Welling or Dover haven't approached me, says Ward - EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

Ramsgate boss Jim Ward reflects on his side’s first campaign in the Ryman Premier League, satisfied that his side finished in ninth place, writes Stephen McCartney.

The Scot has already released two left-sided players as he looks to reinforce his side, with a centre forward and a “terrier” in midfield on the shopping list.

“In the cold light of day you look at the league table and things you like and the things you don’t like, first of all you see you finished ninth so you say, yes, good,” he said EXCLUSIVELY to www.kentishfootball.co.uk this morning.

“Consolidation is what you’re meant to do in your first year and it does leave another eight spots higher in the division to achieve next year.”

Ward, whose travelling to Imperial Fields to watch the Ryman League Division One South play-off final between Tooting & Mitcham United and Hastings United today, explained why he’s shown Awaksi Edusei and James Gregory the door.

“I need room for others to come in,” he said. “I’ve got enough left sided players in my squad.

“James Gregory’s done very well for the club, he’s played more games than even he’d imagined he would play.

“He will move on and find himself another club and get regular football.”

And Ward believes former Welling United striker Edusei will find himself another club too.

“He lives too far away,” he admitted. “When we signed him, we thought it was going to work out. It was just too awkward.

“He’s played Football League the boy, he will find himself another club.”

Ward explained that opposing strikers were a lot more clinical in the higher division.

“There were some disappointing bits but we scored a lot of goals,” he said.

“We scored 63, perhaps a few more would have been handy, but defensively we’re struggling - we let in 63 as well. So there’s areas that we can work on.

“And to be fair, we had addressed the goals against column by the last ten games of the season.”

With Welling United and Dover Athletic searching for new managers, Ward revealed that he hasn’t been approached by either club.

He said: “Nobody’s asked me to do anything different. My name over the last five or six season’s has been linked with every job in Kent and to be honest until this phone call this morning from you, nobody’s asked me.

“I’m manager of Ramsgate until anything else happens.”

Ward, who is jetting off to America for a well deserved three week break in June/July, highlighted his aims for the new season, which kick’s off on 18^th August.

“To be higher than ninth next season and we would like more fun in the FA Cup and FA Trophy,” he said.

Visit Ramsgate’s website: www.ramsgate-fc.co.uk