Adrian Swan

Glebe Youth 3 v 2 Ramsgate Youth
1-0 Whitmore (19), 2-0 Abiru (22), 2-1 Farmer (31), 2-2 Anderson (54),
3-2 George (69).

This was an entertaining game played between two good footballing sides that saw the home team take the points in a closely fought encounter.

Despite the very wet weather on Saturday the pitch was in excellent condition and both sides kept the ball down and played some good passing football on the good surface.

Glebe had the first chance of the game on 4 minutes when a Jonas Whitmore free kick from wide left found Ben James rising highest at the far post but his header flew wide of the goal.

They had another opportunity minutes later when from a Ramsgate corner the ball was quickly cleared upfield by Opeyemi Abiru to Oscar Powell who in turn sent a defence splitting pass inside the Ramsgate full back for Hakeem Jallim. He got to the bye line before pulling the ball back for Powell, who had continued his run into the box, but his rasping drive was pushed away to safety by Ramsgate keeper Oliver Haines high above his head.

The visitors went close shortly afterwards when Tom Wells hit a long range free kick from the half way line into the home box that was cleared out to the edge of the area where Jack Miller hit a low shot narrowly wide.

Glebe then took the lead on 19 minutes when Whitmore’s right wing corner was cleared out to the left of the area and collected by Powell who then chipped the ball back across to the far post where Whitmore scored with a close range drive beating Haines low at his left hand post.

The home side then doubled their lead on 22 minutes when another swift break saw Powell feed Jallim down the right and he surged into the box before hitting a low shot that Haines diving full length to his right managed to claw away but the loose ball fell to Abiru who touched home from close range.

Glebe then nearly gifted the visitors a way back minutes later when Nathan

Agyapong’s back pass was seized upon by Charlie Shonk but with only Glebe keeper Baldwin Kaluya to beat he shot over. On 27 minutes another Whitmore corner was cleared out to Joshua Peiris some 30 yards from goal and he hit a powerful first time half volley that flashed into the side netting.

James then tried his luck with a 35 yard free kick that flew straight at Haines, who with the sun in his eyes, knocked the ball up and only managed to gather at the second attempt.

Just after the half hour mark the visitors halved the deficit when a Sam Belsey corner from the left was not cleared by the Glebe defence with several shots being blocked before the ball fell to Elliott Farmer whose fierce shot flew home through the crowded box beating Kaluya low to his left.

Just before half time Glebe almost restored their two goal lead when a Haines clearance fell to Jallim who hit a low shot that flashed narrowly wide across the face of goal.

Early in the second half Ramsgate went close to equalising when Shonk did well to win the ball near the half way line and race through on goal but his fierce drive deflected off a covering defender into the side netting.

Glebe then went close to increasing their lead when Powell’s deep right wing cross found Jallim beyond the far post and although his volleyed shot beat Haines low to his right, the ball crashed against the post before falling out to the tireless Abiru whose follow up shot flew over from close range.

Ramsgate were then denied an equaliser thanks to resolute Glebe defending. Farmer got through on goal but Kaluya was quickly off his line and made a good close range block with the loose ball falling out to Shonk whose effort was blocked by a Glebe body with the ball then flying up to Jordan Anderson whose close range header beat Kaluya high to his right but was nodded off the line to safety by Agyapong.

However Anderson was not to be denied as he drew the visitors level on 54 minutes with an absolutely superb strike from all of 30 yards that saw the ball arrow home low to the left of the diving Kaluya, who got a hand to the ball but could not prevent it flying into the bottom corner of the net.

Glebe’s Zak Long then tested Haines with a 25 yard shot that the Ramsgate keeper saved diving high to his left. Just after the hour mark the visitors went close to taking the lead when James Turner put Anderson in on goal but Kaluya was again quickly off his line to make a good close range block.

Ramsgate problems of defending set pieces almost caused them trouble again when Abiru’s deep left wing corner found Long free at the far post but his header flew wide.

Glebe then re-took the lead on 69 minutes when Kai George, who had only been on the pitch a few minutes, let fly with a ferocious dipping shot from the edge of the box that Haines diving forward could only shovel into his net.

Minutes later Glebe had the chance to make it four after Abiru’s though ball had put Louis Henry in on goal but Haines in trying to save brought down the Glebe forward and a penalty awarded.

This was taken by Powell who hit the ball firmly but Haines diving full length low to his right made a superb save pushing the ball out for a corner. However the visiting keeper was fortunate minutes later when Abiru’s left wing cross deceived him as the ball flew over his outstretched hand but bounced off the bar and away to safety.

On 80 minutes good pressing by George on Miller saw him rob the Ramsgate player as he received a pass from Haines, and spotting Haines off his line George tried to chip the back pedalling keeper but the ball flew over.

Into the last 10 minutes of the match Ramsgate’s Shonk turned well before flashing a shot narrowly wide across the face of goal before Belsey’s right wing corner deceived Kaluya but James rescued his keeper with a clearing header from under the bar.

Shortly afterwards the final whistle went with Glebe victorious and with this win moved level with Ramsgate and Sevenoaks at the top of the table, albeit both themselves and Ramsgate having played two games more than Sevenoaks.