A trip to Wembley Stadium is within touching distance for Ebbsfleet United

LIAM DAISH has told his Ebbsfleet United side to score the first goal at Aldershot Town on Saturday as a trip to Wembley Stadium is just 90 minutes away, writes Stephen McCartney.

The Fleet defeated table topping Aldershot 3-1 in their FA Carlsberg Trophy semi-final first leg at Stonebridge Road last Saturday.

Two first half penalties from Chris McPhee and Paul McCarthy’s first goal of the season, soon after the Hampshire side had pulled the game back to 2-1, ensured the Fleet go into Saturday’s second leg with a two-goal advantage.

A win or a draw at the hostile Recreation Ground on Saturday will ensure Daish’s young guns will be playing at Wembley Stadium for the very first time in the north Kent club’s history.

“If we score a goal, it’s really difficult for them,” Daish told www.kentishfootball.co.uk after last Saturday’s impressive display.

“If we sit there and play with too much fear they’ll get one goal back,” he warned.

“I know what it’s like down there at Aldershot, their crowd are very boisterous. They’ll act as a thirteenth man and they’ll be backing them right from the start.

“We’ve just got to relax, shut out from all that and try and look for another goal, then it’s difficult for them.”

The Fleet were the underdogs for the first leg but Daish acknowledged that his side have shaken off that tag for their next encounter with the current Blue Square Premier leaders.

“The first thing I said when I went and spoke to the players, I don’t need to say it but I’m going to say it, we’ve only given ourselves a good chance,” said Daish. “A better than average chance of making it to a major final.

“They’re very level-headed lads, there’s no, and I’ve said it before, there’s no superstars.

“I don’t think we’ll be underdogs now, we’ll probably be evens as well as them. It will be a test for us mentally.

“More than anything is that we don’t get caught up in what’s going on around us, stay focused on what we’re doing, keeping that calm assurance and then we’ve got to search for a goal.”

Visit Ebbsfleet United’s website: www.ebbsfleetunited.co.uk

Aldershot Town v Ebbsfleet United
FA Carlsberg Trophy Semi-Final Second Leg
Saturday 15^th March 2008
Kick Off 3:00pm
At Recreation Ground, High Street, Aldershot, Hampshire GU11 1TW