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Ben Smith insisted there is still much more to come from his Ramsgate side after they delivered a thumping home win against Sheppey on Saturday.
Two-goal winger Alfie Paxman, skipper Joe Taylor, midfielder Benny Bioletti and substitute Josh Ajayi did the damage as the Rams made it six wins from six Isthmian South East fixtures this campaign with a 5-0 victory, ending the Ites’ perfect league start in the process.
But Ramsgate manager Smith said: “As I’ve said - and I’ll sound like a broken record - but the league has always been our priority. I’m delighted with the performance today.
“I thought we came out of the blocks really well.
“We trained really well on Thursday and we carried on with what we did on Thursday into the game. When we’re like that, no one can live with us in this league.
“I guess the puzzling thing for me - and the scary thing - is that we can be a lot better. That’s the exciting thing. That’s an 8/10 performance and we’ve blown them away!
“Everyone was talking them up before the game, with (Ernie Batten) winning manager-of-the-month and Sheppey unbeaten, and talking about us losing cup games.
“But I think that’s a bit of a statement that we mean business.”
First-half goals from 15-goal Taylor and Bioletti had put the Rams in command midway through the first period before Paxman got the first of his two goals in first-half injury time.
Smith said: “I thought we were more than good value for 3-0 at half-time.
“It could have been more because there were a few where they’ve just got a block in with a last-ditch tackle. Credit to them for that, by the way.
“But there was only going to be one winner.”
After the restart, Paxman netted again - completing his second brace of the campaign - and Ajayi put the icing on the cake for Ramsgate in injury time as they bounced back from the previous weekend’s 3-1 FA Trophy home loss to Isthmian Premier side Cray Valley PM.
“There were some disappointing things from the Cray game,” said Smith. “I didn’t really think we had an attacking mindset for that game. But by the way, credit to them.
“I felt they were really good last weekend and I’m not sure that I said that in any of my interviews. They were good value to win.
“We worked on a few things on Thursday. I said that we didn’t find solutions last weekend but, today, we almost took the solutions out of the players’ hands and told them ‘This is how we’re going to be going at it’. I think the players did what we asked of them to a tee.
“Roarie Deacon had a tough job against Jacob Lambert, their No.10, because he’s a very good player. I really like him. But Deacs did a really good job of nullifying him.
“As the first half wore on, he was going deeper and deeper and he’s just not a threat back there. He was getting the ball, spraying cross-field passes - and that’s just brilliant. I thought Roarie Deacon had a really good game.
“I spoke to him before the game today about the role he has to play in terms of being disciplined. I thought he was outstanding. But you can go through the team.
“Alfie Paxman, by his standards, has had a poor couple of weeks but he was excellent. Benny was a constant threat and, while JT (Taylor) hasn’t scored the bulk of our goals today, we played into him so much more. Because we do that, it allows others to be a threat.
“It was a clean sheet, as well. At 4-0, I was hearing the front guys shouting ‘Keep a clean sheet’ so it was really good - but it’s just one game.
“We have got to go to Steyning Town on Tuesday and be all over it.”
Smith and his backroom staff will need to assess the fitness of Bioletti and defender Aaron Barnes ahead of their midweek trip after both hobbled off in the second period of the weekend win while attacking midfielder Lee Martin will return, having been away for the Sheppey game.
