Ramsgate player-coach Joe Ellul believes captain Joe Taylor will go close to 70 goals this season.

And in an ominous message to the rest of Isthmian South East, Ellul claims Rams are nowhere near their best yet.

Taylor scored both goals as second-placed Ramsgate won 2-1 at Eastbourne Town on Saturday, taking his tally to 20 by the start of November.

The 33-year-old scored 53 last season but could eclipse that by some distance, according to team-mate Ellul.

“He’s got 20 already and he could have 30,” said Ellul.

“The thing with JT is he takes his chances at the right times.

“That might sound stupid but in vital moments he’ll pop up with an important goal which will push us on to go and win by a couple of goals, or even three or four.

“He’s pivotal in what we do.

“He offers us more now than he did last year, in my opinion, and I’ve even said that to him.

“Just by him offering us more, movement-wise and work rate-wise, he’s probably got more goals now than he did this time last year.

“I think he’ll hit 65/70 this year. I think he’ll push it close.

“If he scores early in a game, you know what’s going to happen. You know there’s two or three coming.

“From now until the end of the season, if he can hit two goals every game, which I think he can, you’re talking a lot of goals.”

Unbeaten Ramsgate made it 10 wins from 11 games, with only two points dropped all season, after beating Eastbourne.

They visit Ashford United tonight (7.45pm) and host struggling Steyning Town this Saturday (3pm).

That’s followed by a trip to Herne Bay next Tuesday (7.45pm).

Ben Smith’s side have been in relentless form but there’s plenty more to come.

“It’s going well results-wise but I still don’t think we’ve hit our best,” said Ellul.

“We’re nowhere near our best, if I’m honest.

“Sometimes I feel like we find it hard to adapt to teams sitting in and not wanting to get at us but once we figure it out, which we always do, then we break them down and destroy them.

“If we can do that from the get-go, I think we’d run away and win five, six, sevens every week, plus we’re still merging and blending as a team.

“Once we hit the ground running properly and click, that’s when people will be realising what a team we are.

“I’d say we’re at 65-70% of what we can do.

“Once everyone gets the same understanding and realises this is the way we’re going to go forward, we’ll be a very scary side.

“I’m not just saying this, I think we’d be in the same position if we were in the league above because we can do both sides of the game.”

Ramsgate showed their ability to stand up and be counted at Eastbourne.

A physical home side looked to make life difficult but the visitors were up for the fight.

“We’ve got boys who are willing to put their bodies on the line, as well as play football the right way, because we do play lovely football,” said Ellul.

“But on Saturday, against Eastbourne, that was all-out war on a really bad pitch against - not in a horrible way - a not very good side.

“They came out to create havoc, to kick and punch us and try and be bullies, but we matched them in every way and didn’t allow them to bully us.

“You’ve got me, Jay Leader and Billy Munday who win all our tackles and headers and do our bit defensively.

“We’re the kind of players you want in games like that because you’re going to get monsters who win everything and dictate the whole pace of the game with what we do.

“Either side, you’ve got Roarie Deacon and Tom Clifford and they’re boys you want to give the ball to because they can create the magic to help us get forward.”