A Night at the Pan

Finding a Sussex football pitch not under water this week has been about as easy as finding a Meadow Residential executive who understands public relations. Shoreham FC temporarily changed the name of its ground to Middle Puddle and Burgess Hill Town had water up to the knees of its green elephants- so thank goodness for Lewes. Luckily the Dripping Pan-courtesy of some exceptional work from the groundstaff- was not living up to its name; and not only was it not dripping, it seemed, in comparison with many images we’ve seen of other stadiums this week, to have a pitch in exceptional condition given the dampest winter in recent memory.

Darren Freeman’s side were competing with Barcelona v Chelsea tonight (that match was on the TV by the way, not on the 3G pitch the other side of the perimeter wall), and that seemed to impact somewhat on the attendance, which was a shame and failed to reflect the level of entertainment that the Rooks have delivered recently. For every Eden Hazard there’s a Charlie Coppola, for every Iniesta a Hammond, and the Pan is far prettier than the Camp Nou. Yes, we know that’s rather far fetched, but for those in a red and black striped shirt lining the terraces and propping up the bar in the Rook Inn there has been some fantastic football this season (which is more than most Chelsea fans would admit to having witnessed). The Rooks came into this game undefeated since New Years Day, top of the South Division, and having their best season in many a long year.

There was, of course, the possibility that massed crowds had arrived in the car park, heard the awful pre-match music and left with their fingers in their ears. Indeed, there were reports that even Rooks of the feathered variety had been seen departing the area in large numbers. The teams entered the arena to the theme from The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, and it was perhaps the first tune aired that hadn't been the latter.

Visitors Ramsgate were also in good form, having won three in a row culminating in the 3-0 hammering of Chipstead on Saturday. Given they’d beaten Lewes 2-0 at their Southwood Stadium back in December you could be sure that Darren Freeman’s men weren’t going to treat them lightly. First v eighteenth could easily be no more than a statistic.

That said, by the time only eight minutes had passed, there were two more 'statistics.'

Ramsgate started well. But no sooner had that sentence been written that it was the home side who were ahead, a fabulous cross from the left finding Bouwe Bosma, who had found the away defence leaden footed, and he finished with aplomb. After a long ball allowed Jonte Smith to outpace the back four and lift the ball over Luke Watkins for a second the keeper decided to deploy himself as a sweeper for the remainder of the half, on occasions patrolling almost on the edge of the centre circle. You really couldn't blame him.

Watkins was undoubtedly the Rams best player in the first period. He made a number of saves, most notably from Smith- twice- and Hammond, and in doing so kept his side in the match. It wasn't that Ramsgate didn't work hard- they did apply pressure, as well as being rather unlucky with a number of refereeing decisions to the chagrin of their coaching team- but the Rooks played with the confidence that comes from being at the top of the table. Time and again they passed their way out of trouble and probed for an opening as the away side chased shadows.

The second half, after some more dreadful music only enlivened by the Bullseye theme and 'Happiness’ in memory of two recently departed and well-loved celebrities- although we were undoubtedly lucky not to have to endure Doddy and the Diddymen given the pattern so far- started like the first, with Ramsgate on the attack. Aaron Millbank quickly had their best chance so far, firing a shot from the edge of the box which forced a diving save from Chris Winterton, and with fifty three minutes on the clock a combination between Millbank and Alfie Paxman saw the ball poked past the far post with the Rooks goal gaping.

Ramsgate wasted another chance to reduce the arrears on 64 minutes. A free kick from just outside the box was curled in dangerously, and there was Rory Smith stretching towards the ball. You felt any contact would direct it into the net, but instead the ball cleared the bar from six yards and Smith looked disconsolate, as well he might.

The other Smith, of the striped variety, was anything but disconsolate, and he made the Lewes lead look unassailable in the seventy first minute. Great work from Steve Brinkhurst down the right left him with a toe poke for his second and the Rooks third, and he deserved the applause that greeted him as he left the field two minutes later, replaced by Billy Medlock. Ramsgate also made a change at this point- indeed, they made a double change, but you felt it was too late to make much of a difference.

You might have been wrong, though.

Lewes should easily have seen out the game, but with five minutes to go Ramsgate grabbed a lifeline. The Rooks gave away a free kick on the right, and when it was driven into the box Oliver Gray got on the end of it and forced it home. That should still have been that, but deep into added time Ramsgate poured forward once more and Gray managed to add another, a fine strike from a great cross from the left hand side. Had there been longer to go this could have made the closing stages very interesting, but almost immediately afterwards the final whistle went.

The crowd was announced as 452, and listening to the buzz as they left most of them undoubtedly went home happy. They had every reason to be happy, but Freeman and his staff will perhaps be less content. The Rooks extended their lead at the top of the table to six points and they are scheduled to travel to second bottom Molesey on Saturday so should be favourites to maintain their momentum, but this time next week they host second place Carshalton Athletic.

They are unlikely to find the Robins as forgiving as the Rams.