Jamie Hand's in request to leave Stonebridge Road

Friday 20th February 2009

EBBSFLEET UNITED have today released midfielder Jamie Hand following a request by the player.

The midfielder, who scored in the Fleet’s recent abandoned home fixture against Burton Albion and played a total of 29 games, asked to be released from his contract for personal reasons.

The club’s chief executive David Davis told www.ebbsfleetunited.co.uk: “We felt we could not deny Jamie’s request and have agreed with him that the reasons will remain confidential.”

But the Kent club have moved swiftly to fill the void left by Hand’s departure, with former Grays Athletic midfielder John Martin joining on loan until the end of the season.

The 27-year-oild arrives at Stonebridge Road from Stevenage Borough and is eligible to appear for the Fleet in tomorrow’s FA Trophy quarter-final tie at Wrexham.

Martin has fond memories of this competition as he won the Trophy twice while with Grays Athletic prior to joining fellow Blue Square Premier side Stevenage Borough.

The Stepney-born player began his career as a left-sided midfielder in the Football League with his local club Leyton Orient.

He went on to make 90 appearances for the East London side in a six-year spell which ended in 2003 and included a play-off final.

After a brief spell with Farnborough Town he moved to Hornchurch where he was supporters player of the year in 2003-04 and played alongside Paul McCarthy. The following season he was signed by Grays manager Mark Stimson upon Hornchurch's financial crisis.

Stimson converted him to a central midfielder and he was part of a very successful Grays side, winning promotion to the Conference and gaining two FA Trophy winners' medals. After more than 100 games and 15 goals for Grays, he followed Stimson to Stevenage Borough in the summer of 2007 and enjoyed a good first season at Broadhall Way making over 30 appearances.

This season he has been hampered by injury but still made appeared in nine league games for Stevenage before being placed on the transfer list in November.

Fleet boss Liam Daish will probably be thinking back seventeen years when he comes face-to-face with Wrexham boss Dean Saunders tomorrow, but the only two ex-international players managing Blue Square Premier clubs were rivals as far back as 1992.

That was the date of Daish's first international cap for the Republic of Ireland at Dublin's RDS venue and although he marked Wales' Dean Saunders that night - and no doubt inflicted a few bruises! - he finished on the losing side.

Revenge may well be a dish best served cold - Daish will certainly hope so as he plots the Fleet's defence of the FA Trophy against an in-form side that has galvanised since Saunders' appointment back in October. It is a task that the Fleet boss is only too aware will be extremely tough.

"We know that from the experience of last year," Daish told www.ebbsfleetunited.co.uk, referring to the Fleet's 3-2 defeat at the hands of a Wrexham side then managed by Brian Little.

"They are at home and they have been on a decent run of form. They are a big club and will be expected to go through but, when you get to this stage, it is never going to be easy."

The Fleet boss will know all about that having navigated the choppy waters of away ties at Burton and Aldershot last season and survived to make sure the damage was done at Stonebridge Road to those two sides.

And while his squad have suffered on the road in the league this season, Daish will be cheered by their seeming belligerence and resolve in cup ties - and the experience of Wembley he believes will only spur them on, as will the challenge of taking on a big club like Wrexham on their own turf and in a ground like the Racecourse.

A further boost comes in the form of Darius Charles' rehabilitation with the new permanent signing a surprise inclusion in the side that faced Burton after he passed a late fitness test and James Smith failed his.

Charles came through those abortive 65 minutes without any mishap - and indeed looked like he'd never been away - and if anyone can shore up the Fleet defence against their former striker Jefferson Louis it is the highly regarded Charles.

Leon Crooks is also available after his loan from Wycombe was extended this week for a further month and it is assumed that his loan extension means he will be partner of choice for Charles ahead of Smith, who played in the league fixture at Wrexham earlier this season.

Derek Duncan's excellent performance against Burton last week is sure to keep him at left back and Sacha Opinel facing another frustrating spell on the sidelines while new signing Martin certainly has the capability to shake things up in midfield.

The Fleet will hope to exploit some indifferent Wrexham form at home recently with Saunders' side struggling to get past Grays and drawing with Northwich and Woking.

The attendance is unlikely to reach the 3,000+ Wrexham get for home league games (only 1,559 attended against Mansfield in the First Round of the Trophy) and with the Racecourse's wide open spaces, atmosphere is unlikely to have an influence on the visitors as much as the long journey north.

That said, with the squad having played only an hour of football in the past three weeks, they will at least be well rested.

It is almost two years to the day (well, three days in fact) since the Fleet last lost an FA Trophy tie and it was at the same stage of the competition, 3-0 at Northwich Victoria. Since that day, Daish's side have remained unbeaten in 11 matches - it is the kind of cup form that can only stand the Fleet in good stead against a Wrexham side whose pursuit of the Trophy may well prove to be less ferocious than our own. That, of course, remains to be seen.

When Wrexham last played the Fleet in September, they were below us in the league and still under the direction of former Aston Villa manager Brian Little. He was relieved of his duties shortly afterwards and the incumbent Dean Saunders has been an instant success, lifting the Red Devils into the play-off spots in a run of form that included a 10-game undefeated spell until Tuesday's defeat at league leaders Burton - only their second defeat in 17 league outings.

Saunders has signed 14 players in his four or so months in charge and of the 16 players who lined up against Cronin and co earlier this season, only about four or five of them can be expected to be in the Wrexham squad on Saturday.

"We will be going out in every game to score goals and beat teams,” Saunders said. “If people come to watch us they will enjoy what they are seeing. We have got to get a squad together to see us through to the end of the season, and those that maybe don't play every game will get their opportunities, be it against Ebbsfleet in the Trophy or in the 20 games we have left."

With Wrexham facing three games a week for the foreseeable future, it is tempting to think that boss Saunders may rest a few faces for Saturday but given his desire to blood his talented new signings as soon as possible, that may not necessarily help the Fleet.

There's good and bad news for the Fleet in terms of Wrexham's team selection. Striking sensation and top scorer Marc Williams, who has scored 17 goals and just signed an 18-month contract, is suspended but the Fleet nevertheless may face a potent - and familiar - strike force.

Alongside ex-Fleet loanee Jefferson Louis, former Sheffield United and Coventry frontman Patrick Suffo could start if Saunders shuffles his pack for this one and he is certainly expected to make some changes.

If Louis earns a rest, there could be a place up front for Welsh U21 international Jonathan Brown, on loan from Cardiff City, who has scored three goals in 11 league games.

The Red Devils have also just signed 21-year-old Scottish winger Jamie McCluskey and he made his debut midweek at Burton. The former Hibs youngster - once the youngest player to ever appear in the Scottish Premier League - has twice broken his foot and is looking to reignite a very promising career at Wrexham.

Then there is Gillingham's talented Welsh international (12 caps) midfielder and ex-skipper Andrew Crofts, born in Chatham, who has signed on loan until the end of the season.

Former Morecambe defender Darren Kempson is nursing a calf strain and may be doubtful for selection so recent signing Aurelien Collin (ex-Gretna and Real Mallorca) could provide cover in that position.

Meanwhile, midfielder Silvio Spann, back from international duty with Trinidad & Tobago, is available after overcoming a calf problem. Former Ghana international and UEFA Cup winner with Feyenoord, Christian Gyan, could also push for a place in defence depending on the strength of the side that Wrexham field.

Wrexham's progress in the Trophy has come courtesy of a home win over Mansfield in the First Round and successive away wins at Basingstoke and Workington.

Admission prices for this game (and if required, Tuesday night's replay at Stonebridge Road) have been reduced to £10 (adults) and £5 (concessions).

Article courtesy of www.ebbsfleetunited.co.uk

Wrexham v Ebbsfleet United
FA Carlsberg Trophy Quarter-Final
Saturday 21^st February 2009
Kick Off 3:00pm
At The Racecourse Ground, Mold Road, Wrexham, LL11 2AH