Ramsgate manager Ben Smith sees game-by-game improvement as his side adjust to Isthmian Premier football

Ben Smith can see the improvement at Ramsgate despite back-to-back defeats for his side.

Rams opened the Isthmian Premier season with a 3-2 win over Whitehawk but have since lost 4-2 at Chatham and 2-0 at home to Dulwich Hamlet in their latest game on Saturday.

Results don’t tell the full story for the Isthmian South East champions, however, as they acclimatise to their new division.

Ramsgate visit Cray Valley this Saturday before hosting Dartford at Southwood on Bank Holiday Monday (both 3pm).

“I think we’ve got better every game,” said Rams boss Smith.

“We were better against Chatham than we were against Whitehawk and better against Dulwich than we were against Chatham, it just hasn’t materialised into points.

“It’s a long old season, with plenty of points to play for, and there’s no reason why we can’t go on a good run.

“But we’re also mindful that the next couple of games are against sides that are tipped to do very well.

“Cray Valley have not had a great start but we know what a good side they are, and then it’s Dartford on Bank Holiday Monday, so it doesn’t get easier but that’s what we’re in this league for.

“We’ve got a number of excuses we could roll out but at the end of the day, we’ve got to do more to put the fine margins in our favour.

“We knew it was going to be a tough start to the season, so there’s no panic from us.

“You’re going to have peaks and troughs in this league, especially the way the fixtures have fallen for us.

“We’ve just got to take it a game at a time and try and keep ourselves in games and get some points on the board.

“They don’t come easy, no one gives them to you in this league, which is probably the difference.

“But the supporters clapped the boys off on Saturday.

“They knew the effort