Ebbsfleet 1-3 U's: Going with the flow
Tuesday 11th August 2009 - Ebbsfleet 1-3 U's: Going with the flow
There is always an element of sadness when something comes to the end of its useful life, but still hangs around forlornly, getting in the way and making the place look untidy.
The demise of Setanta UK has left a legacy of unsightly and unwanted television gantries, and there were three in evidence at Ebbsfleet's ramshackle Stonebridge Road venue on Tuesday night. Two were placed obtrusively at either end of their terraced stand along one side - well they would have been obtrusive if a crowd of any great size had gathered - plus one bolted precariously to the top of the terrace on which 500 travelling U's supporters had gathered after a tiresome journey through heavy M25 traffic.
These abandoned tangles of planks and scaffolding actually did not look too out of place in the Fleet's homely but rather shabby arena, three sides occupied by creaking old stands with rusting corrugated iron roofs that looked as if they had lain untouched in decades. The ground is now literally just round the corner from the shiny new Ebbsfleet International railway station, a sprawling edifice that more resembles an airport than anything else and a striking contrast to the football club's car park which still looks like a scrapyard.
It was the Fleet's first home game of the season after a traumatic close season in which a significant proportion of their Internet'owners' failed to renew their subscriptions, with a resultant decrease in budget which led to a large chunk of the playing squad leaving. And if certain people are to be believed, their boss Liam Daish almost found employment elsewhere, too...
It was a fairly cobbled together Fleet squad, therefore, which took the field against the U's, including three players who had previously worn the black and amber: Magno Vieira, Gavin Heeroo and Jordan Collins. The tone of their matchday programme, however, remained positive and upbeat, although one had to suppress a wry chuckle when it proudly held up such examples of items that had gone to the vote as the 'title of the player interview' - and there was not one to be seen in the prog, anyway.
On a gloriously warm, clear summer's evening the supporters gradually filtered in to see a full United squad warming up, including the welcome sight of Anthony Tonkin, not yet on the bench but on the way back from the injury he sustained at Ely. The team, and indeed, the substitutes, were unchanged from Saturday, although Adam Marriott was also on the pitch getting a taste of the first team experience.
The programmes did not actually arrive until late on in the first half due to hold-ups on the roads, and it felt odd not to see the usual trestle table in the corner of the away end displaying a glittering array of EUFC goodies for our delectation. But there was a lively and positive atmosphere on the away terrace as the amber army made up almost a third of the total attendance at their first away league match of the season. At this time of the year, hope always springs eternal, despite all evidence to the contrary.
Daish's new-look Ebbsfleet side started in exceedingly lively fashion, forcing a corner inside eight seconds, and within a couple of minutes a sleepy United rearguard had melted away to leave Ricky Shakes with a clear shot on goal, but he screwed it feebly wide.
Fleet dominated the opening proceedings, their extremely simple game plan to get the ball forward as quickly and directly as possible so that their exceptionally quick forward players (Vieira, Ishmael Welsh, James Lindie) could chase after it at full pelt. United were reduced to repeatedly knocking the ball out of play deep in their own half under pressure from the opposition.
An uncomfortable start was relieved on 7 when Jai Reason forced United's first corner with a deflected shot, and Mark Beesley met Robbie Willmott's flag-kick with a header which was cleared from deep inside the six-yard box. Fleet responded with a lightning fast break, which saw Vieira haring down the left channel, brushing Darryl Coakley aside as he reached the byline then cutting inside and firing a shot across the face of goal from the tightest of angles. Yes, Magno has not changed: all the pace in the world, cannot finish for toffee.
Another U's corner a minute later found Dan Gleeson on the edge of the box but he blasted wide. It was the hosts, however, who continued to dominate as too many United passes went inexplicably astray and they were second to too many balls against swift, determined opposition.
It was against the run of play, then, that United took the lead on 16. Wayne Hatswell gained a corner via a blocked long-range free-kick, Willmott floated it to Hatswell at the far post, he headed it back across goal, Beesley picked up possession on the byline, he fired a low cross into the danger zone, and there was Chris Holroyd to pounce, ramming home from close range. 1-0.
Fleet continued to enjoy the better of the play, however, with Vieira heading off target on 20, Heeroo dragging a shot wide six minutes later, then on 28 came their best chance yet as Vieira's pace again took him straight through the centre of United's leaden-footed defence. Clear on goal, his shot was reasonably struck but Danny Potter did well to block with his feet, and when Lindie latched onto the rebound, Josh Coulson was there to block a certain goal. Yup, still the same old Magno, bless him.
Gradually, almost imperceptibly, United's ragged, dogged resistance began to wear the hosts down, and their hurricane began to blow itself out. The industrious engine room of Reason and Paul Carden started to gain a foothold in the game, and on 37 Beesley found space for a shot from twenty yards but he slipped as he pulled the trigger and scuffed wide.
Beesley had half a penalty shout when he appeared to be felled by Heeroo, to no interest from ref Long, while up the other end a foul by Carden on Shakes presented Scott Shulton with a free-kick opportunity which he drove obligingly into the wall after his colleagues' own two-man screen had peeled away from over the ball.
On the stroke of half-time Shulton cleared a Willmott corner to Reason, but he blazed just over, while Vieira had the final chance when he met a Welsh corner at the near post but headed well over the top. Good old Magno.
So far, so just about acceptable, although United's lead was scarcely deserved on the balance of possession and chances so far. But they got off to the worst possible start when they conceded an equaliser within a couple of minutes of the restart. Shulton was fouled by Reason midway into the U's half, Welsh arced the free-kick to the far post, and there was hulking centre-back Leon Crooks rising comfortably above Gleeson's unconvincing challenge to power the simplest of headers past a helpless Potter. 1-1.
We feared the worst. But United responded convincingly two minutes later as the half-time swap of wings between Willmott and Andy Parkinson bore fruit. Holroyd was the architect, cutting inside from the left to cross to the far post where Willmott was stealing behind Collins to knock it back across goal... and there was Reason, galloping unmarked into the middle to bundle home from close range. At last, a midfield player arriving in the six-yard box: 2-1.
Jai looked thoroughly pumped up and was duly booked by the killjoy in black for celebrating with the supporters.
Suddenly something just seemed to click in the United team, and with the solid support of Reason, Carden and Parkinson, the mercurial Willmott, Beesley and Holroyd began to carve the hosts apart time and again with delightful pace, movement and passing, playing Fleet at their own game but very much better at it. Fleet's floodlights began to flicker on, but their barely adequate wattage was little more effective than the players in red and white on the pitch.
Willmott began to hand his former colleague Collins a thorough roasting, beating him repeatedly down the flank, and inside a minute his teasing cross had just evaded Parkinson at the far post. Beesley and Holroyd were playing off the shoulders of Fleet's increasingly ponderous looking defence and always looking for their colleagues to thread through balls for them to latch onto.
On 57 Reason's penetrating wall pass set up Beesley for a one-on-one with keeper Lance Cronin, but Bees' tendency to always place his shots rather than put his laces through them backfired when Cronin made a good save, and the Fleet No.1 recovered well to smother Willmott's attempted follow-up, too. But Bees must have known he should have been on the score sheet.
It was all United now though, led from the front by the effervescent Holroyd. Jamie Forshaw replaced Shakes on 63 but the shakes remained on the field for the Fleet back four. Willmott set up Beesley two minutes later but he dragged his shot wide of the far post, and the U's pressure was finally rewarded again on 72.
Again it was all about pace and movement as Willmott sprinted clear down the right to the byline, he fired over a pinpoint cross, and there was Holroyd who had left his marker for dead to guide an unchallenged close-range header in at the far post. Marvellous stuff: 3-1.
Shellshocked Fleet gained a rare corner a minute later from which Crooks poked wide, then Sam Ives was introduced in place of Parkinson, settling in immediately as one would expect from this fine prospect. Willmott then created havoc again with a run and cut inside followed by a shot just wide of the near post, then Carden sent Beesley wriggling through, he drew then rounded Cronin, looked to have been driven too wide but his shot from a near-impossible angle looked as if it was going in until it was hacked off the line by Crooks.
Daish moved the deckchairs on the Titanic by replacing Shulton with Michael West on 79, then the fussy ref booked Gleeson for an innocuous challenge on Welsh. Forshaw's free-kick found Vieira, but Potter dived to save his header. We love you, Magno.
The match had flowed pretty well despite the man in black's often unnecessary stoppages, but it was stopped in its tracks on 84 when Darius Charles fouled Josh Coulson, the United players reacted angrily and in the aftermath of an unseemly melee, both Charles and Carden saw yellow. Mr Long took an absolute eternity to deal with it all, talking to both linesmen before showing the cards.
The match was all but over as a contest. Three minutes from time Hatswell fouled Vieira in a dangerous position similar to that from which Carlos Logan had scored for Barrow on Saturday, but this time West's free kick dribbled apologetically wide.
The added time board showed a remarkable '7' due mainly to the double-booking stoppage, but United tightened their grip by introducing Rory McAuley for Beesley, and cruised to a comfortable victory.
United's first league points of the season were celebrated joyously between supporters and players, and after one of the most fraught months in this extraordinary club's tumultuous history, a corner appeared to have been turned. Tina Turner's 'The Best' blared incongruously from the speakers, which we could only take as a compliment because it could not have been aimed at the overrun hosts.
The reappointment of Martin Ling the next morning confirmed the much-needed return of a feelgood factor to the Abbey. No more negativity. No more raking over old bones. No more looking back. Let's get on with it!
Statto Corner
This was only the second time United have ever won at Stonebridge Road in eight attempts spread over fifty years, and the first since the hosts changed their name from Gravesend & Northfleet to Ebbsfleet United.
United's only previous win in Northfleet was in the Southern League days, on 22nd April 1963, when they won 2-0 with a brace from Matt McVittie. They went on to finish runners-up to Cambridge City, while the Fleet came 20th out of 21 and were relegated from the Premier to the First Division along with Poole Town and Clacton Town. They did not regain their Premier place until 1971, whereupon they were promptly relegated again after finishing bottom and did not re-establish themselves in the top division until 1975.
Jordan Collins graduated from the CRC side to make his U's debut on Boxing Day 2006 in a 1-0 home defeat by Rushden. In all he made seven first team starts plus two as sub, his last appearance in October last year in a 1-0 win over Weymouth, whom he went on to join on loan for the rest of the season; the nadir of his stay there was captaining a very youthful Terras team to that notorious 9-0 home defeat by Rushden.
Jordan appeared once for United in the same side as his older brother Aidan, in the 7-0 defeat of (who else) Weymouth on 31st March 2007, Aidan starting at centre-back and Jordan coming off the bench. Aidan was forced to retire at the end of the season due to injury. Jordan was also loaned out to Billericay and Heybridge Swifts during his Abbey tenure.
Gavin Heeroo started eight games for the U's and made one further appearance as sub, making his debut on Boxing Day 2005 in a 1-0 home defeat of Stevenage. His last game before the end of his loan spell from Farnborough was in a 2-1 win at Scarborough on 22nd April 2006, since when he has played for Chelmsford, Fisher Athletic, Sutton United and Eastleigh before signing for Ebbsfleet this season. He is the only Mauritian international to have played for United, and I dare say the same goes for his other clubs, too...
Magno Vieira is the only Brazilian to have played for the U's, scoring twice in six games plus seven as sub towards the end of the 2007-08 season. He made his United debut, on loan from Crawley, from the bench in a dismal defeat at Farsley Celtic, and his swansong was in that year's playoff final against Exeter. Both his goals came in the last game of the regular season, a 2-0 win at Northwich. He was on Wycombe's books last term but never established himself in their promotion-winning side, scoring two goals in two starts plus twelve as sub, before being released.
Player Ratings
Potter 7. Dealt with Ebbsfleet's crosses competently.
Gleeson 7. Caught napping for the goal, otherwise satisfactory.
Coulson 8. Repelled everything that came his way.
Hatswell 7. Not vintage Hats, but came through.
Coakley 7. Embarrassed once by the pace of Vieira but otherwise acquitted himself pretty well.
Parkinson 7. Steady, hard-working contribution.
Carden 8. Our Leader.
Reason 8. Sublime combination of skill and fist-clenching determination, and nice bonus in a six-yard box goal.
Willmott 8. Not a great first half, but a superb second in which he roasted Collins time and again, plus delivered some sublime crosses.
Beesley 8. Ran rings around Ebbsfleet with his vision and awareness. If only he could improve his finishing, he'd be one of the best in the league.
Holroyd 9. Simply unstoppable.
Ives 7. Decent contribution.
McAuley 6. Only on for five minutes.
Match Summary
United survived a shaky first half to turn Ebbsfleet inside out in the second with a devastating display of fast, intricate passing football which showed they can win matches without a big target man. The season starts here.
Man of the Match
Chris Holroyd. Ebbsfleet has no answer to his pace, positioning and ball-glued-to-his-feet dribbling, and his two goals showed he can be the fox in the box the side needs.
Ref Watch
Long 5. Did his best to disrupt a fast, entertaining match with his incessant whistling for the most minor of challenges.
Out of the Mouths of Babes
"At the end I said to my Mum and Dad, 'That was a good football match, wasn't it?' They said it was a good match. I said it was a good match too." (Thomas Westcott)
Soundtrack of the Day
Music Go Music 'Warm In The Shadows'
Parky's Pick of the Pops
Andy Parkinson lends an ear to the Stonebridge Road sounds. "All right, lads and lasses? I hope you had a great summer. I was made up to see The Boss, Bruce Springsteen, at Glastonbury, although I think I strained me shoulder through punching the air so much! Great weekend. Back to business now though, and I'm chomping at the bit to get back into the old footie routine.
"The music at Ebbsfleet was a bit like Glasto - a right mixed bag, some good, some well minging! You can't beat a bit of anthemic stadium rock like U2, Snow Patrol and the Kaiser Chiefs, and that Duffy bird can sing a bit, but stuff like the Ting Tings and Iglu & Hartley and Noah & The Whale is a bit too poppy for my taste. They also played some boring whiny Razorlight song, and bit of Take That (nice blokes, but keep the sound off, eh?) and worst of all, that Irish lot The Script, which must be the sickly and insincere music I've ever heard. I can spot a fake a mile off, me! Never walk alone! PPP verdict: 5/10."
Andrew Bennett
Andrew's previous match reports
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