Wealdstone 3-2 Ramsgate - They gave us a football lesson, admits Ramsgate boss Tim Dixon

WEALDSTONE  3-2  RAMSGATE
Ryman League Cup Second Round
Monday 15^th October 2012
Stephen McCartney reports from Grosvenor Vale

RAMSGATE boss Tim Dixon says he will take the positives out of their flattering 3-2 defeat at Wealdstone after the 2008 winners crashed out of the Ryman League Cup at the first hurdle.



Wealdstone went into this Second Round tie sitting in fourth-place in the Ryman Premier League table and with an unbeaten home record in the league, while Ramsgate lie in thirteenth-place in the Ryman League Division One South table with 12 points from nine league games.

And the gulf in class was clearly evident during the first half as Wealdstone fully deserved their 2-0 lead at the break courtesy of Polish striker Jacek Magzdinski and his attacking partner Shabazz Baidoo.

But Ben Laslett headed home his first goal of the season to bring Ramsgate back into the game with fifteen minutes – something that shouldn’t have been the case had the Stones not showed profligacy in front of goal.

Wealdstone ended any hopes of an unlikely Ramsgate fight-back when former Queens Park Rangers striker Baidoo scored his second of the night with nine minutes remaining, before Ian Pulman came off the bench to give the scoreline a flattering air of respectability when he pulled a second goal back for Ramsgate at the death.

“Well I think first half we had a bit of a football lesson from them,” admitted Dixon, 46, after the game.

“I thought they moved the ball around really well and we struggled to cope with them at times but I was happy with the character we showed to try to get back in the game.

“I think our goalkeeper had his best game. He kept us in the game quite a few times – a terrific performance – but a little bit upset with the way we defended. We didn’t work hard enough.”

Wealdstone manager Gordon Bartlett made five changes to his side for this game, leaving eight-goal star-striker Richard Jolly on the bench, whilst Dixon handed Spanish-born striker Jon Eguileor his first start.

And the nineteen-year-old, who is studying at Kent University in Canterbury, almost gave Ramsgate a dream start with only 40 seconds on the clock.

Ramsgate keeper Danny Twyman launched a huge free-kick into the Wealdstone penalty area and Eguleor cut inside and his right-footed drive deflected over Rikki Banks’ crossbar.

The Thanet side – fresh from their 2-1 win at Leatherhead at the weekend – started brightly and Laslett flashed a right-footed drive wide of the post from 25-yards after Curtis Robinson (who was later forced off through a thigh strain), Macauley Murray and Ashley Miller linked up well down the left.

But Twyman, who made a string of fantastic saves to keep Ramsgate in the game, was first called into action in the eleventh minute.

Laslett’s clearance was charged down by Magzdinski, who put Baidoo through on goal and his right-footed angled drive was blocked by the 32-year-old keeper’s stomach and Twyman easily gathered the loose ball at his near post.

Murray cracked a speculative right-footed drive from 30-yards, which sailed over the Wealdstone crossbar, before Wealdstone squandered some excellent chances to put the game beyond Ramsgate.

Nathan Webb exchanged a one-two with Tom Pett and dragged his right-footed shot across Twyman and past the far post in the eighteenth-minute.

But Ramsgate missed a decent chance when they almost grabbed the lead when Robinson ran forward down the left before feeding Sam Gore on the overlap and the left-back reached the by-line before whipping in a fine cross towards the far post and Tom Chapman hooked a right-footed shot straight at Banks at the second attempt from fourteen-yards.

Magzdinski – who was turned down by Dover Athletic after asking for too much money whilst on trial a few years back - was twice wasteful inside a minute when he drove two right-footed shots wide of the target.

Wealdstone continued to press and Twyman parried Alex Dyer’s low shot before Ramsgate tried their luck from 30-yards when Chapman stroked his right-footed shot towards goal, which bounced into Banks’ gloves beside the left-hand post.

But Wealdstone punished poor Ramsgate defending as they took a deserved 30^th minute lead.

The ball found its way out to the right, which released the impressive Baidoo, who unselfishly clipped the ball across and over Twyman for Magzdinski to apply the finish from close range at the far post.

“If you don’t retain possession at this standard of football you’ll get punished and we didn’t do that good enough as well,” bemoaned Dixon.

“That’s another point that we need to look at. When we did keep the ball I thought we looked pretty decent but we didn’t do it for long spells in the game, which we should’ve done.”

Wealdstone were then thwarted by Twyman, who was clearly Ramsgate’s man-of-the-match because his heroics kept the score down.

Magzdinski went on a weaving run through the Ramsgate defence and his right-footed curler was destined to find the top far corner but Twyman used his left hand to push the ball up and around the post.

Dyer’s resulting right-wing corner was met by a first time near-post shot from central defender Sean Cronin, which whistled just past the near post, before Cronin met another Dyer corner, this time from the left, with a downward header at the far post, which was flicked over by Twyman.

Ramsgate faced an uphill struggle when they went two-goals down four minutes before the break – and this time Twyman was at fault.

Dyer played a diagonal pass from inside the Wealdstone half and left-back Lee Chappell brought the ball under control with his chest and Twyman advanced off his line but failed to gather the ball and the loose ball fell at Baidoo’s feet, who slotted the ball into an empty net.

But Dixon refused to blame his keeper for his error,  saying, “I won’t give Danny too much of a hard time because he did make some terrific saves tonight so unfortunately that one didn’t go for him and we got punished but overall Danny’s display was phenomenal  tonight.  I think he kept us in the game about four or five times!”

However, Ramsgate should have done better when Dean Hill’s long ball out of defence put Robinson in a good position, but after cutting inside he stroked a weak left-footed shot which rolled into Banks’ gloves.

Wealdstone created a couple of good chances just before the break when Kurtney Brooks whipped in a low cross towards the far post and Pett’s right-footed shot on the turn forced Twyman into getting down low to his left to keep hold of the ball.

Pett then seemed destined to score when he only had the Ramsgate keeper to beat, but the keeper kept his composure to smother the ball at the left-winger’s feet after being rounded.

When asked his thoughts during the half-time interval, Dixon admitted: “It was a football lesson really!  I said to them at half-time if we go out and get a nil-nil second half I’ll be very happy with it because we applied ourselves better – we nearly did it!

“I think we won the second half 2-1 so I was quite pleased but we did get a lesson first half.

“We had to have some words at half-time to see if we could be better and it was tracking runners really.  They did it really well. They played at a really high tempo, which was good, but they’re a good team. They’re a well good drilled team and they play to their strengths.

“Overall though we were beaten by a better team tonight.”

Ramsgate nearly pulled a goal back with only 73 seconds on the clock when Eguileor’s right-footed shot on the turn was tipped around the post by the diving Banks.

Twyman then made a diving finger-tip save to deny Dyer, who cut into the penalty area and dinked his shot towards the bottom far corner.

And Dyer’s quickly taken free-kick should have been tucked away by Magzdinski, who glanced his header wide from six-yards after being left unmarked.

Dixon explained why he started with Eguileor and left Pulman on the bench for an hour.

He said: “I’ve brought the Spanish boy in. He’s at University in Canterbury. I wanted to try him from the start rather than chuck him on for 10-15 minutes.  To be fair he could’ve scored after 40 seconds, but overall, he’s only been here for a couple of weeks, it’s all new to him. I think the pace has caught up with him tonight, but we’ll keep persevering with him and give him a chance.  He’s a nice lad. He’s gelled with the rest of the players.” 

Robinson whipped in a cross from the left and Pulman’s right-footed curling effort deflected over the bar, which was the substitute’s first chance after 62 minutes.

But the Wealdstone faithful were left shaking their heads when their side allowed Ramsgate back into the game with fifteen minutes left.

Murray drove in a corner from the right towards the far post and Laslett sent a firm header into the near corner from six-yards out.

Dixon said: “To be fair we had a couple of corners and they never beat the first man so it was the first corner that was a decent sort of distance and Laslett got up and headed it into the net.  He doesn’t get many headers but very proud for him for that one!”

Dixon added: “We were a bit lucky tonight to be even in it second half. They should have been away a long time before that but you get a glimmer of hope and you keep going but that third goal killed it really.”

Twyman tipped over Baidoo’s right-footed angled drive before Wealdstone killed the game off with nine minutes remaining.

Webb played the ball over the top of a flat-footed Ramsgate back-four to put Baidoo through on goal and he dinked the ball across Twyman to find the bottom far corner to score from 12-yards.

Dixon added: “I thought it was a foul on the edge of their box on Warren (Schulz) but they broke away pretty sharp. As I say they play at a high tempo. They did it really well and they punished us. It was a cracking finish and the boy showed a lot of composure. Again, Danny stood up well but couldn’t do nothing about that!”

Twyman blotted his copy-book when he was booked for grabbing the ball outside his penalty area but was relieved when Dyer blasted the resulting free-kick high into the night Ruislip sky.

But the Ramsgate keeper thwarted Wealdstone again, using his legs to frustrate Baidoo after he latched onto another ball over the top and only had the immense Ramsgate keeper to beat.

Ramsgate made a game off it in the dying minutes as Banks made a diving save to tip Murray’s long-range shot around the post.

Chapman then capitalised from a slip from Wealdstone skipper Chappell to cut from the right before centering towards an unmarked James Sherman, but the Ramsgate substitute swept his low shot wide of the far post.

Wealdstone’s central midfielder Webb was to be denied by a combination of Twyman’s fingertips and the outside of the near post, before outclassed Ramsgate made the game appear closer than it really was inside stoppage time.

Murray clipped the ball through the heart of the Wealdstone defence to put Pulman through on goal and the former Whitstable Town striker slotted his low right-footed shot past Banks to find the bottom right-hand corner.

Dixon said: “Yes, it was a great ball. Jim Sherman’s came on and he made his presence felt. He went up for a ball and they’ve all missed it because of his strength and Puly’s gone through and done his customary finish. Great finish!  He’s still got to put the ball in the net. That’s something their strikers didn’t do time and time again tonight.  Puly’s had a couple of chances. He’s been unlucky with one and put the other one away!”

Dixon said he will take the positives out of the game, starting with his goalkeeper, who battled through a groin strain.

“When you look at his overall performance, it was a typical Danny Twyman performance,” said Dixon.

“He makes a spectacular save, unfortunately made a couple of errors as well, but I wouldn’t swap him for anyone at the moment. He’s a good lad, loves his football this year and he’s good to have around the place. He’s got a lot of experience. I don’t think there’s anyone better to come and collect the ball in the area than Danny. He’s a big presence. He just needs to calm down a little bit but he’s had a decent game tonight overall.”

“Positives? A little bit of character second half.  Negatives? We didn’t work hard enough in the first half and they had too many chances.

“We had a good win on Saturday against Leatherhead. I just wanted to build a little bit of momentum but we ended the game on a positive scoring goals and going forward and we had another couple of chances near the end of the game so that’s the positives I’ll take out of it – the way we finished the game.

“I’m not going to dwell on any negativity at all. We know where we went wrong tonight. We have to be better in all departments. Simple as that!”

Meanwhile, Dixon revealed he is looking to extend Tom Axford’s loan spell from Dover Athletic to a second month.

“I want to have a chat with (Dover Athletic manager) Nicky Forster tomorrow to try to extend that for another month.  I think he’s not getting any senior football so it’ll probably benefit both parties if that was to happen.”

Wealdstone:  Rikki Banks, Tommy Brewer, Lee Chappell, George Nicholas, Sean Cronin, Alex Dyer, Kurtney Brooks, Nathan Webb, Shabazz Baidoo, Jacek Magzdinski, Tom Pett (Tashan Jordan 60).
Subs: Peter Dean, Aldi Haxhia, Richard Jolly

Goals: Jacek Magzdinski 30, Shabazz Baidoo 41, 81

Booked: Kurtney Brooks 70

Ramsgate: Danny Twyman, Tom Axford, Sam Gore, Luke Wheatley, Dean Hill, Ben Laslett, Tom Chapman, Macauley Murray, Jon Eguileor (Ian Pulman 60), Ashley Miller (James Sherman 81), Curtis Robinson (Warren Schulz 73).
Subs: Ollie Gray, Shannon Harris

Goals: Ben Laslett 75, Ian Pulman 90

Booked: Luke Wheatley 56, Sam Gore 78, Danny Twyman 85

Attendance: 147
Referee: Mr Andrew Aylott (Kempston, Bedfordshire)
Assistants: Mr Nicholas MacKenzie (Slough, Berkshire) & Mr Peter Nagy (Harrow, Middlesex)