Ramsgate Match Report 24/8/02

Ramsgate 1

SCHULZ 46

Maidstone Utd 1

KEMPSTER 10

FA Cup
24th August 2002

Maidstone United's Richard Sinden had the honour off kicking off this season's FA Cup competition at Ramsgate's Southwood ground in front of the BBC's Football Focus cameras and a live television audience. The Stones, after their blistering 100% start to the Kent League season, were clear favourites with most observers, to make progress to the next round. This however, was not to be a cup-tie in which the favourites had their own way.

Maidstone settled slightly the better of the two teams, who were playing in front of a record attendance of 728 for the Extra Preliminary Round of the FA Cup (beating the previous record of 404 - Frome Town vs Street 2001/2002). Maidstone's vast travelling support was in fine voice and used the acoustics of the newly roofed stand at Southwood to good effect.

The newly fitted roof was nearly lifted from its fittings in the 10th minute, when the visitors scored the first goal of this season's competition. The roar that greeted the goal was immense! The goal itself was both classically created and finished. Veteran pro Steve Butler exchanged passes with Ryan Hackett, who in turn passed to Paul Ribbens. The left back crossed beautifully with pace into the penalty area from the left, to find the quick moving Jamie Kempster. The current Stones Player Of The Year sent a bullet of a flying header into the top left-hand corner of Danny Twyman's net for a goal of great quality.

Ramsgate, with a team built around young players based in the Thanet area, did not wilt though and started to probe at the Stones defence. Just three minutes after the goal, livewire Rams striker Mo Takalogabashi, was foiled in front of goal by a lunging tackle from goalscorer Kempster. The alert Kevin Hudson in the Maidstone goal recovered the loose ball following the interception.

The home side's first decent effort on goal came in the 22nd minute from a 20-yard free kick. The defensive wall remained rooted to the spot, after striker Sinden received a yellow card for encroachment, allowing Jason Moore the opportunity to shoot right footed over the wall. With the ball arrowing towards the top right hand corner, Hudson dived full length to complete a magnificent save at the cost of a corner.

The visitors almost increased their lead just before the half-hour mark with a fine piece of football. Hackett sent a low, sweeping pass out to the feet of Butler on the right wing. Butler effortlessly ran with the ball from half way, belying his 40 years, and centred a precise low cross to the near post. Sinden attacked the ball at pace and his first time shot from close range, struck the foot of the right hand post and went out of play.

Within a minute, Takalogabashi was creating more problems for the Stones defence, when he cut in from the right and drove the ball hard and low across goal. Hudson though was smartly down to cut out the ball. Two free kicks soon followed, one for each side. Stones' Barry Jeffreys saw his well struck left-footed drive go near from 25 yards. Then Moore saw an effort from similar distance go narrowly over Hudson's crossbar. Just before half time Jamie Cook was booked for a crude challenge from behind on Kempster. He was fortunate that the card was not red. Referee Mr Jones had a busy first half with the yellow card, booking Sinden, Edwards and Jeffreys of Maidstone and Cook and McCabe of Ramsgate.

The second half of this intriguing tie was not nearly so balanced as the first half. With many assuming that Maidstone would extend their lead due to the proliferation of experienced players at their disposal, the young and spirited Rams side soon debunked this theory.

Within two minutes of the restart, Takalogabashi struck a shot from the edge of the area just as Paul Foley challenged. The effect of the challenge was that Hudson's dive for the shot was mistimed and the ball bounced into the net with Gavin Schulz following up only after the ball had crossed the line.

Takaloo, as he is known to most at Ramsgate, was a constant thorn in the side of the Stones defence throughout the afternoon. So much so, that within five minutes of equalising he was booked for yet another prickly confrontation with defenders Foley and Davey.

As the temperature went up on the Kent coast, Maidstone seemed to tire and struggle. They made few notable efforts on goal after being pegged back. One exception was Neil Davey's header from 12 yards, following one of many Ribbens long throws. Twyman however, comfortably held the effort.

With full time looming, the home side were by far in the ascendancy, with Maidstone thankful that long range efforts from substitutes Russell Hughes on 72 and Aaron Robinson in stoppage time were not too much closer to goal. Finally, with over five minutes of stoppage time played, Takalogabashi fired an 18-yard drive across the face of Hudson's goal. The reaction of all those at that end of the ground showed that the miss was very close indeed.

The final whistle came as something of a blessing to the 400 strong Stones following, which after a very noisy first half, had been almost totally silenced in the second half due to Ramsgate's superiority. The replay for this tie will be at Sittingbourne's Central Park ground on Tuesday 27th August, with a 7-45 pm kick off. The winners will then encounter yet another Kent Derby on Saturday 30th August with a visit to Dr Marten's Eastern Division side Tonbridge Angels.

Ramsgate: Twyman, Cook, (Winch 69). McCabe (Hughes 66), Yorath, O. Schulz, Vahid, Moore, Wilson, Takalogabashi, G. Schulz (Robinson 80), Pointer. Subs: Weatherly, Morris.

Maidstone: Hudson (8), Kempster (7), Ribbens (7), Foley (6), Hackett (5) (Taylor 52 - (6)), Edwards (6), Knight (5) (Chainey 81), Butler (6), Sinden (6), Davey (5), Jeffreys (6) (Scott 89). Subs: Marshall, Reynolds