Young defender Jacob Mensah is impressing Ramsgate boss Lloyd Blackman at the back end of the season.

Mensah, 17, showed great maturity on Saturday as the Rams brushed relegated Shoreham aside to win 5-1.

The centre-half has raw talent but it's his willingness to learn which is proving key.

Blackman said: "I give these young boys information and the sign of a good player is you never have to tell them twice.

"Jacob and TJ Jadama, in their first season at this level, are able to absorb information and execute what's asked of them.

"I gave them tactical things to do and they responded. That was very pleasing."

He continued: "Jacob would stand out in an under-23 set-up in the pro game.

"League clubs are looking at whether players can adapt to senior levels of football.

"Can boys, at a young age, deal with the physicality of our level?

"Jacob is big, strong athletic and technically very sound. He's learning quickly that you've got to be strong mentally as well.

"He's coming into his own. He's still going to make mistakes but he's picking up experience alongside the likes of Liam Dickson and Luke Wheatley.

"He absorbs it like a sponge and, every game he plays, he's taking little bits of information into the next match.

"Slowly the puzzle is piecing together for him and the likes of TJ, playing alongside Ollie Gray, and young Rory Smith, playing alongside Alfie Paxman or Aaron Millbank.

"We've got a good blend and if we can add to that next year, hopefully we'll be in a much stronger position."

Ramsgate came from behind at Shoreham, scoring three goals in four minutes either side of half-time.

"It could have been a banana skin because they've got nothing to lose," said Blackman.

"We were trying to force things and it didn't quite work for us in the first half.

"But we were always going to create chances and once we went 2-1 up, we relaxed.

"We changed things a little bit, calmed ourselves down and knew our quality would shine through."

Rams finish the season at home to East Grinstead on Saturday (3pm).