Whitehawk 2-2 Ramsgate – Match Report

Whitehawk vs Ramsgate Whitehawk vs Ramsgate: a match-up between two teams desperately trying to keep in touch with the play off pack. The Hawks and Rams had already played out a corker this season, on the opening day in fact, with a 90+7th minute penalty ensuring Ramsgate would come away from the five-goal thriller with all three points and this match up was just as action packed. Four goals, a red card and goal mouth drama a-plenty. On this crisp winters afternoon in the East of Brighton it was the visitors who started the hotter, dominating the early stages of possession but found themselves a goal down by the 18th minute. An in-swinging Andrew Briggs corner was met at the back post by Nathan Cooper who sent the ball back into a dangerous area where striker Harry Lodovica volleyed home from three yards out. That was his second in three games. Against the run of play? Sure, but the Hawks didn’t care and now their tails (or wings) were up. Shaun Saunder’s side proceeded to dominate the next 20 minutes, playing neat, quick passing as they searched for a second goal. Their best chance came via a clever one-two down the left flank between Charlie Lambert and Hugo Odogwu-Atkinson which saw the latter fire a cross along the six yard box but unfortunately, there was not a Hawk to meet the pass. However, with eight minutes to go before half time Ramsgate would find themselves level. A free-kick that caused commotion inside Francis Hurl’s area, with the ball taking a couple of deflections before eventually falling to the feet of Billy Munday who smashed a shot in from 15 yards out. The visitors would end the half completely on top and saw their short span of dominance repaid as Munday would bag his and Ramsgate’s second inside 10 minutes. Another set piece, another goal. Hawks down 1-2 at the break. The second 45 begins and the Whitehawk team are playing with a lot more urgency, intent and direction. Only a clearance off the line denies them an equaliser just 90 seconds into the half, with Harry Bridle oh so close to netting his first home goal since the 11th October. The chances continued to come for the hosts, with Bridle involved time and time again but they were struggling to get anything on target, that was until the 63rd minute. A substitute just five minutes prior saw winger Destiny Ojo enter the fray and it proved to be an inspired change by Shaun Saunders, with Ojo’s first involvement resulting in a Hawks goal. The winger collected a pass out wide, got his head up and drove at the Ramsgate left back, who continued to back peddle all the way into his own box. Ojo then found the overlapping Stefan Wright with a neat reverse pass, with Wright wasting no time in drilling a low cross in that was met by a rocket off the boot of Hugo Odogwu-Atkinson, with the left back’s shot flying into the back of the Ram’s net via the underside of the bar. One full back to the other, lovely! Just moments later Odogwu-Atkinson was inches away from his second and Hawks’ third, with an Andrew Briggs cross only just eluding the left back six yards out. It was all Whitehawk at this stage. As we hit the 70th minute mark, Ramsgate were gifted the chance to regain their lead. A untimely turnover by Stefan Wright when he was the last man allowed Mitchell May a one-on-one opportunity but up stepped Francis Hurl, who stood tall to save on the edge of his own box. It wouldn’t be the last time Hurl would be called into action either, just six minutes after that monstrous save Francis would tip a shot destined for his top left corner over the bar. This out-stretched save would be his best of the game. Harry Lodovica would go close to doubling his tally for the day and restoring Whitehawk’s lead, agonisingly missing Destiny Ojo’s cross at the back stick. Apart from that, there wasn’t too much drama in the closing stages bar Ramsgate’s substitute Joshua Ajayi receiving two yellows in the space of four minutes and given his marching orders but the hosts couldn’t make their numerical advantage count in the last five minutes and so, the spoils were shared. The busy festive period continues as we enter December, with a trip to Canvey Island on the cards for Tuesday evening before we return home to host Welling United on Saturday.