Ebbsfleet United 2-1 Salisbury City - Fleet end Salisbury's 12 match unbeaten run

EBBSFLEET UNITED 2-1 SALISBURY CITY
Blue Square Premier
Tuesday 4^th March 2008
Stephen McCartney reports from Stonebridge Road

WITH SATURDAY’S FA Carlsberg Trophy semi-final first leg high noon showdown against Aldershot Town on the horizon, Ebbsfleet United remained professional, ending Salisbury City’s twelve match unbeaten run tonight.

Two first half goals from striker Chukki Eribenne - in the space of five minutes - ensured the lowest Blue Square Premier crowd at Stonebridge Road this season went home happy.

The Kent side made five changes from the side that fought back to draw 3-3 up at Northwich Victoria at the weekend.

And tonight’s victory - their eleventh at home - keeps the Fleet in tenth place in the table - nine points adrift of the play-off’s with fourteen games to play by the end of April.

And that’s not forgetting a trip to Ryman Premier League side Margate in the semi-finals of the Kent Senior Cup and hopefully a trip to Wembley Stadium in the FA Trophy Final on 10^th May.

Back to this game, Salisbury City, a side promoted from the Blue Square South last season, should have opened the scoring inside the opening four minutes.

Robbie Matthews, who was soon replaced due to injury, raced into the Ebbsfleet United penalty area and after cutting inside he was thwarted by a smart save from Lance Cronin from a tight angle.

But Ebbsfleet United grabbed the lead from their first shot on goal - 30 minutes and 8 seconds on the clock.

Stacy Long whipped in a cross with his right-foot on the left flank and this was met by Eribenne who stabbed the ball towards goal from two-yards.

Despite the efforts of visiting goalkeeper Ryan Clarke, the ball still managed to creep into the bottom right-hand corner.

Clarke was one off only nine full-time players in Salisbury’s sixteen-man squad, the others being Ed Asafu-Adjaye and Robert Sinclair - who are both on loan from Luton Town - Andy Sandell, Michael Fowler, Liam Feeney, and substitutes Matt Tubbs, Darrell Clarke and Marvin Brown.

Cronin made a comfortable save from Feeney’s long range shot, the midfielder impressing down the left.

The Kent side, however, doubled their lead with 35 minutes and 55 seconds on the clock.

Peter Hawkins, inside the centre circle, delivered a free-kick towards the edge of the penalty area and this was flicked on by Luke Moore.

And Eribenne netted his tenth goal of the season when his header looped over Clarke to find the right-hand corner.

The striker, who netted Fleet’s third goal at Northwich Victoria in their last game, came close to scoring his hat-trick but his shot drifted across the face of goal after Moore had two attempts on goal in quick succession.

The Kent side had their England C international goalkeeper Cronin to thank for preventing Sinclair from pulling a goal back on the hour mark.

Sinclair skipped his way past two defenders on a mazy run into the penalty area and his shot was heading towards the bottom right-hand corner but Cronin made a stunning one handed save.

Moore got in behind the visiting defence after a long clearance from Cronin but the striker drove his shot just past the foot of the near post.

And a trademark run into the opponents penalty area from Long resulted in the midfielder dragging his shot agonisingly past the foot of the far post.

After plenty of second half pressure Salisbury, supported by a small band of vocal followers, deservedly pulled a goal back late on.

Substitute Darrell Clarke was left unmarked and he sent a bullet header flying into the far corner after Matthew Robinson’s cross from the left.

Interim chairman Brian Kilcullen was delighted with the victory ahead of Saturday’s showdown with Aldershot Town.

“Tonight is very important, we want to stay in the play-off hunt so it’s very important (that we) got a good result tonight and once that’s finished we can look forward to a massive game on Saturday,” he told www.kentishfootball.co.uk.

Eribenne was delighted that his two goals helped in tonight’s victory.

“It was hard fought, we made it difficult for ourselves in the second half but full credit to the lads,” he told www.kentishfootball.co.uk.

“To be fair we did hold on a little bit but fair play to them, they did come out second half and put us under pressure but it’s a big win when you look at the league table.

“To go two-nil up at home in the first half, going in at half-time two-nil up you couldn’t really ask for more than that.”

Ebbsfleet United boss Liam Daish, meanwhile, wasn’t happy, despite the victory against a side that started the game in seventh place.

“I wasn’t happy really, yes we got two goals ahead but I thought we didn’t have our total destiny in our own hands really second half,” he told www.kentishfootball.co.uk.

“I know they came at us a little bit and throw caution to the wind but I thought we could have controlled the game more.”

Daish was pleased with Eribenne’s contribution, adding: “He finished both goals well and got himself in the areas to score goals so I’m pleased with him. He’s come back in and done his job.”

Reflecting on the game, Daish felt Feeney and Tubbs caused his side’s problems after Matthews was forced off due to an injury inside the opening nine minutes.

“To be fair to Salisbury they’ve been on a real good vein of form and they’re physical, they made things hard for us,” admitted Daish.

“It might have been easier for us if they left the big fella on, Robbie Matthews stayed on because the other two that were up there, Tubbs and Feeney, they’re livewires and they can cause problems.”

* Don't forget that Saturday's FA Carlsberg Trophy semi-final first leg between Ebbsfleet United and Aldershot Town at Stonebridge Road kick's off at 12 noon.

Ebbsfleet United: Lance Cronin, Mark Ricketts (Ronnie Bull 90), Sacha Opinel, Peter Hawkins, Paul McCarthy, Neil Barrett, Michael Bostwick, Stacy Long, Chris McPhee, Luke Moore, Chukki Eribenne (Raphael Nade 86).
Subs: Dan Stubbs, Lee Maskell, Sam Mott.

Goals: Chukki Eribenne 31, 36

Salisbury City: Ryan Clarke, Matthew Robinson, Ed Asafu-Adjaye, Timothy Bond (Marvin Brown 82), Jonathan Bass, Andy Sandell, Wayne Turk (Darrell Clarke 72), Michael Fowler, Robert Sinclair, Robbie Matthews (Matt Tubbs 9), Liam Feeney.
Subs: Aaron Cook, Scott Bartlett.

Goals: Darrell Clarke 89

Booked: Matt Tubbs 82

Attendance: 670
Referee: Mr Graham Scott (Abingdon, Oxfordshire)
Assistants: Mr Anthony Coggins & Mr Robert Mackay
Fourth Official: Mr Constantine Hatzidakis