face a very good Ramsgate side."
Luchford went on, "It was a crazy game wasn't it - it really was a true derby game and to get the result - to beat a very good Ramsgate side on their own patch is sow pleasing.
“Jim's been there and done it - he's won this League and gone to the next League; he's done it all as he sets his teams is always difficult to get a result especially here - so yes you could say that I'm very happy tonight."
Ramsgate boss Jim Ward on the other and wasn't too happy.
"Well that's just about ruined my Christmas! I just said to the players that if we were in the middle of a good run, we've played a side today who to me look like they deserve to be in the bottom four, and we've lost 2-1 to them thanks to a couple of really poor defensive plays, and we've made it easy for the referee as Pascal should have been sent off - no doubts that it was a sending off - perhaps their man could have gone too, but he's got away with it - and then our goalkeeper's made an almighty blunder and gifted them the second goal.
“We had the ten men playing the eleven, and we were the better side by a mile. They'll be those that go away today and say that the difference between the two sides were the two keepers - ours made the mistake and there’s was outstanding.
“One thing that I have told the players tonight is that if you we want be successful in this League we can’t lose home games particular to sides in the bottom four."
The game was only 30 seconds old when former Oysterman Ian Pulman raced clear, and as the Ramsgate number nine played in Stephen O'Brien, the wide man drilled his shot into the side netting.
From their first attack, the visitors were in front. Damien Abel was allowed time to hold the ball up on the edge of the box before laying it into the path of Scott Heard who blasted Whitstable in a seventh minute lead - a lead that they lead reasonably comfortably until half time.
Not that that was the last of the chances - indeed the home side could have been level almost immediately as Liam Quinn's header was agonisingly close from Dean Grant’s cross.
Abel then almost defied the angles forcing Danny Twyman into a smart block which was well turned aside, before at the other end Whitstable keeper Jack Smelt produced a fine save 25th minute save to deny a Ben Laslett free kick.
The game was really stretched and shortly after, Twyman produced another magnificent save to deny Abel as the striker sprinted through one on one - the rebound fell to Heard who couldn't keep the shot down.
Laslett then thundered a volley just a fraction too high as a cleared corner fell to on the edge of the visitors box on 31 minutes, before Stephen O'Brien’s centre was met by Quinn's header but the Rams skipper for a second time flew just past the far post.
And so to the second half - and what a 45 minutes it was!
Both sides made changes at the break and one of them was to have an immediate impact.
Ward introduced Pascal Ebigbo, and almost immediately the Rams got some reward as the sub raced past the Whitstable defence and put over the almost perfect cross that had Smelt back pedalling furiously as the ball agonisingly (for the home side at least) dropped onto the roof of the net!
Then on 49 minutes the game took a huge turn Whitstable's way. Dan Wisker scythed down Ebigbo, and as the Ramsgate sub lay on the floor Wisker appeared to lean over him and whatever he said or did it clearly upset the young sub who jumped to his feet swinging.
Unfortunately for Ebigbo he connected with Gary Sayer, and was rightly sent off -Wisker on the other hand was perhaps a touch fortunate "only" to be shown a yellow.
Visiting boss Luchford, said of the sending off, "It’s daft isn't it that a sending off gees them up more than us. I'm sorry to see anyone sent off, but the lads raised his hands to one of our players. We all know that players on the pitch have their own tete a tete's and exchange opinions - I'm sure Dan probably told him that he's a diving whatever and get up or whatever. But whatever happens you cannot raise your hands to anyone in the game these days."
Ebigbo's manager was far from happy with his player. "The boys been on the pitch for four minutes and frightened the life out of the full back three times which is why they tried to drag him back to his feet. They got away with it - fair play - Pascal's reacted and lifted his hands and made it easy for the referee.”
A man down and chasing the game, the Rams boss introduced one of his able lieutenants Warren Schulz on 56 minutes, and Schulz had an immediate effect at recharging his side.
Seeing Schulz left out of the starting line up drew this comment from Whitstable boos Luchford. "I was absolutely delighted to see Warren on the bench beforehand," he said. "It was just as well as he was absolutely phenomenal when he came on and changed the game."
On 62 minutes Stuart Vahid was twice denied in quick succession - he first forced Smelt into a fine save and following up the keeper denied the Ramsgate striker with a fine stop with his right boot.
Schulz then forced Smelt into another excellent save on 68 minutes after Pulman had done well - the Whitstable keeper going full length to turn aside a fierce low drive, before the game was effectively sealed by a horrendous mistake at the other end.
In attempting to clear the ball long up field as he'd done for most of the day, Tywman made an absolute pigs ear of his clearance and it only went straight to Abel, who from 20 yards simply wrapped the gift with "ribbon and a tag" and rolled the ball into the empty net for arguably the biggest gift of this football festive period!
Whitstable were then also reduced to ten men as Shane Hamshare was cautioned for a second time as he collided with Pulman in midfield - some felt that the decision was a touch soft, but the official was in little doubt, immediately pulling out the yellow and red card, leaving numbers equal for the closing 12 minutes.
O'Brien’s free kick was met by a fierce header from Joe Dolan who was only denied by a great goal line clearance by Sayer.
Ramsgate went even closer on 86 minutes, when a Schulz through ball found Pulman, who curled the ball round Smelt but the ball just didn't curl enough and kissed the outside of the right post before rebounding to safety.
Pulman finally got some reward for his tireless running in the 89th minute when he got on the end of a great pass from Luke Wheatley and taking the ball in his stride, the former Oysterman this time struck a great low shot beyond Smelt and into the bottom corner.
Try as they might the home side couldn't force an equaliser despite forcing a series of corners which even had keeper Twyman up from the back - and from one of them Twyman's near post flick was scrambled off the line by Sayer as Whitstable held out as the home side craved equaliser that just wouldn't come.
After the game, Ward re iterated just how difficult it is for a Kent side to win the Division.
He said: "There's seven of us and we're all playing one another and beating up on each other, whilst your Bognor's and your Whitehawk's don't get the same pressure that we do from those games, but whatever I say tonight we've made two bad mistakes today and that's what's cost us three points this afternoon.”
Ramsgate: Danny Twyman, Ollie Gray (Gareth Cornhill 46), Peter Wedgeworth (Warren Schulz 56), Luke Wheatley, Liam Quinn, Ben Laslett, Dean Grant (Pascal Ebigbo 46), Joe Dolan, Ian Pulman, Simon Pettit, Stephen O'Brien.
Subs: Joe Taylor, Brett Mills
Goal: Ian Pulman 87
Booked: Luke Wheatley 19, Ian Pulman 52, Liam Quinn 90
Whitstable Town: Jack Smelt, Alfie Munday, Gary Sayer, Shane Hamshare, Steven Lloyd, Marc Cumberbatch (John Paul Collier 46), Dane Luchford, Dan Wisker (Gary Mickleborough 65), Stuart Vahid, Damien Abel (Joe Hitchings 88), Scott Heard.
Subs: Ryan Morbey, Giga Zulmatashvilli
Goals: Scott Heard 7, Damien Abel 69
Booked: Alfie Munday 25, Dan Wisker 49, Shane Hamshare 60, Dane Luchford 85
Sent off : Shane Hamshare 78
Attendance 304
Referee: Mr David Spain (Westfield, East Sussex)
Assistants: Mr Ben Wesley (Dover) & Mr Michael Marsh (Herne Bay)
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