Isthmian League Premier, Saturday 6th September
On the day I turned 45 years young, I was over at familiar surroundings of New Lodge, Billericay, for an Isthmian League contest between Billericay Town & Ramsgate who of course travelled from the Kent coast to be here, and at least a couple of hundred of their supporters made the trip too.
Now the hosts had began their season in mixed form it's fair to say, they sat in 11th place having won two, drawn one and lost two, so a bit of everything, and they were yet to win at home as well in two league games thus far, although they had thumped Barton Rovers at home in their previous game an New Lodge to progress in the FA Cup.
Ramsgate, who came up from the South East division the previous season as champions after amazing 109 points in the season and edging out Sittingbourne to the title, had found adapting to life in the Premier Division a tad difficult so far, only one win in their first five games and three defeats saw them just above the drop zone, although it's still early days so none of this really matters right now.
If Ramsgate had one thing going for them though it was the backing they had from their supporters who had turned up in numbers in a very decent crowd of 1,004 at New Lodge, and it was they who were celebrating early on too after they took the lead in the 13th minute, a ball in from the right saw striker Alfie Paxman get across his marker and beat hosts keeper Sam Dokin at his near post and steer the ball into the bottom corner, sending those visiting fans behind the goal in raptures.
And if truth be told had Ramsgate been further ahead at the break no one could of complained, Billericay had their openings but just could not hit the target, but they did look quite vulnerable at the back at times, and you could sense the frustration amongst the home fans, and no doubt a few words were exchange in the dressing room at half time, if they wanted to get anything out of this game they would need to improve.
They started the second period positively, but they were dealt a hammer blow just past the hour mark when Ramsgate doubled their lead in spectacular fashion after Mitchell May fired home a wonderful long range effort that dipped over Tonkin and in off the crossbar, two nil Ramsgate and they looked well on their way to victory.
Just after this second goal, the hosts made some changes to try and change it up a bit, they had to really as nothing was working, and one of those players coming on was Joe Taylor, who was part of Ramsgate's championship winning squad last season, and captained them to the title, he banged in 101 goals in the last two seasons making him their record goal scorer before he left in the summer originally for Hornchurch before joining Billericay.
And you knew what was coming next, a ball over the top saw Taylor run clear of the back line, and although keeper Aiden Prall saved his effort, the ball bounced back off the striker and past the keeper into the bottom corner, a very fortunate slice of luck for the striker, but the hosts were now right back in the contest with just over twenty minutes or so to play.
Ramsgate had been far less threatening in the second period and were now just trying to hold onto what they had, and they had to survive plenty of second half pressure from the hosts who themselves were trying to salvage something from a game they had looked out of at one stage, and when the board went up for five minutes added on, the visitors only had that time to try and hold out and record a very good win.
Billericay though were not to give up, and with three minutes or so of the five added on played, they found a leveller, a cross into the box saw Ryan Scott rise to power home a header from inside the box, and the hosts now had hopes of even winning the game, they were not settling for a point, whereas Ramsgate would now have been delighted to have gained one as they were clinging on a bit now.
And in a dramatic and crazy end, Billericay nearly did the unthinkable, after a scramble inside the box, the ball eventually found its way to the back post but two home players got in each others way and collided with the ball going wide and off for a goal kick, total mayhem in the visitors box, but they did manage to hold on for a point whilst although the hosts would have been disappointed not to have won it, they should have been proud of how they fought back in this one and at least got something from the game.
It had been a good contest played in front of a really good atmosphere, the result does mean Billericay stay in 11th spot but Ramsgate have dropped into the bottom four as a result, but as said it's early days and their are plenty of games to go, so no panic yet.
Full time Billericay Town 2 Ramsgate 2
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