Three first-half goals led Cray Valley PM to an FA Trophy third qualifying round triumph at Ramsgate on Saturday. An early goal from Matthew Vigor and Freddie Parker’s brace had the Millers three goals to the good inside the first 30 minutes, Joe Taylor at least giving the Rams hope with one before the half-time interval. That was the way it stayed as Cray Valley, who pipped Ben Smith’s side to the Isthmian South East title last term, were 3-1 victors in pretty comfortable fashion.
The first chance at Southwood had gone the way of Steve McKimm’s men when home keeper Tom Hadler parried midfielder Julien Anau’s ninth-minute long-range shot in front of a crowd of 685. But four minutes later, the Isthmian Premier team were gifted the game’s opening goal. A terrible attempted pass by Rams midfielder Medy Elito was intercepted by forward Parker.
He found Vigor and the midfielder slotted home for his second goal of the campaign. The Millers then felt they should have been awarded a free-kick for a last-man challenge by defender Aaron Barnes, only for referee Joe Burgess to dismiss those appeals. But midway through the first period, Cray Valley’s second did come.
Another poor ball gifted the ball to Parker and, despite the best efforts of Barnes on the goal-line, Parker netted, having rounded Hadler and shot from a tight angle. And it got even worse for Ramsgate shortly before the half-hour mark. Right-back Myles Judd briefly gave the Rams some respite but that presented .
