Ramsgate’s 53-goal striker Joe Taylor will use promotion disappointment as motivation to go one better next season

Record-breaking Ramsgate striker Joe Taylor is fired up to go one better next season.

Taylor enjoyed the most prolific campaign of his career, scoring 53 goals in all competitions, including 42 in 38 Isthmian South East games.

But for all his efforts in front of goal, Rams missed out on promotion, beaten by Chichester in the play-off semi-finals after finishing Isthmian South East runners-up with 89 points.

He quickly signed up for another crack at promotion, agreeing a new deal within a week of the season finishing, and is determined to lead Ramsgate to the Isthmian Premier.

“Every season I need fuel to go again and this season my fuel will be not getting promoted with 89 points in a 38-game season and some negative comments from people saying we bottled the league,” said Taylor.

“As a team, we’ve got the fuel to go again.

“I think we’re keeping a good core of the team.

“There’ll be players added and some changes.

“It won’t be exactly the same squad but if we improve on what we had last season we’ll be in an even stronger position.

“That’s why it’s exciting for me because I know the players we’ve retained and they are very strong players.

“We might lose one or two we maybe didn’t want to lose but I look forward to seeing who replaces those guys.

“I’m also looking forward to having a full pre-season with the boys and working on what we need to work on.

“I missed that last season where I joined the day before the season started.”

Taylor was the first player to sign a new deal and he’s been appointed captain by manager Ben Smith, having filled in last season while the now-departed Mike West was out injured.

TJ Jadama, who followed Taylor in staying on, is the new vice-captain.

Taylor had no intention of leaving Ramsgate.

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