We have to win at Ramsgate if we're serious about making the play-off's, says Jay Saunders

MAIDSTONE UNITED player-manager Jay Saunders says he is expecting a tough away game at Ramsgate on Saturday.

The Stones suffered a 3-1 home defeat to Faversham Town at Bourne Park at the weekend, while Jim Ward’s Rams sealed a last-gasp 3-2 away win at Stones’ play-off rivals Folkestone Invicta.

But Dulwich Hamlet came away from Southwood Stadium with a 1-0 victory last night, denting the Rams’ slim play-off hopes, as the south Londoners climbed above Whitehawk into second place in the Ryman League Division One South table, three points behind Bognor Regis Town.

Saunders says he wants to get back to winning ways at Southwood Stadium against eighth-placed Ramsgate.

He said: “I’d have loved to be playing midweek, but we haven’t and so we’ll have a look at our next game at Ramsgate on Saturday.

“We’ll have a week training and get everyone back and hopefully get three points. But I know that Jim (Ward) will put out a strong side – he’s gone to Folkestone and won – they’re always up for it and you know what you’re going to get.

“They’ve got some good players and it’s a tough place to go, but we’ve got to go there and win if we’re serious about making the play-offs.”

Saunders added: “It was an open game when we beat them 4-1 here, which I’m not happy about. To be honest, I don’t want that sort of game on Saturday.

“The last few games we’ve looked solid – I know we conceded two late goals at Merstham – but we looked really solid at Dulwich.”

Speaking about his players, Saunders admitted he wasn’t pleased that defender Graeme Andrews missed the defeat against Faversham.

He said: “He was at a wedding that I wasn’t happy about as it unsettles your side and with Michael Phillips looks like he’s done his cruciate we’ve lost him, but I thought Karl Murray came in and thought he kept the ball well for us despite not playing for a while. That was a positive but we weren’t simply good enough.”

Saunders says he wants to keep it tight at the back at Southwood Stadium at the weekend, after conceding goals from set-pieces against Faversham last weekend.

He said:  “There were too many negatives – and mainly defensively!  I don’t like conceding from set-plays.  When I say to the boys don’t give away silly free-kicks and in the first half we concede about fifteen or sixteen, but the you can only tell the boys what you think can help them.  But if they don’t take that on board, then what can you do?

The Stones are presently sitting in fourth-place in the Ryman League Division One South table, with 56 points from 31 games and there is still plenty to play for during their last nine league games.

Saunders added: "A couple of results have gone our way with Folkestone and Worthing losing but I'm more concerned about the points lost as if we'd have won (against Faversham) we'd have opened up a gap between ourselves and the others.

“But that's the way this league is at the moment - everyone seems to be beating everyone else. It’s tight up there and now we've got another tough couple of weeks ahead of us.”

Visit Maidstone United’s website: www.maidstoneunited.co.uk  

Ramsgate  v  Maidstone United
Ryman League Division One South
Saturday 3^rd March 2012
Kick Off 3:00pm
at Southwood Stadium, Prices Avenue, Ramsgate, Kent CT11 0AN