Manager Ben Smith always felt there was a game to be won after Ramsgate shocked Chatham in the FA Cup on Saturday.

Rams produced the result of the First Qualifying Round by winning 5-1 away to the Isthmian Premier leaders on Saturday.

TJ Jadama set them on their way and top scorer Joe Taylor added a second before Chats replied through Che Krabbendam early in the second half.

Taylor restored the two-goal cushion and man-of-the-match Bode Anidugbe struck twice in the last five minutes as Ramsgate set up a trip to Cray Wanderers in the next round on Sunday, September 17.

Few gave Isthmian South East Rams a chance of beating a Chats side who had won their first five league games following promotion.

But Smith wasn’t going there to make up the numbers.

He said: “I was never one of those who felt it was a free hit.

“I kept hearing that term bandied about by people outside our camp and I made quite a point of telling the players it wasn’t a free hit.

“If we’d felt it was a free hit, that tells me we don’t believe we’re good enough to go and win a game of football.

“I’ve seen a few comments saying Chatham had players missing but so did we. It’s about what happens on the day and we were clinical.

“We put in a good performance but we won’t get carried away.

“We’re still learning about each other and still learning to grow as a team.”

Smith, keen to see the character in his side, got his wish as Chatham pulled a goal back in the second half before Ramsgate moved clear in the last 20 minutes.

“As mad as it sounds, I said to the chairman at half-time I’d love to concede and then win the game,” he said.

“It was an opportunity to find out a lot about the team in terms of our character, our resolve and our resilience, and it was pleasing to see how far we’ve come in a short space of time.

“The way the game was at the end, it was made for us.

“The chances we didn’t take on the break at Herne Bay on Monday (2-1 league win for the Rams), we did take them at Chatham.

“This time, we made the right decisions at the right times.

“We’ve had some experience now of a team being tired or chasing the game and the gaps they leave for you.

“It was good to see us exploit those gaps because there will be quite a lot of games like that for us this season.”

Lee Martin typified Ramsgate’s character by playing on with a broken rib.

“He’s sore but he was one of the standout performers,” said Smith.

“I thought he was excellent, particularly in the first half when we were quite dominant on the ball. He was influential in that.

“When we signed him, we had all this stuff saying he’s a bad egg and he’s this and he’s that. It’s nonsense.

“He’s a natural-born leader and he was the heartbeat of the side on Saturday.”

It’s 18 years since Ramsgate last reached the FA Cup First Round, losing 2-0 at Nuneaton Borough in November 2005.

Jim Ward was the manager back then and Smith told how he shared a round of golf with the ex-Rams boss last week.

“I heard all about the cup run,” said Smith.

“It was good to have a round of golf with Jim and to hear all the stories.

“It’s important you embrace the history of a club and use it to try and write new history, so it was a nice moment.

“Jim was at the game on Saturday, too, which was good to see.

“He’s still got a lot of little tips and tricks that you can use.

“I’ll always listen to people who have done well in the game.”

Ramsgate turn their attention to the FA Trophy this Saturday (3pm) with a home game against Northwood in the First Qualifying Round.

Smith welcomes back Mike West and will make a decision on Martin.

“We rotated slightly in the FA Cup and we’ll do the same again this week,” said Smith.

“We’ve got a good squad and we want to give everyone an opportunity to be accountable for the results we get.”