Thamesmead Town 0-4 Ramsgate - Rams negotiate to extend Turner's loan spell

Turner arrived at the club on a month’s loan deal from Blue Square outfit Welling United just before Christmas and has impressed the Ward brothers with his exceptional goalkeeping.

And he put in yet another commanding display at Thamesmead Town tonight, as the holders eased their way into the fourth round of the Ryman League Cup.

Ramsgate, who made four changes to the side that fought back from a two-goal deficit to score two late goals to force a draw at high-flying Tonbridge Angels on Saturday, capitalised on a mistake from Mead left-back, Danny Moore to open the scoring after just 206 seconds of this comfortable victory at Bayliss Avenue.

Moore attempted to roll the ball back to his goalkeeper Tony Kessell, but striker Jay May intercepted the pass and rounded his former Dartford team-mate to slot the ball into an empty net, finding the bottom right-hand corner.

It was not the start that Thamesmead Town had wanted, especially as this game was the only Ryman fixture to survive the cold wintry blast that had postponed every single game the previous two nights.

This game had passed pitch inspections at both 2pm and 4pm, but in truth, Thamesmead Town were outclassed by their Ryman Premier League opponents.

But had Thamesmead Town, who made three changes from Saturday, and were without former Ramsgate striker, Byron Walker, who was cup-tied, and Pedro Knight (away in Spain), equalised within three minutes of May’s opener, then it might have been a different outcome.

Turner pulled off the type of save that entices the Ward brothers to tie him down to the club for the remainder of the season, when he dived full length to his left to turn around Lewis Wood’s right-footed shot from the edge of the box, which was destined to roll into the bottom far corner.

The holders were never going to release their grip on the silverware, beating AFC Sudbury on penalties, at Dartford’s Princes Park Stadium last April.

Kessell was called into action, following Ramsgate’s first corner of the game, after 21 minutes.

Andy Hadden exchanged a one-two with Tom Wynter following his right-sided corner kick, and Hadden’s low cross was met by Ben Brown’s drilled shot, which was comfortably saved by the goalkeeper.

Five minutes later, a delightful through ball from right-back Jake Eastwood released May, but his right-footed angled shot flashed agonisingly past the far post.

Then, Wynter’s right-sided corner was flicked on by May and the impressive Tom Tsangarides’ bicycle kick was comfortably saved by the agile Kessell.

So it was no surprise when Ramsgate deservedly doubled their lead in the 35^th minute.

Kessell came rushing out of his penalty area to clear the ball away from the advancing May, but his clearance fell straight to Brown and the right-sided midfielder produced a quality finish, chipping the ball over Tom Hopkins on the line from 35-yards.

Thamesmead’s next two chances of the game, however, arrived courtesy of two Lee Dawson headers.

On the stroke of half-time, Scot Mulholland delivered a 35-yard free-kick from the right and teenage right-sided midfielder Dawson glanced his header straight into Turner’s grateful arms.

Ramsgate quickly broke away and Brown’s prodded shot was blocked by the advancing Kessell and the driven follow up shot from Andy Hadden was cleared off the line by Jack Hopkins, alert on the left hand post.

Thamesmead enjoyed a good spell during the early stages of the second half and if Dawson had powered his header either side of Turner, than it might have been a different outcome.

But the hosts were made to pay for that miss as Ramsgate went on to add two more goals in the second half.

Brown whipped in an excellent low cross from the right and Tsangarides tucked the ball home past Kessell to made it 3-0 in the 57^th minute.

Nine minutes later Tsangarides’ curling shot from the left agonisingly bounced off the far post after substitute Dean Powell flicked on Seb Schoburgh’s right-wing cross.

Thamesmead striker, Lewis Wood, was unlucky when his dipping right-footed effort just missed the right-hand post with twenty minutes remaining.

But Ramsgate’s completed the scoring a minute later when Brown’s corner from the right was flicked on by striker Tsangarides and skipper Nick Davis applied the finishing touch from close range.

Thamesmead played some good football on a bobbly pitch, but didn’t have the quality to trouble a confident back four and, as Danny Ward puts it, “We’ve got the best goalkeeper in Kent.”

Speaking about Turner, to www.kentishfootball.co.uk inside the clubhouse afterwards, Danny added: “We’re speaking to him at the moment about extending his loan.

“Jamie wants to stay, we want him to stay, so it’s all about speaking about deals.”

The younger Ward brother sees Turner as the ideal replacement for Paul Wilkerson, who left the club at the end of last season.

“We’ve never really replaced Paul Wilkerson,” he explained. “He lived so far away (Stevenage), couldn’t train and money and such things, but we never got rid of him.

“We took the best keeper in the Kent League in Jack Delo (who is currently on loan at Ryman One South side Folkestone Invicta). He’s time will come but Jamie’s quality - probably the best in Kent.”

For Thamesmead Town boss Keith McMahon, he remained upbeat despite tonight’s heavy defeat and says his youngsters impressed.

“Disappointed with the goals conceded,” McMahon, speaking to www.kentishfootball.co.uk inside the home dressing room said afterwards. “A few plusses, we had a few youngsters who done really well.

“I didn’t feel it was a four-nil scoreline if I’m honest, but you’ve got to take the plusses away.

“I’m disappointed with the way we defended for all four goals really but we’ve played quite a few youngsters and they gave us some plusses.

“We knew we’d be up against it a bit, but I didn’t think there was a difference in class to be fair. I knew they rested a few as well but they took their chances. We gifted them a goal after four minutes, it’s suicide really, and a second goal as well.”

McMahon, meanwhile, rued those missed headers from Dawson and praised Turner for his early save from Wood.

“We had a couple of great chances, a couple of headers, which went straight at him,” reflected McMahon.

“He made a great save at 1-0 from Lew Wood, when he’s pushed it round the post.

“We were 2-0 down and we’ve bossed it for twenty minutes and we kept them in their box and young Lee Dawson had a header three yards out straight at him.”

McMahon added: “I didn’t expect to come here and turn Ramsgate over, but it was always a bit of a guidance to look at the next level.

“Ramsgate have come up through the Kent League for the last three or four years and their budget and their club is bigger than ours.

“We’ve always said we’re punching above our weight at our level but technically they’ve got some excellent players. When you can get players like Jay May from Dartford and I know their skipper, Nick Davis, then they’re going to be up there. Jim (Ward) always has a big, strong side together.

“I’ve got no complaints with the result. I didn’t think it was a 4-0 result, but we’ve got ourselves to blame for some of them.”

Thamesmead Town: Tony Kessell, Jack Hopkins, Danny Moore (Laurence Collins 61), James Brown, Lew Watts, Tom Hopkins (Chris Borchescu 67), Scot Mulholland, Robbie Tarrant, Lewis Wood, Steve White (Gabriel Momodu 80), Lee Dawson.
Subs: Curtis Williams, Adam Woodward.

Booked: Lew Watts 75

Ramsgate: Jamie Turner, Jamie Eastwood, Tom Wynter, Nick Davis, Andy Hadden (Ben Laslett 54), Dan Tanner, Ben Brown, Simon Pettit (Warren Schulz 64), Jay May (Dean Powell 64), Tom Tsangarides, Seb Schoburgh.
Subs: Ryan Royston, Steffan Ball.

Goals: Jay May 4, Ben Brown 35, Tom Tsangarides 57, Nick Davis 71

Attendance: 58
Referee: Mr David Buck (Istead Rise)
Assistants: Mr Keith Scudder (Gravesend) & Mr Daniel Wyatt (Orpington)