Ramsgate 2 Erith and Belvedere 0

RAMSGATE manager Jim Ward's thoughts were not far away from his native Scotland at the weekend as St Andrews hosted the 134th Open.

The Rams boss, an avid golfer who has played the Old Course four times himself, is counting his winnings after a sizeable bet on champion and 3-1 favourite Tiger Woods, and another flutter on runner-up Colin Montgomerie.

While Woods clung on to a two-shot lead, Ward watched his six new signings make their debuts in a 2-0 win against Kent League new boys Erith and Belvedere in their first pre-season friendly.

Thanet boy David Cory and Sean Welford scored twice in two minutes in the meeting of two clubs who suffered contrasting fortunes at the end of last season.

Ward said: "It was just what we were expecting – a good, hard, solid work-out. Temperatures were about 30 degrees and the boys did well, but I think our fitness levels could be higher."

Cory has committed himself to the club, having been chased by three or four Kent League clubs, having finished last season with Southern league Sittingbourne.

Fellow new-boy Steffan Ball picked up a dead-leg after only 10 minutes and was unlikely to be risked in the friendly against Whitstable.

Stuart and Ed Vahid and Robbie Summers were away on holiday.

Ward added: "We have a squad full of good players, but it’s the ones that won us the Kent League last season who have the shirts, and it’s up to the new players to take them."

He used a squad of 20 in the game, but was unable to field rolling substitutes after a new directive he was only made aware of half an hour before kick-off.