Ebbsfleet United 1-2 Altrincham - Daish on transfer activity: I nearly got one in yesterday

The Fleet went into this game - their first since the convincing 3-0 win at Grays Athletic on New Years Day - sitting one place and one point adrift of safety.

But a poor first half performance was the catalyst for finding themselves 2-0 down after 53 minutes, before an inspired double substitution lifted the Fleet, but substitute Scott Ginty’s third goal of the season wasn’t enough.

The Stonebridge Road pitch was in good condition following last week’s snow, but this was one of only three Blue Square Premier games to go ahead today.

But the attendance of 873 was the eighth successive crowd under a thousand.

Writing in his programme notes, Daish revealed that due to the lack of training facilities, his squad have kept themselves ticking over during the recent wintry spell.

“Obviously the weather, or snow to be more precise, has caused havoc with not only fixtures but with training,” he wrote.

“Paul (McCarthy) and myself have tried this year to keep a normal training environment as we can but to be fair the weather has tested us to the full.

“The players have been asked to look after their own training schedules of late because not only the lack of facilities but also simply the risk factor of getting players into their cars and travelling to the area.

“The lads have been going to their local gyms and working alone some days, and when possible, training indoors at Corinthians Sports Club in Fawkham.

“I know the players well enough now to know they look after themselves physically, and it’s just really applying ourselves mentally and keeping focused on the job in hand.”

It was therefore unsurprising that Ebbsfleet United were rusty during a poor first half performance.

Daish, who kept faith with the same players that started their comfortable 3-0 win in Essex sixteen days ago, was not happy about the first 45 minutes.

He even hauled off leading goalscorer, eight-goal striker Magno Vieira and Will Salmon just three minutes after falling two goals behind.

“I think the first goal’s very important, that helps teams settle into it,“Daish told BBC Radio Kent and www.kentishfootball.co.uk afterwards.

“There’s always that worry when you have a long break, we didn’t really start that well.  It took a while to get into second gear and move through the gears really but first half we weren’t really at it, not saying not at it, both sides were poor I thought first half and it was that first goal.”

Altrincham’s preparations for the game were dealt a major blow when they were forced to draft in Russell Saunders as Stuart Coburn injured himself during the warm up.

However, the Fleet failed to trouble the stand in keeper, when they created the game’s first chance inside the opening nine minutes.

Will Salmon and Peter Holmes combined down the right and Salmon’s floated cross was met at the far post by a poor header from six-yards by midfielder Michael West, which was directed straight at Saunders at his near post.

But Altrincham grabbed the lead, with their first shot on target, just five minutes later.

Shaun Densmore picked up a clearance from Salmon and played the ball through to striker Chris Senior, who, with four Fleet defenders surrounding him, placed his low shot across Lance Cronin to find the bottom far corner.

The Kent side went close halfway through the half when Clint Easton drilled a left-footed shot just past the foot off the near post from 30-yards.

Altrincham almost doubled their lead following their first corner of the game after 30 minutes when the home side failed to track Robbie Williams, whose header sailed past the far post, after meeting Matt Doughty’s corner from the left.

Altrincham thought they had scored again in the 49th minute but the flag had been raised by the time that striker John McAliskey fired the ball past Cronin.

Saunders did make a comfortable save when Ricky Shakes stuck out a leg to divert Holmes driven low cross towards goal.

But Ebbsfleet United were given a mountain to climb when Altrincham doubled their lead in the 53rd minute.

Doughty’s corner from the right maybe should have been dealt better by Cronin and his defenders as Williams’ header bounced around inside the goalmouth and defender Greg Young headed the ball straight into the corner of the net from six-yards.

Daish then made his double change to lift a lethargic performance and opted for a more attacking formation of 3-5-2, leaving Altrincham on the back foot as the Fleet camped themselves in their visitors half.

Defender Dean Pooley came up for a corner and met Holmes’ cross with a header, which was plucked from underneath the crossbar by Saunders.

The stand-in goalkeeper, meanwhile, couldn’t do anything to prevent the home side pulling a goal back in the 62nd minute.

Easton’s touch from the edge of the Altrincham penalty area released Ginty in behind the Altrincham defence and from a difficult angle, drilled a left-footed shot across the keeper and the ball caressed off the foot of the far post before finding the net.

The Fleet upped the tempo and Holmes reigned in a shot from 25-yards which brought a comfortable low diving save out of Saunders.

But a long clearance from the Saunders was met on the volley from Senior as the ball dropped down from the dark sky above, but thankfully Cronin reacted well to save low to his right to prevent the visitors adding another against the run of play.

Ebbsfleet’s best chance fell to West, whose fierce drive was pushed away by Saunders and the youngster was denied a goal when his header appeared to have gone over the line when Saunders stepped back with the ball in his grasp.

With the Fleet pressing forward, Altrincham broke away and a snap shot from substitute Chris Denham was blocked by one of Cronin’s outstretched legs.

Daish was pleased with his side’s performance after his double substitution.

“We had a go at it, but we’ve conceded from a set play and we’ve had a go at it then,” he said.

“It was always a game that I was a little bit worried about and the first goal can be massive.

“We had a right go at it second half and put them on the back foot but they’ve got something to hang onto there and I thought after Scotty came eon and scored a great goal I thought we might get something out of it bit it just wasn’t to be.”

Speaking about his formation change, Daish said: “The formation we play we try and get players around that central striker (Vieira) and in the first half we didn’t.

“Ricky Shakes and Westy were dropping far too deep and I don’t put them in the side for their defensive qualities.  I want them up and around and near enough going 4-3-3 and being bold and having a go at it.

“We were dropping too deep, probably put a blanket over the two, three central midfield players which we didn’t have a decent enough spread.  We didn’t stretch enough.  We made a point in the first half that we have to stretch, stretch them, get bodies beyond the ball, running past the ball if you like, which we did in the second half, but we didn’t do it in the first half.”

When asked about his progress during this month’s transfer window, Daish admitted to feeling frustrated in his attempts to bring a prolific striker to the club.

“I nearly had one in yesterday,” he revealed.  “I know I keep saying it but another club gets involved, an agent gets involved, but I just keep trying.  It’s not dead and buried but it’s very frustrating at the moment.”