Dartford 1-0 Ebbsfleet United - We've given it our best shot over 180 minutes, says Steve Brown

DARTFORD  1-0  EBBSFLEET UNITED
The FA Cup with Budweiser Fourth Qualifying Round Replay
Tuesday 29^th October 2013
Stephen McCartney reports from Princes Park Stadium

EBBSFLEET UNITED manager Steve Brown claims Dartford were lucky to progress through to The FA Cup First Round at his club’s expense.

The Darts can now look forward to travelling to their full-time Skill (Conference) Premier rivals Salisbury City on 9 November after inspirational skipper Elliot Bradbrook held his nerve from the spot – when Ebbsfleet United winger Anthony Cook didn’t.

Cook failed to grab a lifeline with 21 minutes remaining when his penalty was saved and Bradbrook made a brilliant block from Ben May’s rebound to help send Dartford through.

Dartford went into this game sitting in the bottom six in the Conference Premier with 18 points from sixteen league games - but Bradbrook’s fourth goal of the season extended their unbeaten run to six games and can now look forward to a trip to Wiltshire in the First Round.

Ebbsfleet United arrived at Princes Park sitting in the top nine in Conference South with 18 points from 13 games and this was only their second defeat in ten games.

A crowd of 2,895 watched the 283^rd meeting between these two fierce north Kent rivals on Saturday – a 1-1 draw at Stonebridge Road.

But the Dartford fans in tonight’s crowd of 1,901 were the ones claiming the local bragging rights at the final whistle.

“I’m chocked to be honest because I think over the two games we deserved to go through – but we’re not so that’s where the disappointment is,” admitted Brown afterwards.

“Equally, I’m very proud of the performances and the players so we can be disappointed because the result hasn’t gone our way, but we can be proud that we’ve taken a Conference Premier side all the way over 180 minute and in my eyes and in the players’ eyes the wrong side has probably gone through to the next round.”

Dartford boss Tony Burman said he was delighted to make it through to the First Round for the second time in four seasons.

“I’m delighted.  I’m pleased with the players and the supporters. It’s nice. It’s what it’s about and it gets us recognised a little bit more and gives us some good publicity and it’s something that you do like to be involved in.

“I thought it was a fairly even game on Saturday and probably a fair result. I don’t think it was going to be loads of goals in the games anyway and I thought first half we did ok. I thought we was ok and then we complicated it a little bit again – which we did in the second half on Saturday.

“Having said that, give Ebbsfleet a lot of credit. They’ve put a lot of pressure on. They’ve got some decent players in there who can turn it on in the big games, I think and I thought they came at us and fair play.

“But I thought my lot were brilliant in respect of they (my players) was on a hiding to nothing, having been drawn against Ebbsfleet and they are favourites to probably come up and us being where we are.

“For us to have five players out of the two ties just shows that I have to give them so much credit for the way that they’ve performed but they’ve done a real good job. They’ve put their bodies on the line and I thought they was excellent.”

Ebbsfleet United created the first chance of tonight’s replay inside the opening three minutes.

Goalkeeper Preston Edwards pumped the ball straight down the middle of the pitch for May to flick the ball on for his strike partner Billy Bricknell, whose left-footed angled drive screamed wide of the near post.

Dartford supporters, meanwhile, didn’t have to wait long for their first opening.

The club’s longest serving player, right-winger Ryan Hayes, whipped a left-footed free-kick off the wall and the ball sailed narrowly over the crossbar from 25-yards.

Former VCD Athletic striker Uche Ibemere had a quiet game but he did release Lee Noble, who cut in from the right but his ambitious right-footed shot rolled into Edwards’ gloves beside his near post.

Ibemere was given his chance because League Two side Scunthorpe United did not want striker Matt Godden cup-tied.

Burman said: “He’s been knocking on the door. We feel that he’s had a slight problem with fitness, lasting the games. We’ve been working on that. He was close to playing on Saturday. It didn’t happen and I just felt I should give him a chance tonight.”

Dartford’s best chance to break the stalemate arrived at the halfway point of the first half.

Alex Woodyard played the ball to Bradbrook, who went on a solo 60-yard run straight through the heart of the Fleet’s defence before stroking a left-footed drive which forced Edwards to dive to his left to push the ball around the post.

Burman said: “I thought we did well in the first twenty minutes but then I felt we complicated things and it wasn’t to be. I felt we maybe should have got something from the first half.”

Ebbsfleet United were to be denied within five minutes when former Dover Athletic midfielder Daryl McMahon powered a left-footed drive towards the roof of the net from 25-yards, which Dartford goalkeeper Alan Julian rose his arms to tip the ball over the crossbar.

But Ebbsfleet United were to be cruelly denied by the woodwork in the 33^rd minute.

McMahon curled his left-footed free-kick around from 22-yards around the wall and the ball agonisingly clipped the outside of the left-hand post and bounced behind for a Dartford goal-kick.

A relieved Burman said: “He can do that! He’s capable of doing that. There’s not much you can do when he’s bent the ball around the way like that and he’s hit the post!”

Brown simply added: “He did (hit the post) and it was a wonderful strike!”

The Fleet were by now enjoying a dominant spell and Dean Rance flicked the ball into Cook’s path, who stroked a first time left-footed shot towards goal from fifteen-yards, which forced Julian into making a comfortable low save to his left.

Dartford finished the first half by going close through Bradbrook, who glanced his header narrowly over the crossbar from inside the six-yard box after Hayes swung in a free-kick with his lethal left-foot from the right channel.

But Dartford claimed the local bragging rights by scoring the winner in the 54^th minute.

Noble seemed to be running out of space as he headed towards the by-line before referee Dean Treleaven adjudged Ebbsfleet United’s winger Alex Osborn to have fouled the Dartford midfielder.

Bradbrook stepped up and drove a perfect left-footed penalty into the bottom right-hand corner of the net, despite Edwards diving the same way.

Both managers were asked their thoughts on the penalty decision.

Burman said: “Whether they was or whether they wasn’t, it’s been given. I must say I wasn’t too sure whether our one was and I wasn’t too sure whether their one was in all due respect but that happens.

“I thought there would probably be a goal in it and when we scored we probably could have kept the ball a little bit better than what we did but having said that there’s five players missing and I think they’ve done brilliantly.”

Brown said: “I’d love to see it again!  I try not to criticise referees and I didn’t criticise the referee on Saturday but having looked at the footage how that is not a sending off (in the home game) is beyond the joke!

“I try not to be too critical. I wasn’t on Saturday but the evidence was there. I need to see that again.

“If you’ve played the game and you’ve dealt with professional footballers, if a player is running out of play and he’s going nowhere and the ball’s running out of play and he’s been shadowed by a defender it’s easy to check out, take it back from behind because our guys were coming at such a rate he’s not going to check out.  As soon as he’s got a touch he’s fallen to the ground.

“I think the referee has got to understand what’s just happened. I thought it was a poor decision but I may be proven wrong with video footage but on the night in real time I thought it was a very soft penalty but there you go, it was given!”

The goal raised the volume from the Dartford faithful and Noble swung in a free-kick into the penalty area with his left foot and Bradbrook ghosted in and looped his header harmlessly over the crossbar from six-yards.

McMahon cracked an angled left-footed drive, which took a deflection and sailed wide of the far post for Ebbsfleet United.

But The Fleet were awarded a lifeline when Danny Harris was penalised for his challenge on Rance inside the penalty area and Mr Treleaven awarded his second penalty of the night.

Seven-goal winger Cook placed the ball on the spot and looked on in despair as Julian dived low to his right to push the ball away and May’s fierce follow-up shot was brilliantly blocked by Bradbrook, who was sent to hospital after the game with suspected cracked ribs.

Both managers were asked their thoughts on the drama.

Burman said: “It seemed like a good save. He didn’t hold it though! He’s let it come out but we’ve got our body on the line and I thought they were absolutely brilliant the lads.”

But Bradbrook’s commitment has come at a cost.

“At the moment he’s not breathing too well in there. He’s going off to hospital. The ball’s hit him and I’m hoping not too much of bad news. It’s not looking good at the moment.

“That’s the attitude we’ve got to have. Elliot does that week in week out, season in season out and we have players who can do that. That’s what we’ve got to build again. I thought the boys were brilliant.”

Brown admitted he didn’t see the tackle on Rance.

“Do you know what? I didn’t see it, so you tell me because I was turning round talking to Alex Osborn, who was very disappointed and a bit low about conceding the penalty moments before.

“I turned round and just gave him a pat on the back and that was it and by the time I turned round Ben May was smashing the ball back at the goal and I have to say the block was just an unbelievable block! I don’t even know who it was but it was an unbelievable block from the rebound but the penalty was missed. I understand it was saved – at least we’ve hit the target this time!

“We’re getting better but it’s not good! We’ve missed four penalties this year. That’s a lot of points isn’t it?  If their crucial penalties it’s a lot of points and it would have made a difference tonight.

“I honestly believe if we would have got back on an even keel tonight the way the game was, the way we were pressing, the way we were pushing, the way we looked fitness wise and strength wise, I could only see us going on to win.

“It’s a turning point. You miss, they get a bit more fight. We get a little bit more dejected. That’s how football goes sometimes.”

Burman said of Bradbrook: “He’s scored one at one end and stopped one at the other end. I’m not too sure whether it was a penalty or not. I don’t think their one was a penalty either so they must be peed off with penalties because they’ve missed a few recently but fair play to the lads. It was saved and we just saved the rebound.”

Ebbsfleet United’s performance deserved extra time and they went agonisingly close to equalising with 51:44 on the clock.

Cook nearly made amends but his right-footed free-kick from 25-yards curled narrowly wide of the near post with the Dartford keeper soundly beaten.

Brown said: “Anthony Cook’s free-kick at the end there, he peeled off like it was a goal!  That must have been very close! The keeper didn’t move and I was waiting for the net to ripple, I’ve got to be honest. It was such a good execution.”

Reflecting on the outcome, Burman said: “Our supporters’ have got them through again tonight. They’ve been the twelfth man and they’ve encouraged and got behind the team and I think that’s good and if we can get a few of them travelling to Forest Green on Saturday that will help them out.

“Today an over our dead body attitude in our boys and I thought they were brilliant. Whether they were under pressure or not – or when there a team in the higher league – we had five players missing and to me that just shows the character in there and what we’re trying to build here and we get the spirit right that’s for sure.

Burman added: “You’ve got to treat it as cup football. We was under pressure because we was playing a team in a lower league today and Saturday. The pressure was on us.

“I’m delighted. It’s Cup football. That’s what Cup football is about. Sometimes you can say you didn’t deserve this, didn’t deserve that. To me the attitude, the over my dead body attitude from the lads was brilliant from the lads and I can’t thank them enough.”

Ebbsfleet United boss Brown said: “I just said in there, we don’t dwell on this tonight. We’re out. We’ve given it our best shot over 180 minutes. I thank them for their effort.  You have to understand that these guys have probably put an eight-hour shift (at work) somewhere today as well and they’ve come out here tonight and put on that show.

“I think they’ve drove to the very end in terms of fitness levels and all we can ask is they recover properly over the next couple of days, come in training and attack the training right on Thursday night and perform like that again (at home to Concord Rangers) on Saturday and that’s all we ask.

“We ask when they put on that Ebbsfleet shirt they want to keep it and they want to play for those supporters’ and for this football club in the right manner.”

Looking ahead to their trip to Salisbury City in the First Round, the Dartford boss said: “We go to Salisbury, same division, who are doing well. We know they’re a good side and it’s Cup football and we’ll do our best to cause an upset.

“I’m happy that we’ve got in the first round of The FA Cup and we’ll probably be the underdogs when we go down to Salisbury but so be it. We’ll see what happens.”

Ebbsfleet United can now look forward to a Kent derby away to Tonbridge Angels in Skrill South on FA Cup First Round day.

Brown added: “I don’t see over the balance of play we haven’t got a result – but we haven’t so it’s football. It does that to you sometimes. It’s a cruel game.

“We can take all the pats on the backs for the performance but the bottom line is Tony Burman is in that dressing room looking forward to a game down at Salisbury in the First Round Proper of The FA Cup.

“The players are going to need to be picked up after tonight, that’s for sure.

“I thought tonight was a great atmosphere. I thought Saturday was one of the most enjoyable games I’ve had as Ebbsfleet manager to be honest. I thought it was terrific.

“I come out of it disappointed because I honestly believe over the two games you can’t argue that we didn’t deserve to go through - but we’re not.

“They are a league higher. They do have a little bit more experience. They have got a lot of players in their squad that have been here a very long time and that really does help. It helps galvanise. It helps the experience on the pitch when you’re up against it and you keep a clean sheet like that. That shows good character from them I think.

“I think they understand they’ve been a bit lucky tonight.”

Dartford: Alan Julian, Lee Burns, Mat Mitchel-King, Nathan Collier, Matt Fry, Ryan Hayes, Alex Woodyard, Elliot Bradbrook, Lee Noble, Uche Ibemere (Femi Akinwande 84), Danny Harris.
Subs: Josh Hill, Max Cornhill, Tommy Forecast, Jay Porter, George Monger, Mohamed Eisa

Goal: Elliot Bradbrook 54 (pen)

Booked: Matt Fry 76, Lee Burns 90, Lee Noble 90, Mat Mitchel-King 90, Alan Julian 90

Ebbsfleet United: Preston Edwards, Chris Sessegnon, Aiden Palmer, Daryl McMahon, Paul Lorraine, Osei Sankofa, Alex Osborn (Michael Thalasittis 61), Dean Rance (Tom Phipp 75), Ben May, Billy Bricknell, Anthony Cook.
Subs: Brandon Hall, Michael Corcoran, Stacy Long, Grant Basey, Dominic Green

Booked: Dean Rance 44, Billy Bricknell 90

Attendance: 1,901
Referee: Mr Dean Treleaven (Fareham, Hampshire)
Assistants: Mr Christopher Wade (Southampton, Hampshire) & Mr Maurice Taylor (Southampton, Hampshire)
Fourth Official: Mr Dan Bonneywell (Herne Bay)