Ebbsfleet United 4-0 Bromley - I apologise for our overall performance tonight, says Mark Goldberg

EBBSFLEET UNITED  4-0  BROMLEY
Skrill South Play-Off Semi-Final First Leg
Wednesday 30^th April 2014
Stephen McCartney reports from Stonebridge Road

BROMLEY manager Mark Goldberg issued an apology to his club’s supporters after Ebbsfleet United booked their place in the Skrill South Play-Off Final after only 500 seconds into the first leg at Stonebridge Road.

The Ravens celebrated their highest ever finish in seven seasons in Conference South last week after finishing in third-place, six points adrift of champions Eastleigh.  They collected their highest ever points total (80) and scored the most goals in the division (82), but they froze when it really mattered.

Ebbsfleet United opened the scoring after only 62 seconds through Ben May’s 12^th goal of the season and The Fleet doubled their lead with only eight minutes and 20 seconds on the clock when Billy Bricknell’s 21^st goal of the season came from the penalty spot.

Bromley faced a mountain to climb, especially when they were reduced to ten-men when they lost central midfielder Ashley Nicholls to a red-card after only seven minutes and 25 seconds for a handball on the line following an almighty goalmouth scramble, which lead to the penalty.

Ebbsfleet United, who finished six points behind their Kent rivals in fourth-place, killed the game off on the hour through right-back Joe Howe’s first goal of the season.

The Fleet booked their place in the 10^th May winner-takes-all final when midfielder Daryl McMahon slotted home from an acute angle.

Ebbsfleet United travel to Bromley’s Hayes Lane ground for the second leg on Saturday (3pm), where the Ravens must produce a miracle to progress, needing four goals and a clean sheet inside 90 minutes to take the game to extra time, where the game could then be settled in extra-time or by a penalty shoot-out.

It was confirmed after the game that Nicholls will sit out the second leg through suspension.

Dover Athletic are on course of make it an all-Kent Conference South play-off final for the second time in three years after drawing 1-1 against league runners-up Sutton United at Crabble tonight.

Chris Kinnear’s side travel to Gander Green Lane on Saturday with the best away record in the league, after winning 13 league games on the road this season.

The two Kent sides could lock horns twice next week because they meet in the Kent Senior Cup Final (Sponsored by Portablefloodlights.com) at Gillingham’s Priestfield Stadium on Bank Holiday Monday, 5 May (3pm).

Brown was delighted with his side’s excellent performance, but didn’t foresee a night like this one for his club.

“You have a preconceived idea how you want the night to go,” said Brown.

“I do feel sorry for Bromley because a sending off always changes the game. It came very, very early.

“We had a really brilliant start though.  I thought the start was extremely good.  The tempo was terrific.”

When asked whether he would have dreamt to have won the first leg in such a commanding manner, the Fleet boss said: “I would have bit your whole arm off! They’re a very good team Bromley.  They’ve scored 82 goals this year and we’ve lost to them here 3-1 at Christmas and we drew 0-0 away so in the league we actually hadn’t seen a points return for a win so it’s one of those where I knew it was going to be tight or I thought it was going to be tight.

“If you offered me 4-0 this morning I would have laughed alright!  I would have expected a tight game.  The sending-off makes a huge difference but I would have taken that!”

Goldberg, naturally, was in a state of shock after his club’s promotion aspirations were ripped apart.

“Obviously we’re extremely disappointed to concede so early on,” said the Bromley boss. 

“To lose a man so early on, to be fighting with ten men after what eight minutes put us into a pretty impossible situation.

“They came out of the blocks a lot stronger than we did and I can’t quite get my mind around why because we were well prepared but I felt vulnerable from set-pieces and we’re going backwards in that respect and it’s not good enough to concede from corners the way that we conceded from corners.”

Bromley were well supported both in numbers and in vocal support when asked whether he had a message to the supporters, Goldberg, to his credit, issued an apology.

He said: “We’re sorry! I apologise to the Bromley fans for our overall performance tonight.  I certainly didn’t see that coming!

“I can assure you that we’ve been focused. We prepared well and nights like this have got to be put right the best they can.

“What we do need, hopefully, is for everyone to give us as much support as they can on Saturday and they’ll try and put it right as best as they can.  We’re going to have to get goals.”

Brown was pleased with his side’s fantastic start as they hit Bromley with a couple of knock-out blows early on.

McMahon whipped in a low corner from the right which flashed across the goalmouth and Ben May stabbed the ball over the line from close range at the far post.

Brown said: “Sixty-two seconds! We spoke about a high tempo start. We got the ball in behind the back four. We earned a corner and from that corner we’ve taken the lead. It’s a perfect start. That turned into 2-0 and a sending-off.”

Goldberg added: “It’s feeble that the way that we conceded. Really the first two goals. In fact to be honest pretty much all the goals that we conceded was bad defending. I can’t hardly comprehend it myself so it’s difficult.”

Bromley created their first opening inside five minutes when a free-kick from left-back Joe Anderson was flicked on by target-man Jay May but Bradley Goldberg hooked his shot straight at Preston Edwards from a tight angle.

Ebbsfleet United doubled their lead, following an almighty goal-mouth scramble, where the home side had three bites of the cherry to score.

However, Nicholls was adjudged to have used his hands on the line to prevent a goal and was then sent off by referee Mr Nigel Lugg.

Brown said: “The linesman spotted the handball on the line. We saw it. I don’t know if he got the right player or not.  (Brown was then told his opposite number admitted it was Nicholls was the culprit and added) Well done to the linesman for spotting it and helping out the referee. He actually gave a free-kick to Bromley for a push on one of their centre halves after the handball so well done to the officials for that one.

“It doesn’t make it easier for Mark Goldberg to take.”

Goldberg added: “At the time I didn’t see the handball but afterwards he (Nicholls) admitted it was a handball so it was the right decision by the referee in the end.”

Bricknell stepped up and clinically dispatched his right-footed penalty into the bottom right-hand corner to leave Bromley in disarray.

Goldberg admitted: “It’s the worst that could have happened, happened today.

“We’ve worked very hard this year, for all the work that we put in and the team spirit that we’ve had. This is the worst that could have happened.”

McMahon ran at the Bromley defence on a 20-yard run before sweeping the ball out to Anthony Cook on the left, who cut inside to the edge of the penalty area but blasted his right-footed shot over the bar.

But Bromley edged back into the game and they squandered an excellent chance after 30 minutes.

Danny Waldren and Jay May linked up well inside Ebbsfleet’s half and Pierre Joseph-Dubois clipped a through ball to release winger Brendan Kiernan through on goal, but his left-footed chip from sixteen-yards deflected agonisingly over the crossbar and landed on top of the roof of the net.

Goldberg added: “We had probably three good goalscoring opportunities of our own, which we failed to finish.  One of those might have given us a bit of hope.”

Brown added: “We allowed them to play through midfield and up behind our back four and they came into the game a little bit and we started panicking, which is unlike us.

“They had a spell of a few corners and then we settled ourselves down again and we got in at half-time and we addressed what we wanted them to do and they came out and did very well second half.”

Kiernan swung in the resulting corner from the left out towards the far post but skipper Rob Swaine towered over his marker but directed his header harmlessly wide.

A high-tempo first half saw Bromley winger Joseph-Dubois cut the ball back to former Ebbsfleet right-back Dean Pooley, but his ball in towards the near post was gobbled up by keeper Edwards, before the Fleet went close at the death.

Cook, now playing on the right, slid the ball through into the Bromley penalty area, which resulted in McMahon flashing his deflected shot just wide of the right-hand post.

The third goal was important in terms of the overall tie.  If Bromley scored it, then they would have accepted a lifeline.

Pooley failed to cut out McMahon’s fine diagonal pass and Cook cut inside and whipped a dangerous low cross towards the goal, which was finally cleared by a shaky Bromley defence inside two minutes.

Bromley created chances in the second half, but they failed to hang on to the lifeline and started to sink fast.

Anderson played the ball forward, which Goldberg tried to latch on to, but the ball fell to Jay May’s feet, but the striker drilled his low right-footed shot past the left-hand post from 25-yards.

But Ebbsfleet United killed the game off on the hour mark, following a four-man move.

Central midfielder Dean Rance swept the ball out to McMahon, who played the ball down the line to winger Alex Osborn, who played the ball inside for Howe to drill a left-footed angled drive across Welch from 20-yards, the ball nestling into the bottom far corner of the net.

Brown said: “We kept our composure. We retained possession in centre midfield. It was brilliant for Rancy driving forward, cut back on his right foot and the passes were then incisive and quick.

“The inside lap, it was inside Joe’s underlap and a great first touch, great cut back onto his left foot and a brilliant finish. 

“You know what, I just felt we managed to squeeze one more but that third goal was a very good goal.”

Goldberg knew his side’s chances of clawing themselves back into the game were over at this point.

“We said the same. We had a mountain to climb and we’ve got an even bigger mountain to climb now!”

Cook, 24, who scooped the supporters’ player-of-the-year award before the game, almost produced a fine finish to a solo effort.

The former Chelmsford City winger collected the ball on the half-way line, penetrated the Bromley defence before cutting inside and drilling a right-footed drive agonisingly over the crossbar from 18-yards.

Brown said: “Do you know what, he excites people. He frustrates people. He has pace. He has ability. He’s scored thirteen goals this season. He’s assisted double that in terms of other players scoring from his opportunities.  He is a player that I am very, very keen to improve. We’ll be having a chat with him over the summer and we’ll see where we go but he deserves that player-of-the-season.

“We’ve had quite a few players that have had terrific seasons but I can fully understand why the supporters voted Anthony Cook player-of-the-season.  The ability, the trickery. He excites people. He entertains people. Scores good goals so it’s one of those where it’s a bit of a no brainer but there was certainly, in my opinion, people pushing him for that player-of-the-year.”


Cook played a ball inside to Ben May, whose right-footed drive from 25-yards just whistled over the Bromley bar, following a deflection.

Despite their side taking a battering on the pitch, Bromley’s faithful gave their side immense support from the terraces of Stonebridge Road.

It was criminal that the players they were supporting failed to turn up.

Edwards maintained his eighth clean sheet on the bounce at Stonebridge Road by frustrating Bromley in the final seventeen minutes.

Joseph-Dubois swept the ball out wide to Anderson, who floated over a cross which was knocked on by Jay May, which bounced across the goal and Edwards made a smart save low to his right to deny Joseph-Dubois his 21^st goal of the season from close range.

Anderson’s ball over the top released Goldberg through on goal but the 19-year-old failed to call Edwards into action, blasting an excellent chance over with his right-foot from fifteen-yards.

Bromley were made to pay for that miss as The Fleet gave themselves a commanding lead going into Saturday’s second leg at Hayes Lane.

McMahon cut in from the right and danced along the by-line before slotting his right-footed shot through Welch’s legs, the ball flashing into the bottom far corner from an acute angle.

Brown admitted that he didn’t see McMahon’s 80^th minute strike.

“If I’m being honest, I didn’t see it if I’m being brutally honest.  I was having a chat with the fourth official about something and I completely missed it!

“Someone said it was an own goal off the post and someone was saying it was a Daryl McMahon goal. He will claim it and he’s on a rich reign of goalscoring form so I think that’s his eleventh goal of the season so it’s a good tally for a central midfielder.”

Goldberg definitely saw the goal and summed it up by saying, “It’s poor defending!”

Brown was pleased that Edwards maintained a clean sheet at the death, beating away Joseph-Dubois’ fiercely struck drive from 25-yards after a pass from substitute Elliot Buchanan.

Brown said: “The save from the long drive in added on time, we’re pleased that they’re shooting from 25-30 yards. It gives your goalkeeper a great opportunity to see the flight of the ball and make the save and it was a routine save and it was right at his face. He did the right thing in palming it away as far as he could.

“The save that impressed me was the one that came across because how many times do you see every Saturday a cross that evades everybody and curls into the corner?

“I thought he did brilliant to react to get down low to his right to push that one around the corner.

“I was very keen for the players to keep a clean sheet. That’s now right in a row here at Stonebridge and that’s a very good statistic to have.”

The final whistle brought celebrations from the Fleet faithful, whilst the travelling fans headed home with their dreams in shatters.

Brown said: “It would be remiss of me to say that there’s an opportunity for Bromley to peg back the four goals.  We will go over there and have a game plan and we will try to stick to that game plan and we will try to stifle any thoughts that Bromley have of having a comeback but they’ve got nothing to lose.

“They can pick a side that’s going to get five goals to win it. Four goals to take it to extra-time. 

“On paper, from the outside, you’re almost suggesting a done deal, but we can’t even think like that.  Inside the dressing room we will think we have to go and do a very professional job and have a game plan to see out this second leg and put ourselves into the final.”

If Bromley are to reach this season’s Skrill South Play-off Final then Saturday’s game will go down as the club’s greatest ever match in the club’s 122 year history.

But Bromley have scored four or more goals in the league at Hayes Lane on FIVE occasions this season.

“Well the sad thing is Saturday could have been a really big game for the club and now we’re going to give it everything that we’ve got,” said Goldberg.

“They scored four against us. We’ve got to believe that we can score four against them.  We’re going to have a go on Saturday and try.

“It’s going to be a massive task for us but we’re going to go there believing we can get back in the game, give it the best chance we can.”

Bromley’s greatest ever Conference South campaign holds little consolation after a disastrous night like this – one of the club’s worst in their history.

“I’m proud of the boys in some respects but there was some bad decision making as well as times,” said Goldberg, who couldn’t believe what he was watching.

“At the end of the day they beat us because they played better than us. Simple as that.

“It’s difficult to really celebrate the season at the moment so we’ve allowed a really good opportunity tonight to pass us by without really giving ourselves a chance.

“It’s going to take overnight to get over it and we have to make sure that the next couple of days we prepare for Saturday and we at least give it the best chance we can.”

Brown, meanwhile, was asked his thoughts on the outcome of the Dover Athletic-Sutton United first leg.

“It’s intriguing actually because Sutton are a very attacking side and Dover have got one off, if not, the best away record in the league so that really is set for a very, very good second leg, so that tie is really in the balance,” said the Ebbsfleet manager.

Ebbsfleet United:  Preston Edwards, Joe Howe, Aiden Palmer, Daryl McMahon, Anthony Acheampong, Osei Sankofa, Alex Osborn (Chris Sessegnon 89), Dean Rance, Ben May (Michael Thalassitis 83), Billy Bricknell (Stacy Long 70), Anthony Cook.
Subs: Shane Huke, Brandon Hall

Goals: Ben May 2, Billy Bricknell 9 (penalty), Joe Howe 60, Daryl McMahon 80

Booked:  Billy Bricknell 16, Ben May 32

Bromley: Joe Welch, Dean Pooley, Joe Anderson, Ashley Nicholls, Rob Swaine, Jack Holland, Pierre Joseph-Dubois, Danny Waldren (Elliott Buchanan 71), Jay May (Sam Higgins 83), Bradley Goldberg, Brendan Kiernan (Ali Fuseini 71).
Subs: Taylor Parmenter, Louis Dennis

Booked:  Rob Swaine 41, Dean Pooley 63

Sent Off: Ashley Nicholls 8

Attendance: 1,693
Referee: Mr Nigel Lugg (Chipstead, Surrey)
Assistants: Mr Michael Hayden (Epsom, Surrey) & Mr Matthew Lee (Chichester, West Sussex)
Fourth Official: Mr Robert Hyde (Brentwood, Essex)