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United outplayed by classy Rams - 30/10/07

All the hope and optimism generated by a four match unbeaten run, and especially by Saturday's rousing comeback to earn a point at Hendon, was rapidly extinguished on a chilly evening at Ramsgate today, as United were ruthlessly swept aside by a slick display of passing and movement by their hosts. The Rams were utterly dominant throughout, especially in the first half having taken an early lead, and although United rallied briefly after Ade Olorunda had replaced the injured Tom Poole in attack, with Sam Adams crashing a shot against the crossbar, the home side were completely deserving of their second goal just before the interval. A third goal just before the hour mark then effectively killed the game as a contest, and a late fourth served to underline Ramsgate's superiority, with Danny Spice grabbing United's consolation effort in the last minute, while both sides also hit the woodwork in the closing stages, Ade the second United player to be denied by the frame of the goal.

The absence of the dependable Jimmy Elford, away on England Futsal duty, forced manager Nigel Kane into one change from the weekend trip to north London, Scott Kirkwood returning to the side in central midfield, and United reverting to a 4-4-2 formation, with Danny Spice and Russell Eldridge starting as orthodox full backs, and Danny Ellis and Lee Carey on the flanks in midfield. Ade returned from a three match suspension, starting on the bench, with John Bradley also recalled, as Nathan Russell and Matt Darby dropped out. Six and a half weeks after knocking United out of the FA Cup at the Pilot Field, Ramsgate showed four changes to their starting line-up that day. Giant central defender Olly Schulz was included in a side captained by his brother Warren, with former Dover defender Sam Vallance starting at right back, and cup matchwinner Steffan Ball playing on his own up front, with former strike partner Shaun Welford having recently departed for Crabble. Any suspicions about the home side's 4-5-1 formation being unduly defensive were quickly dispensed though, with marauding midfielders relentlessly joining the Rams' frequent attacks, with which United were quite frankly unable to cope.

The tone for the rest of the evening was set inside the opening minute, when Olly Schulz found space on the right hand side of the United area and forced Lee Worgan into the first of several outstanding saves. Schulz was narrowly off target with a twenty yard shot soon after, before Ramsgate took a seventh minute lead when Andy Hadden's return volley from a partially cleared corner was deflected to the unmarked Nick Davis, who steered the ball between Danny Spice and Lee Worgan on the line for a soft opening goal. Ball tried his luck with a long range free kick, but failed to test Lee, before chipping another onto Olly Schulz's head, the ball sailing only just wide. The same player then stabbed a shot wide from Dean Hill's left wing cross, and full back Hill brought the best out of Lee from a powerful drive after breaking clean through down the left, with Lee also blocking Dan Dolton's follow-up effort. Lee next denied Warren Schulz, after the skipper broke through the heart of United's faltering defensive line, and Ball again went close from distance, all in as torrid a half hour of football as United have endured in a long time. United looked brittle at the back, were being completely overrun in midfield, and could get nothing going in attack, at least not until Tom hobbled off with an apparent hamstring injury, replaced by Ade, who immediately got into the action, heading a Danny Spice cross over the bar, as United finally clocked up an attempt on goal, while home keeper Paul Wilkerson was soon called into action to tip over a dipping, twenty-five yard Tim Olorunda volley. Russell's ensuing corner found its way to Sam, who thumped a shot against the crossbar with Wilkerson well beaten, but that signalled the end of United's brief spell of dominance, with Ramsgate breaking swiftly down the right for Ball to pick out Dolton with a pinpoint cross, but the left winger sent his header harmlessly over the bar with only Lee to beat. Moments later, Dolton's cross reached Lee Minshull at the far post and Lee Worgan managed to repel his shot with his feet, but even Lee could not prevent Ball from doubling the home side's lead two minutes before the interval, the striker running onto a simple pass from Warren Schulz and holding off Rhys Whyborne, before slotting a low shot into the corner. In stoppage time, an error by Danny Spice set up Warren Schulz for a great chance to make it three, but he dragged his shot wide, and United no doubt went in at the break feeling rather fortunate to have kept the score down to two after Ramsgate's first half barrage.

United desperately needed to get off to a fast start in the second half, but although they managed to keep the home side quiet for the best part of a quarter of an hour, the closest United came to pulling a goal back was when Wilkerson was forced to race from his goal to prevent Ade from running onto Danny Spice's long ball. Just before the hour mark though, the home side moved further ahead, when United failed to clear a long range Olly Schulz free kick, again allowing Hadden to strike for goal from the edge of the area, the ball taking a huge deflection on its way to wrongfooting Lee and trickling over the line. Kevin Rose replaced the ineffective Danny Ellis as United switched to a three man defence in an effort to negate Ramsgate's attacking prowess, but the damage had already been done, and while the tactic did largely have the desired effect, the home side still looked dangerous on the counter-attack, with Hadden curling a shot just wide, and substitute Scott Holden rattling the crossbar from the edge of the area after good work by Dolton. For the third game running, Youth Team player Matt Maclean entered the fray as a late substitute and acquitted himself well, as United enjoyed a decent end to the contest, despite the fact that they conceded a fourth goal with three minutes to go. Ade flicked a near post header onto the crossbar from Russell's free kick, and Ramsgate were forced into a hurried clearance for a corner. Lee Carey swung over the cross for Matt to send a downward header towards goal, where it was bundled off the line by Hill, and Kevin's follow-up effort was also blocked at the last second. It seemed almost cruel, when a long clearance then caught Danny Spice in an advanced position and allowed Dolton a free run down the left, cutting the ball back for substitute Stuart King to sweep Ramsgate's final goal past Lee. United were left with just enough time to deny the home side a clean sheet, Russell's long throw reaching Tim on the left hand edge of the six yard box, and his cross was met at the far post by a stooping header from Danny Spice to at least give United supporters something to cheer on an otherwise disappointing night.

Perhaps recent history should have warned United not to expect too much joy from this fixture, the fourth time in two years that they have failed to unduly trouble the Rams, but the first time that they have been so comprehensively outplayed. Or maybe a fourth away game in ten days, against a side at the top of its game after beating league leaders Chelmsford at the weekend, just proved too much for United, who are now left to pick themselves up for Saturday's visit to Uxbridge in the second qualifying round of the FA Trophy.

Match facts	Efforts on target	Efforts off target	Free kicks conceded	Corners won	Offsides against
Ramsgate	10	9	9	10	2
Hastings United	2	7	10	5	1

Ramsgate (4-5-1)							Hastings United (4-4-2)
1 Paul Wilkerson							1 Lee Worgan
2 Sam Vallance							2 Danny Spice
3 Dean Hill							3 Russell Eldridge
4 Nick Davis							4 Rhys Whyborne
5 Olly Schulz							5 Sean Ray (c)
6 Ben Laslett							6 Scott Kirkwood
7 Andy Hadden							7 Danny Ellis
8 Warren Schulz (c)							8 Tim Olorunda
9 Lee Minshull							9 Tom Poole
10 Steffan Ball							10 Sam Adams
11 Dan Dolton							11 Lee Carey
Substitutes
12 Scott Holden (for Laslett 67)							12 Ade Olorunda (for Poole 35)
14 Stuart King (for W Schulz 67)							14 Kevin Rose (for Ellis 59)
15 Stuart Vahid							15 John Bradley
16 Dan Tanner							16 Matt Maclean (for Kirkwood 74)
17 Lawrence Ball (for Vallance 72)							GK Jani Seitsonen

Attendance 284

Referee Mr M Yerby

Assistants Messrs R Albert & J Lengthorn