Tonbridge Angels 0-1 Ramsgate - Dolby complains about more poor refereeing - EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

TONBRIDGE ANGELS 0-1 RAMSGATE
Kent Senior Cup Quarter-Final
Monday 19^th March 2007
Stephen McCartney reports from Betterview Longmead Stadium

Ramsgate booked their place in the semi-finals of the Kent Senior Cup for the second successive season tonight - with victory over nine-man Tonbridge Angels.

The only goal of a poor game was scored after just 124 seconds when Akwasi Edusei punished a blunder from Matt Bromby.

The reserve team goalkeeper was handed his second start of the season but he gifted the former Welling United striker his first goal in Ramsgate colours, which sent the Thanet side through to the last four.

The former Tunbridge Wells, Hastings United and Maidstone United goalkeeper, completely air-shot his clearance and Edusei accepted the early gift to roll his right-footed shot from twelve yards just inside the right post of an empty net.

It was to be a miserable night for Tonbridge Angels as they also finished this dire game with nine-men as Ray Powell and Scott Kinch were sent off late in the game.

And 37-goal striker Jon Main, 26, wasn’t at the ground either as he is due to play for Wolverhampton Wanderers’ reserve team tomorrow.

But Angels’ manager Tony Dolby did reveal that he will be without Irish goalkeeper Aaron Kerr for the remainder of the season due to a knee injury.

“It’s pretty bad actually,” he said EXCLUSIVELY to www.kentishfootball.couk:  “I’ll be surprised if we see him again this season.”

After his earlier set-back, Bromby wasn’t going to be beaten again, especially from Ashley Burton’s deflected left-footed shot after 13 minutes and a from James Gregory’s cross which looped off Angels' skipper, Steve Aris, ten minutes later.

Despite enjoying plenty of the possession, it took the hosts 35 minutes to fashion their first attempt on goal.

Matt Lovell’s cross from the left was knocked down by Fraser Logan, who was playing up front with Powell, and Kinch’s 25-yards drive deflected past the far post for their first corner of the game.

However, the first chance of the second half arrived in the 61^st minute when Bromby got down low to prevent Lee Minshull scoring from ten-yards.

And Ramsgate substitute Stuart Vahid squandered two excellent chances within the space of three minutes to enable them to put the game beyond an off-colour Tonbridge side.

Vahid latched onto Shaun Welford’s defensive splitting pass and lifted the ball over the advancing Bromby, only to see the ball drift past the far post.

Then, after getting the better of Aris, Vahid dragged his shot past the far post from a good position on the right hand side.

Ramsgate went close again when Minshull floated a cross into the Angels’ penalty area but unmarked substitute Andy Hadden glanced his header over from eight-yards.

Subdued Tonbridge finally tested visiting goalkeeper Paul Wilkerson in the 73^rd minute when he saved Scott Gooding’s shot with the legs, after the former Gravesend & Northfleet defender played a one-two with Robbie Kember on the right hand side.

But the game turned into a farce for the loyal 139 fans - Angels' lowest of the season - that braved the cold snap to watch these two Ryman Premier League sides in county cup action.

Powell, who was booked earlier in the second half, was shown his second yellow card and then a red with twelve minutes remaining after retaliating after James Gregory went in on him with two meaty challenges beside the touchline.

Poor officiating caused two melee’s to occur late in the game and in one of them, in the 86^th minute, Kinch was shown a straight red card from Maidstone referee Mr Stuart Baker, following an incident with Minshull.

And Dolby is sick to death with poor match officials at home games.

He said: “Although we didn’t play fantastically well tonight, wasn’t great conditions etc, 48 hours after another game it wasn’t going to be the most entertaining game in the world.

“But to give a goal away as early and the way we did was a bit disappointing but again, unfortunately it’s the men in black that has caused us the most concern tonight.”

Speaking about the incidents when Powell and Kinch were sent off, Dolby admitted he’s being told two different sides of the story.

He said: “I just get mixed views of referee and linesmen. You speak to the linesman about what he’s seen and different interpretations of different things.

“I’ve gone in at the end and the ref’s just said the first one he booked Ray (Powell) for back-chatting because he didn’t agree with a decision.

“And Ray told me he booked him for a late challenge and the second one Ray’s just said he held his ground and the referee’s just said he hit him in the mid-rift.

“Scott Kinch, I think, there was some handbags on the floor, which the ref said was nothing and he could have cautioned both players, although he didn’t caution theirs at all and then three of their guys went round him and he sort of lifted his arm up in their face and he deemed that a sending off.

“I mean you can’t raise your hand. I agree with that.

“I think Ramsgate will admit coming with a game plan to try to wind us up and get up our noses etc but there’s obviously an element of a lack of discipline from our boys and that’s not really acceptable - we should have rose above that.

“We needed eleven men on the pitch, we needed people to be big and strong in a different way and not in the aggressive nature.”

Ramsgate manager Jim Ward, however, was delighted to have progressed into the semi-finals again - keeping their third successive clean sheet in the process.

“Tonight’s game was no different from what I thought it would be when I got here - blood and thunder,” he said EXCLUSIVLEY to www.kentishfootball.co.uk.

“My keeper’s made one save with his feet, their goalkeeper’s made only three or four the whole night so it wasn’t great.

“I thought it was a good game to watch, I thought it was exciting. The quality at times maybe wasn’t brilliant but I’m pleased we’ve got through.”

Speaking about the red cards dished out to Powell and Kinch, Ward said: “Just shows you how much people want to win games really.

“The two lads who got sent-off were both for retaliation. Ok, you can call them silly but at the end of the day they’re both very competitive, both should have known better but they’re trying to win the game.”

Ward praised the support his team got from the fans that made the trip from east to west on a bitterly cold Monday night.

He said: “Superb. There was loads of competition tonight. There was only140 here tonight and I think we brought 40 people with us.

“There was really good football on TV tonight, a cold night, the coldest day we’ve had for three or four weeks and our crowd have still turned up.

“And I’m glad the boys have put a show on and at least we’ve got the result.”