Ramsgate striker Joe Taylor has been voted player of the season by KentOnline readers.

Taylor polled 19% of the vote after a campaign to remember at Southwood.

He scored 53 goals in all competitions, including 42 in 38 league games, and nine in the FA Cup as Rams reached the second round for the first time in their history.

The 33-year-old pipped Whitstable midfielder Josh Oliver (15%) and Maidstone talisman Sam Corne (13%) in our poll.

“I’ve been nominated for more awards than ever before, and that comes with the goals,” said Taylor, who picked up the golden boot at the National Game Awards last week.

“I’ve had a lot of exposure in the last couple of weeks.

“The KentOnline team of the season always gets a good reaction on social media, which it has done for me, and it’s great to win the star man.

“I saw all the Ramsgate fans voted for me and I appreciate that because they’ve been great all season.

“I made team of the week a few times but team of the season is the one you always want to make, isn’t it?”

Taylor returned to Ramsgate from Lewes on the eve of the Isthmian South East season.

He’d scored 70 goals in two seasons at the Dripping Pan, having previously been prolific at Sittingbourne, Folkestone and Cray Wanderers.

Ramsgate missed out on promotion, beaten by Chichester in the play-offs after finishing runners-up.

Taylor played in every league game, despite not always being 100% fit, as Ben Smith’s side went toe-to-toe with eventual champions Cray Valley.

He said: “To score more league goals than we had games is a big achievement and maybe something I haven’t done before, and I was one off winning the golden ball in the FA Cup, which is an achievement in itself.

“I was playing with really good players at Ramsgate who made a lot of chances for me.

“I played in every league game, I played through injuries, I gave everything to get Ramsgate promoted this season.

“We couldn’t do it but in giving everything and working as hard as I did, it gave me the goal return I got.

“It’s a mixture of having good players around me and dedicating myself 100%.”

It’s rare for players to feature in every league game these days but Ramsgate were able to rely on Taylor.

He added: “Ramsgate’s pitch is great but if you fall, it does hurt.

“I had a couple of shoulder injuries that took me close to not playing but I played through.

“The only game I missed all season was the FA Trophy at Hythe.

“I wanted to play but we had Woking in the FA Cup a few days later, so the manager told me not to and it was a good decision.

“I’ve got to thank Ben because he’s given me the platform to do what I’ve done this season.

“He’s stuck by me and given me the ammunition I needed.”