BACKING THE FLEET TO WEMBLEY GLORY: WE WILL PULL IT OUT THE BAG, INSISTS LONG

EBBSFLEET UNITED midfielder Stacy Long vows to turn around their one-goal deficit to beat cocky Stevenage Borough in Saturday’s FA Carlsberg Trophy semi-final second leg to return to Wembley Stadium, writes Stephen McCartney.

The Fleet salvaged a 3-2 defeat at Broadhall Way last weekend, when everything appeared lost at the break, with the hosts 2-0 up.

With former Fleet winger Andy Drury running the show down the right, Stevenage Borough had one foot in the final following Steve Morrison’s 27^th goal of the season and a Lee Boylan drive, as the Kent side’s defence went missing.

However, a tactical change at the break, with Fleet boss Liam Daish withdrawing unfit midfielder Danny Slatter for the solid Derek Duncan, and with around one thousand fans roaring them on, the Fleet fought back.

Braveheart Neil Barrett, who is out for the rest of the season, scooped low to head home a 61^st minute goal, to bring the Kent side back into the game, suffering a suspected fractured jaw in the process and being stretchered off with a blood drenched face, before Long scored a stunning right-footed shot, which dipped just underneath the crossbar from just outside the box.

But Stevenage sealed victory nine minutes from time when David Bridges powered home a header following Drury’s corner, despite the Fleet dominating the second half.

But despite the defeat, the game is far from over, and with Stevenage boss Graham Westley believing his side are already at Wembley Stadium, the Fleet will bite back and seal a dramatic second leg victory at a passion filled Stonebridge Road on Saturday.

Long, speaking to www.kentishfootball.co.uk after Saturday’s defeat, was pleased to settle for a one-goal deficit, following an abject first half, against a Stevenage Borough side that went into that game nineteen games unbeaten.

“I think we’d definitely have taken it at half-time, considering the way we were playing and the scoreline at the time,” admitted Long.

“We finished on a positive, hopefully we can start in the next game positively and take it to them.”

No-one expected Ebbsfleet United to play so poorly during the first half, especially as they stuffed Blue Square Premier leaguers Burton Albion in their previous game, but it could have been a lot worse for the holders, as goalkeeper Lance Cronin pulled off two fine saves to prevent Lawrie Wilson and Darren Murphy scoring just before the break to prevent a first half rout.

“Sometimes things don’t go as expected,” said Long. “They did start well and we weren’t at the races and maybe we contributed to them looking so good.

“I think second half we had a right good go, and towards the end of the game we felt disappointed going away 3-2 down.”

But Barrett’s brave goal could still send the Fleet back to Wembley.

“It was a great run from him and it was the most important goal to get us right back in it,” Long said of his team-mates bravery.

So Fleet need to score first at Stonebridge Road on Saturday to level the tie at three all and then go on - with a passionate home crowd behind them - to record another famous giant killing.

And Long sees the injuries to Craig Stone, who has been on crutches since the first game against Wrexham in the quarter-finals, and Barrett as inspiration to stun Stevenage.

“When something like that happens you get more inspiration to do it for the people who can’t be on that pitch,” he said.

Long has issued a rallying cry to the Stonebridge Road faithful to replicate their excellent support that they showed in Hertfordshire last weekend.

“It makes such a difference when crowds like that come, especially with the way we performed in the first half,” he said.

“They stood behind us, when we got the goals they were right behind us, which was great.”

But Long insists the Fleet are not going to surrender their FA Trophy to Westley and his Stevenage Borough side.

He said: “We were dead and buried at half-time, we’ve come out, we’ve stuck together, have pulled together, I think that was obvious, got it back to two-all, done magnificently and just unfortunate to give that goal away.

“I suppose we haven’t looked at it as one game. We see it as two so we feel we haven’t lost. We see it as an opportunity to get into the next round.

“An early goal would be great for us but we’re just going to try and get an early goal if we can.

“We know how big it is and what a massive day it will be if we got to that final. A lot of the boys in the squad have been there and we are not just happy doing it the once, they want to go on and do it again.

“We know what it’s all about now we’ve been in the two-legs and Saturday is another ninety minutes to see who comes out on top.

“We go into each game wanting to win, we don’t play for draws, so we’ll go in with the same attitude as we do for each game and hopefully we can nick a couple of goals.”

COVERAGE
www.kentishfootball.co.uk will be providing LIVE UPDATES from Stonebridge Road.

BBC Radio Kent will be providing LIVE COVERAGE on 96.7fm and 104.6fm and on www.bbc.co.uk/kent

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

Ebbsfleet United v Stevenage Borough
FA Carlsberg Trophy Semi-Final Second Leg
Saturday 21^st March 2009
Kick Off 3:00pm
At Stonebridge Road, Northfleet, Kent DA11 9GN