Ebbsfleet United 3-1 Farsley Celtic - Let's finish off the job, says Daish

ALL EYES ON THE PRIZE: Ebbsfleet United’s Paul McCarthy (skipper, second from left); Liam Daish (manager); Roly Edwards (secretary) and Brian Kilcullen (chairman) visited Wembley Stadium yesterday ahead of their FA Carlsberg Trophy Final showdown against Torquay United on 10^th May. 

Photograph courtesy of www.bbc.co.uk/kent

The Leeds visitors stunned the low Stonebridge Road crowd by grabbing a 35^th minute lead - against the run of play - but three second half goals from James Smith, Luke Moore and Charley Hearn sealed the points for the Wembley bound Kent club.

Ebbsfleet United, playing their fifteenth game since the first day of March, had claims for a penalty as early as the third minute.

Striker John Akinde was upended by Farsley’s left-back Ryan Serrant but all the teenage striker received was a yellow card from Abingdon referee Mr Graham Scott.

Akinde went close to breaking the deadlock with his next chance. He started the move from the half-way line before sending George Purcell sprinting down the right.

Purcell cut inside and sprayed the ball across the face of the penalty area and Akinde unleashed a left-footed shot from twenty-yards, which curled agonisingly past the foot of the left-hand post.

Hearn then cracked a left-footed shot from twenty-yards, which sailed over the crossbar as the Kent side dominated.

But the home faithful were stunned to silence as Farsley Celtic grabbed the lead from their first chance after 25 minutes.

Dominic Krief played the ball over the top of the Fleet defence - Smith admitted afterwards that he was at fault - and this was latched onto by striker David McNiven.

Seeing that England C goalkeeper Lance Cronin had advanced off his line, McNiven sent a right-footed lob over the goalkeeper from 25-yards, which dropped into the empty net.

The visitors almost grabbed a second but Cronin was on hand to beat out McNiven’s header from 12-yards following Rory Prendergast’s second corner of the game.

The Kent side called goalkeeper Curtis Aspden into action after 32 minutes.

Moore was played in by his strike partner Akinde but was denied a goal as the goalkeeper saved his angled left-footed shot from eight-yards with his legs.

A couple of chances came the Fleet’s way later in the half as Purcell sent a right-footed chip just over from the left-hand side of the penalty area and Smith’s six-yard header, following Purcell’s corner, was tipped over by Aspden - although only a goal-kick was given.

But Smith’s second goal of the season inside the first eight minutes of the second half brought the Fleet deservedly back on level terms.

Purcell delivered a left-footed free-kick towards the far post and the central defender headed the ball down and Farsley’s right-back Stephen Downes, standing beside the left-post, could only help the ball into the roof of the net.

However, Farsley Celtic almost equalised within 69 seconds but once again Cronin proved why he’s England’s best, using his legs to thwart McNiven in a one-on-one situation.

McPhee’s right-footed shot brought a comfortable low save from Aspden after 57 minutes, after Akinde had brought Darius Charles’ long-ball down with his chest.

After Akinde drove a shot into the side netting, Ebbsfleet United doubled their lead on 66 minutes.

Smith’s long ball was flicked on by Akinde and this sent Moore bursting towards goal. Moore drilled a left-footed shot on the angle which squeezed past the goalkeeper and celebrated his 12^th goal of the season.

Michael Bostwick, who changed the game after replacing Neil Barrett, sent a 30-yard shot sailing just over as the Kent side turned the screw.

The Fleet scored a third with ten minutes left on the clock as Hearn scored his second goal for the Kent club.

Moore cut the ball back to Bostwick, who chipped a cross into the middle of the penalty area and Hearn glanced his header into the bottom left-hand corner from ten-yards.

Moore squandered a late chance to make it four when his shot was saved by Aspden, who dived low to his left.

And the Leeds side could have reduced the deficit but Damian Reeves lashed a right-footed shot over Cronin’s bar after a fine solo run.

Praising Farsley Celtic goalscorer, McNiven, Fleet boss Daish was pleased that his side came from behind to defeat their opponents.

“He’s a good player and he’s always a threat and you’ve got to be switched on and awake when he’s around,” Daish told www.kentishfootball.co.uk afterwards.

“We dozed off a little bit and he took his chance well.

“We dominated but I thought we had a penalty early on that was turned down but sometimes that can happen.

“They sat very deep, played one up front and if you don’t score early sometimes you leave yourselves open. A defensive lapse or a lack of concentration or a referee decision, so it’s important to get in front.”

Daish, however, wasn’t pleased with the performance from his side.

“We played better against Woking and Aldershot,” he said. “We weren’t given as much space and that might sound strange but sometimes when we’ve got too much time on the ball we start taking too much time if you like and it can cause us problems.

“But we had a lot more urgency in the second half. We played at our tempo and how we like to play and more positive and luckily we got ahead and stayed ahead.”

Daish’s men travel up to basement club - and already relegated - Droylsden on Thursday before returning to Stonebridge Road to meet Altrincham on Saturday afternoon. A trip to Forest Green Rovers follows next Tuesday before Oxford United’s visit on the last day of the season - 26^th April.

But Daish is already planning for the FA Carlsberg Trophy Final against Torquay United at Wembley Stadium on 10^th May.

“I just want to win the majority of our remaining games,” said Daish. “I want to finish this season as high as I can.

“I want to get more points than what we had last year. It doesn’t matter if you’ve got a Wembley appearance to look forward to, losing a game of football hurts and you want to go and finish the season on a high, not just a Cup Final appearance but in the League as well and it’s important especially carrying over for next year.

“You work so hard throughout the season, the last five or six games you don’t want to end up being in the lower reaches of the form table because the last five or six games you haven’t performed for what ever reason.

“You want to finish high and want to get the job done and that’s what good pro’s do, they finish the job and that’s what we want to do.

“I’m not saying we’re going to win every game but in the right fashion, go out there and give it the best shot.

“That gives us a chance that betters than last year and again show that last year was no fluke.”

Ebbsfleet United: Lance Cronin, Peter Hawkins, James Smith, Darius Charles, Mark Ricketts, George Purcell, Charley Hearn, Neil Barrett (Michael Bostwick 59), Chris McPhee, Luke Moore (Chukki Eribenne 86), John Akinde (Raphael Nade 82).
Subs: Gary MacDonald, Sam Mott.

Goals: James Smith 53, Luke Moore 66, Charley Hearn 80

Booked: John Akinde 4

Farsley Celtic: Curtis Aspden, Ryan Serrant (Lee Tuck 71), Scott McNiven, Georges Santos (Colin Heath 26), Stephen Downes (Stephen Torpey 82), Rory Prendergast, Simon Bambrook, Dominic Krief, Andy Watson, Damian Reeves, David McNiven.
Subs: Roy Stamer, Chris Backhouse.

Goals: David McNiven 35

Booked: David McNiven 23, Dominic Krief 45

Attendance: 810
Referee: Mr Graham Scott (Abingdon, Oxfordshire)
Assistants: Mr Carl Brook & Mr Ian Regan
Fourth Official: Mr Lloyd Wood