Ryman League Division One South
Redhill 1 Ramsgate 0
REDHILL made it three wins in a row with a narrow victory over Ramsgate tonight [Tuesday].
The Lobsters beat Faversham Town 2-0 last Thursday, before thrashing ten-man Crawley Down Gatwick 6-0 on Saturday but a single Marcus Elliott goal from the penalty spot was enough to secure all three points against the Rams.
However, with Three Bridges beating Worthing and Crawley Down Gatwick triumphing at Walton & Hersham, not a lot has changed at the football of the table.
With both teams coming into the game on the back of wins at weekend, it looked as though they were keen to pick up where they left out with some fast paced, attractive, passing fooball.
Redhill were forced into a change less than 15 minutes in when right-back Bradley Duke took a knock to his left ankle, forcing an early substitute as Jeffery Addo-Dankwa, only just back from injury himself, came on.
It was the visitors who dominated the early chances, bombarding the Redhill goal without ever really having a clear-cut goal-scoring opportunity.
With 14 minutes on the clock, Ashley Groombridge was guilty of some suicidal defending after the ball was cleared into the Rams' half. The right back dithered on the ball and allowed Niall Egan to steal the ball from under his feet, however the Redhill man was so surprised at the gift his touch let him down and the ball went out for a goal-kick.
But on 21 minutes Redhill had their goal. The Lobsters were awarded a soft-looking penalty for a tackle on Marcus Elliott in the box. Having netted no less than four on Saturday, Elliott wasn't going to miss from 12 yards, sending Nick Shaw the wrong way and tucking the ball into the bottom-right corner.
With half an hour on the clock, Ian Pulman was ready to celebrate an equaliser after spotting Andy Greaves slightly off his line and taking a shot from distance only to see it ping off the crossbar.
Redhill led at the break but it was Rams who started the second half better and Pulman really should have done better with a shot after 55 minutes. Greaves did well to save his first shot before the second was deflect out for a goal-kick, much to the striker's annoyance.
With 13 minutes to play, Pulman looked certain to score after racing through on goal on the counter-attack. Greaves made himself big and the experienced striker was left with his head in his hands yet again after striking the ball straight at the pink-clad keeper.
The Lobsters nearly made it 2-0 on 88 minutes when Egan countered with speed, before cross the ball to Gus Sousa, but the midfielder's shot went just wide of the bottom right hand corner.
Ramsgate had a succession of corners as he clock ticked down but Greaves and his defence dealt with the threat well.
The Rams threw everything forward with new signing Jon Main, on as a substitute, trying his luck from the right, but missing the target.
Warren Schulz saw a shot hit the bar before Ramsgate had a shout for handball inside the Redhill box turned down seconds before the final whistle.
