Kentish Football 
Ebbsfleet United 2-1 Dartford - I’m delighted that we’ve came out on top - Liam Daish
Tuesday 28th December 2010
EBBSFLEET UNITED 2-1 DARTFORD
Blue Square Bet South
Bank Holiday Tuesday 28th December 2010
Mike Green reports from Stonebridge Road
It was the North Kent derby that Stonebridge Road had waited 19 years for - and overall the two sides provided the near two and a half thousand crowd with the spectacle that such a fixture deserved.
A stunning early goal from a free kick for the home side was followed by the classic counter punch from the visitors – themselves scoring from a free kick straight off the training pitch – before the home side took the lead again from the penalty spot and although that was the end of the goals, the fluttering of second half cards reminded everyone that it was Christmas even if the final score did nothing to help Dartford boss’ Tony Burman in his flu ridden sick bed.
But for Liam Daish’s Fleet, its now just one defeat in nineteen in all competitions, and leaves them fifth in the Blue Square Bet South table just four points behind leaders Braintree Town where the Fleet head on Bank Holiday Monday.
It was a cautious start with both sides having a half chance in the opening ten minutes. First Ram Marwa for the Fleet saw a shot charged down, before at the other end Ryan Hayes saw a snap shot fly inches past Preston Edwards’ right post.
The opening goal came on ten minutes and what a goal it was too. Ebbsfleet were awarded a free kick on the right hand edge of the box, and after getting the Ok from the referee, up stepped full back Derek Duncan to curl the ball up and away from Darts keeper Andrew Young into the top corner, as the Darts keeper was still attempting to organise his defensive wall.
There was some debate as to whether or not the kick was indirect or not, but such was the sheer brilliance and precision of Duncan’s kick it would have been tough to chalk off the effort.
When you consider that the Darts had won just once in nine travels you would have forgiven the visitors to have thrown the towel in.
But this after all was a local derby, and to their eternal credit, the Darts were level within four minutes.
Skipper Elliot Bradbrook was fouled by Tom Phipp thirty five yards out down the left, and it was left to Hayes to flight over the perfect free kick to the back post, where it was Bradbrook himself who powered a header beyond Edwards and into the net to level the score.
The goal seemed to charge up to the home side and Joe Howe was unlucky with a low drive that was cleared by a combination of a fine Young save which Billy Burgess hacked away.
It was a warning that the Darts failed to heed as on the half hour Howe again drilled a low drive in from the right and a wrong footed Young made a fine low save to deny the impressive wide man.
In their next attack, the Fleet went even closer. Again it was Howe the provider yet somehow this time Callum Willock with the goal at his mercy sliced the ball wide – the disbelief around the ground was best highlighted by the strikers manager Daish who simply buried his shaking head in his hands!
Yet within a minute, Willock had made amends and the game had turned on its head. A brilliant through ball by Michael West released Willock in a foot race with defender Joe Bruce, and as Willock was about to shoot all Bruce could do was bring the man down for an undoubted penalty.
The talking point was whether Bruce the last man and should the card be red or yellow – this time referee Harris who had a fine if not fussy game throughout decided that red was the colour and Bruce was banished for the early shower.
Willock picked himself up, and as Young dived to his left, the ball was rolled the other way for the striker’s 14th goal of the season.
Half time allowed the Darts to re group and Tom Champion dropped back from his midfield role to partner Paul Goodacre. And that seemed to shore things up for the visitors yet at the same time it seemed to allow Gareth Williams more into the game, and it was only Youngs’ legs that prevented the former Bromley striker from making it 3-1.
Howe then again drilled the ball across the face of goal, as yet again any touch would have taken the ball into the Darts net.
On 63 minutes, Duncan played a fine ball down the left flank that Williams was onto in a flash before cutting inside only to beat two defenders before firing past Young and the keepers left post.
The second half became very tactical as you sensed that it would have to be something the Darts did that would take the points away from the Fleet and it almost came 13 minutes from time when Charlie Sheringham looked to have got away from Clint Easton, but the Fleet defender recovered magnificently to thwart Sheringham on the edge of the box.
The game ended on a sour note for the visitors as they were reduced to nine men five minutes from time as substitute James White received his second yellow card in his 19 minutes on the pitch, when he cautioned for an “over jealous” challenge on Duncan, but nothing was to take any of the shine off the victory for Fleet boss Daish, as he told the post match press conference. “I thought it was a good game for us to come back into and that it was good game for us to come back into.
“Obviously I’m delighted with that we’ve came out on top as overall I thought we deserved to. We scored a great first goal – we wanted to be bright and grab the initiative, which Derek did with the free kick. But I think that our lads showed enough discipline throughout to come out on top,”
When asked about the way his aside played against ten men in the second half the Fleet boss wasn’t surprised with what met his side – he said, “We knew what to expect as after all it was a derby and they had a great following, and Dartford are a very spirited side. Yes they hung in there, but don’t forget we had chances to extend our lead. It doesn’t matter how many extra players that you have all the time you only have that one goal lead, it only takes one corner or one free kick – one ball in or one pass in – we could have made it easier for ourselves by turning our possession into goals but I thought that we were always in control of the game.”
The view from the Darts camp was naturally disappointed when coach Paul Sawyer spoke to www.kentishfootball.co.uk after the game.
He said: “For the first half hour I thought we did OK – it was a very even game. We got ourselves back in the game after going behind, but obviously the second goal was a killer – to concede a penalty, lose a player and then they score as well you then know that you’re looking at a long afternoon. But in fairness,” Sawyer continued, “Ebbsfleet are one of those teams who will stretch you – they pass the ball from side to side – and that’s tough enough to cope with eleven players let alone ten at the end of the first half, and then nine at the end!
“Yes the game was physical but I’m amazed that we’ve come away with so many cards.
“Second half we dug in so well and even came back into it towards the end but we were really pleased with our second half performance.”
Sawyer was asked about both sendings off and Sawyer was refreshingly open.
He said: “Brucie’s held his arm up and said that he thought he could get the ball but the guy got their first. He’s no problem that it’s a foul, but he just felt that perhaps we had cover there, but sometimes you get them and sometimes you don’t and today we didn’t but we’ve got no complaints about that.
“Ten years ago, James would have probably got away with both of his challenges but football has changed. In fairness to him, he’s been out for a while and was desperate to come on and do well, but wasn’t didn’t help him was that both challenges were in front of the home dugout that didn’t help him at all – maybe it’s a bit of inexperience, but these days you cannot make what are labelled as reckless challenges, which is how the referee has described them to me after the game, so we’ve got to take that and move on!”
Ebbsfleet United: Preston Edwards, Craig Stone, Derek Duncan, Joe Howe, Clint Easton, Paul Lorraine, Michael West, Ram Marwa, Callum Willock, Gareth Williams (Scott Ginty 90), Tom Phipp (Ricky Shakes 77).
Subs: Chris Hnery, Dean Pooley, Joe Hagan
Goals: Derek Duncan 10, Callum Willock 31 (pen)
Booked: Ram Marwa 28
Dartford: Andrew Young, Billy Burgess, Tom Bonner, Joe Bruce, Paul Goodacre, Tom Champion, Ryan Hayes (James White 66), Charlie Sheringham (Adam Burchell 85). George Purcell, Lee Burns (Ollie Berquez 83), Elliot Bradbrook.
Subs: Jake Burman, John Whitehouse
Goal: Elliot Bradbrook 14
Booked: Billy Burgess 35, Tom Champion 40, James White 67, Elliot Bradbrook 85, Adam Burchell 89.
Sent Off: Joe Bruce 31, James White 85
Attendance: 2, 435
Referee: Paul Harris (Maidstone)
Assistants: Adam Bakalarz (Bromley) & Saul Kay (Sittingbourne)
Red Dragon I.T. Ltd