Ben Smith praised the application of his players after unbeaten Isthmian South East leaders Ramsgate eased past Herne Bay on Saturday.

The Rams moved five points clear with a 3-0 home victory at Southwood - their seventh league win in a row - while second-placed Beckenham were beaten 3-1 by Ashford.

A quickfire double from Benedict Bioletti and Roarie Deacon had them two goals to the good inside 15 minutes.

It went from bad to worse for Bay when goalkeeper Harry Brooks was sent off, leaving an outfield player to go between the sticks, and seven-goal midfielder TJ Jadama added to their tally, as it ended 3-0.

The Rams completed the double for the season over Bay, having edged to a 2-1 victory at Winch’s Field just 11 days previously.

“We had to sort of weather their start,” said Ramsgate manager Smith. “We always felt they would have a fast start because they ended well against us the last time that we played them not long ago. It was important we weathered that and just sort of got our bearings.

“Once we got our patterns of play, for our first goal, we just cut them open. It’s all well and good, playing with a high press but it’s then about finding the right solution at the right time.

Report: Ramsgate 3-0 Herne Bay

“I thought Jay Leader was outstanding for the first 25 minutes. There were a couple of misplaced passes but it was a bit of a chess match and, as soon as we could open them up, we did. It comes from Jay and Lee Martin.

“There’s some great movement there. There were things we worked on, things we talked about doing, and the application of all of that was really good from the boys.

“I’m not saying we were camped in and playing counter-attacking football, but our biggest threat was when we had a goal kick.

“They were throwing men forward to try and press the life out of us because they had some joy in the second half of the last game, doing that.

“But I just thought we were too good.”

Bioletti appeared to have been crowded out, only to find space to score the game’s opening goal in front of a crowd of 818, before 33-year-old Deacon did likewise soon after from a similar position on the right-hand side.

Smith said: “Great football, great rotation, and we were able to switch the ball.

“When you’re able to switch the ball, playing through the thirds like that, we should probably have got more out of it before Deacs picks the ball up on the counter-press.

“The first two were two really great goals.”

Ramsgate did suffer a blow at the end of an otherwise excellent first half when they lost ex-Colchester player Bioletti to a knock after a late challenge by Herne Bay’s ex-Rams defender Jack Parter.

“You can see the treatment Benny has got,” said Smith. “I’d like to see him get protected a bit more than he was - but when you’re a good player, you’re a threat, you’re going to get that treatment.

“You’ve just got to get on with it. We did get on with it and there was no crying from us.

“We rolled our sleeves up, we just cracked on and the third goal was deserved. We had a lot of chances and I think we were a little bit wasteful in the end.

“Our eyes were lighting up, thinking ‘Who can get on the scoresheet?’ - not in a disrespectful way - but I think the players’ mindset was ‘Right, can I get a goal now?’ rather than just keep playing the way we were playing because we played really well.”

Despite already being 2-0 in front and playing against 10 men - and an outfield player in midfielder Ethan Smith in goal - Jadama’s strike was all they had to show from their second-half efforts, with even 26-goal Joe Taylor not on the scoresheet.

Smith admitted: “We were very wasteful. It then becomes easy, doesn’t it?

“Again, no disrespect to them because they’re a hard-working side so, even with 10, they’re not going to stop running. Obviously, Ethan went in goal but Scott Heard and the other lads in the middle are going to run all day.

“So, it wasn’t like we were going to run-up six. In terms of chances, we could have.

“But we were as clinical today as we have been and, to be fair, I’d rather JT doesn’t score today.

“Of course, I want him to score every game - but I’d rather he didn’t score today and then he does score when it’s really needed.”

Smith also thanked chairman James Lawson for paying for a team meal after Tuesday’s scheduled contest at East Grinstead had been the subject of a late postponement.