Ebbsfleet United 3-1 Aldershot Town - Heroic Fleet within touching distance of Wembley

EBBSFLEET UNITED 3-1 ALDERSHOT TOWN
FA Carlsberg Trophy Semi-Final First Leg
Saturday 8^th March 2008
Stephen McCartney reports from Stonebridge Road

ALDERSHOT TOWN may be heading towards the Blue Square Premier title - but they were blown away by a determined Ebbsfleet United side at a packed Stonebridge Road today.

The Hampshire side went into this FA Carlsberg Trophy semi-final first leg ten points clear at the top of the table and a whopping 24 points clear of tenth placed Fleet but they had no answer to a passionate first half display that sent this old stadium rocking.

The Kent underdogs took the game by the scruff of the neck and two coolly taken first half penalties from former Aldershot loanee Chris McPhee had the largest crowd of the season at Stonebridge Road dreaming of a trip to Wembley Stadium on 10^th May.

Outplayed Shots were forced to make a bold triple substitution at the break and after the Fleet squandered two more chances to rub salt into their visitors’ wounds, Aldershot were denied by two stunning saves from England C International goalkeeper Lance Cronin.

But substitute Junior Mendes, 31, who has previously played for Montserrat in the CONCACAF Gold Cup, opened his account for his new club to bring Aldershot Town back from the dead.

However, Fleet captain Colossus Paul McCarthy also scored his first goal of the season soon after to seal a vital two-goal advantage going into the second leg at the hostile Recreation Ground in Aldershot in seven days time.

Ebbsfleet United urged fans to get fully behind their side in the week leading up to this game and a crowd of 2,483 didn’t disappoint.

The stands and terraces were filling up well before kick-off and there was an air of expectancy that the Kent side could end Aldershot’s run of four straight wins.

Aldershot Town had defeated Torquay United in the Blue Square Premier last Monday night with a 2-1 success at Plainmoor.

Now it is the proud Fleet faithful that are dreaming about playing the Devon side underneath the Wembley Arch in May as they had defeated York City 2-0 on home soil last night.

According to two-goal hero McPhee, Fleet boss Liam Daish challenged his side to start with a high-tempo - and that’s exactly what happened.

And Aldershot Town were left stunned as Ebbsfleet United, yet to reach this stage of the competition, took the lead with four minutes and 54 seconds on the clock.

Defender David Winfield was lucky to only receive a yellow card as he brought down Ebbsfleet’s former Aldershot striker Chukki Eribenne just inside the penalty area.

And McPhee struck his right-footed penalty into the roof of the net, giving Aldershot goalkeeper Nikki Bull no chance to send the Fleet faithful wild.

Fleet striker John Akinde, on the right hand side of the six-yard box, saw his shot deflect over the bar as the Kent side dominated proceedings.

Aldershot Town’s only chance of a one-sided half saw striker Rob Elvin glance Scott Davies’ corner past the far post.

Man-of-the-moment Stacy Long, who scored the 115^th minute winner to see of Burton Albion in the quarter-final replay, curled an angled right-footed shot just past the far-post after 25 enjoyable minutes.

But it got even more enjoyable when McPhee netted his ninth goal of the season after 37 minutes - again from the spot.

This time it was Akinde that was tripped inside the penalty area by Anthony Charles, who like Winfield was the last man, and like his team-mate escaped with a yellow card.

McPhee kept his composure to smash the ball straight down the middle of the net with his right-foot past Bull, who dived out of the way.

Louie Soares’ shot, which rolled into Cronin’s grateful arms at his near post, summed up the poor quality on show from the Hampshire side.

The second half was only forty seconds old when Eribenne’s left-footed shot curled agonisingly over the top of the far post.

Then Long went on one of his trademark runs down the left-hand side only to see his left-footed shot fly past the near post.

But had it not been for Cronin, Aldershot would have grabbed two goals inside the opening ten minutes - through their substitutes.

A half-volley from Mendes was beaten out by the on-form goalkeeper, who then made a stunning low save to prevent Kirk Hudson’s left-footed shot finding the bottom left-hand corner.

Davies’ thirty-yard right-footed drive flashed past the Fleet’s right post as Aldershot fought back.

After Elvin and Davies blazed shots over Cronin’s crossbar, Aldershot Town deservedly pulled a goal back on 76 minutes.

McPhee apologised afterwards for losing his marker, Charles, who headed Davies’ free-kick across the face of goal and Mendes applied the finishing touch from just a yard out.

But Aldershot’s joy was short lived as McCarthy pounced to keep Ebbsfleet United’s Wembley dream alive.

Long latched onto a clever pass from Luke Moore to get in behind Aldershot’s back four.

He then delivered a cross towards the far post and Akinde sent a looping header towards the far post and McCarthy sent the Fleet fans wild for the third time, stabbing the ball into the net from six-yards.

The Kentish heroes had further chances to condemn their Hampshire visitors late on.

Akinde latched onto Eribenne’s defensive splitting pass and after beating three defenders he flashed his shot agonisingly past the foot of the far post.

French left-back Sacha Opinel then played Moore down the left hand side and his cross was met by Eribenne, whose left-footed shot from sixteen yards brought a low save out of Bull.

Once again Cronin was alert to prevent Hudson pulling another goal back, saving the shot with his legs at the near post.

Ebbsfleet United know that the job hasn’t been completed yet but their only 90 minutes away - a win or a draw away from playing at Wembley Stadium for the very first time in their history.

Ebbsfleet United: Lance Cronin, Sacha Opinel, Paul McCarthy, Peter Hawkins, Chris McPhee, Stacy Long, Michael Bostwick, Neil Barrett, Luke Moore (Raphael Nade 89), John Akinde, Chukki Eribenne.
Subs: Gary MacDonald, Mark Ricketts, George Purcell, Sam Mott.

Goals: Chris McPhee 5 (pen), 37 (pen), Paul McCarthy 78

Aldershot Town: Nikki Bull, Rob Gier, Anthony Charles, Ben Harding, David Winfield (Rhys Day 45), Anthony Straker, Scott Davies, Louie Soares, Danny Hylton (Junior Mendes 45), Rob Elvins, Joel Grant (Kirk Hudson 45)
Subs: Scott Donnelly, Mikhael Jaimez-Ruiz.

Goal: Junior Mendes 76

Booked: David Winfield 5, Anthony Charles 36

Attendance: 2,483
Referee: Mr Dean Whitestone (Wellingborough, Northamptonshire)
Assistants: Mr Ian Rathbone & Mr John McGann
Fourth Official: Mr Keith Yeo