Manager Ben Smith was in tears after Ramsgate’s FA Cup victory over Woking at a packed Southwood.

Smith’s Isthmian South East underdogs came from a goal down to beat their National League visitors, a side 62 places above them in the pyramid.

A 2-1 success sent Rams through to the Second Round for the first time in the club’s history, with the draw taking place today (2.30pm).

Smith, remembering his late nan Elizabeth, broke down at full-time while Rams fans in the 3,000 sell-out crowd ran on to the pitch to celebrate the club’s greatest day.

“I’m in tears there, I turn round and Jim Ward (ex-Rams boss) is in the same state as I am,” said the Rams boss.

“The look on his face, he was made up and there’s so many people like that.

“My nan died two years ago, just before the play-off success with Herne Bay. She got me into football.

“I do it because I love it, so to think about her before the game gives me a bit of inspiration.

“I’m certainly not a religious man but sometimes you do think what’s going on up there, don’t you?”

Ramsgate trailed to a Dennon Lewis goal but TJ Jadama levelled from Tom Hadler’s giant clearance and Lee Martin swept home a corner for the winner.

“It’s just incredible,” said Smith, whose side earned £41,000 in prize money for the win.

“For the chairman (James Lawson) and the volunteers behind the scenes, I’m just so pleased for them because these moments don’t come around too often. It’s hard to find the words.

“Winning the league would beat that, hand on heart, but these are special moments.

“You win a league championship and get promoted, that’s a long, hard slog, and you’re absolutely knackered by the end of it.

“This is just pure excitement. Thanet has caught FA Cup fever.”

The first goal often proves decisive in FA Cup football when the higher-league side take the lead.

Report: Ramsgate 2-1 Woking

But Ramsgate had other ideas and grew into the game, exploiting Woking’s vulnerability from long balls with Jadama’s equaliser before seeing a training-ground corner from Alfie Paxman pay off for Martin’s winner.

“The goal was really the only time they opened us up,” said Smith.

“It came from us losing the ball in midfield.

“I thought in the first 10-15 minutes we were having too many touches in midfield and I think where we’ve been playing teams at our level, you get away with that and you’re given time.

“For Lee Martin, as an example, adjusting to the level again, it took a 10-15-minute period and then I thought we started matching them.

“TJ Jadama, who’s never played at any level really, I think he set the tone for us.

“Joe Ellul stands out at the back but I thought TJ Jadama really got us a grip in midfield and then suddenly before half-time you saw some patterns coming out, we were working the ball wide to Jordan Green.

“You could feel there was a bit of confidence coming from us and second half it was a case of exposing some weakness they had.

“They struggled to deal with the ball over the top, and we don’t play like that ever, but we adapted really well and exposed them.

“We saw that for the first goal and the set-piece for the winner was straight off the training ground.

“We’ve been so close to scoring from that corner all season and I said to the lads beforehand, just because it’s the FA Cup and there’s 3,000 in here, we are doing this and they executed it brilliantly.

“For Lee Martin, what a moment, for someone who’s had such a great career.

“He’s dropped down, he’s had a lot of stick recently from local clubs - he was at Dover and for whatever reason it was a bit toxic down there - and he still gets abuse but what a moment for him and what a role model he is for this football club and the community.

“Honestly, he’s the hardest-working player I’ve ever come across.

“He’s a good friend of mine but, honestly, he’s a manager’s dream, he really is.

“He shows the younger players we’ve got - the 16 and 17-year-olds in that squad - he shows them what it takes to move to the next level, so I’m delighted for him.”