Photograph: Zac Goodwin/PA
Ramsgate’s FA Cup adventure came to an end as they were blown away by an AFC Wimbledon side inspired by Ali al-Hamadi.
The Iraq forward scored twice to set up a money-spinning tie against Ipswich here in the third round for Johnnie Jackson’s side. Yet despite their heavy defeat, this was still a night to savour for Ben Smith, the Ramsgate manager, and the 1,400 travelling supporters, who sang themselves hoarse throughout and left proud of a team that usually ply their trade four divisions below their opponents.
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“It’s not about tonight, it’s about the journey that has got us here,” reflected Smith. “The support was incredible – we’re little old Ramsgate. Three seasons ago they were getting crowds of 80 and now it’s over 1,000 with more than 80 youth teams, many of whom were here to support us tonight.”
Ramsgate’s FA Cup campaign began back on 2 September and the side who currently lead the Isthmian South East Division had battled through four qualifying rounds before dumping out National League opposition in Woking in the first round. Twenty coachloads of fans had made the trip to southwest London to watch the lowest-ranked team left in the competition attempt to make more history against a club that knows all about upsetting the status quo.
A picture of Terry Gibson during the famous 1988 Cup final win over Liverpool on the cover of the programme was a nod to AFC Wimbledon’s forebears, with Jackson having stressed the importance of not taking their opponents lightly. Yet the wind was sucked out of Ramsgate’s sails inside the opening eight minutes when Jake Reeves beat the goalkeeper Thomas Hadler with a piledriver from outside the area just after Connor Evans had headed over the Wimbledon captain’s free kick. Hadler tried his best to keep Ramsgate’s heads above water but the pressure eventually told when Hamadi nodded home his 10th of the season midway through the first half.
Down on the touchline, Smith – a deputy headteacher at a local school and the club’s first permanent manager – encouraged his side to attack but they struggled to create an opening for their top scorer Joe Taylor, who works a day job as a safety equipment salesman. Ramsgate finally had an opportunity to claw their way back into the game three minutes before half-time but Alex Bass did well to parry the initial header from Tijan Jadama and Lee Martin blazed over the follow-up. Wimbledon clinically made them pay seconds later when Josh Neufville steered home their third goal after Hadler had saved from Hamadi.
Wimbledon’s chances of achieving a return to League One after being relegated two seasons ago could depend on whether they can keep hold of Hamadi, who has been linked with a move to a higher level in January. Evans made sure there would be no comeback when he rammed home the fourth minutes after the restart before Hamadi grabbed his second of the night following a defensive error.
Try as they might, Ramsgate could not give their fans a goal to celebrate. But that did not stop the party in the away end, even if one took it too far by sprinting the length of the pitch to confront home supporters before being hauled away by police.
