Woking 1-0 Ebbsfleet United - Daish bemoanes "contentious" decisions against his side

WOKING 1-0 EBBSFLEET UNITED
Blue Square Premier
Thursday 29^th November 2007
Stephen McCartney reports from Kingfield Stadium

Liam Daish was cursing his side’s bad luck as striker Raphael Nade had a header ruled out for offside during their defeat at Woking tonight.

The Ebbsfleet United boss used Setanta Sports’ television replay’s after their 1-0 defeat at Kingfield Stadium and insisted the 26-year-old was level.

Nade, in for the suspended Chukki Eribenne following his red-card last Saturday, met Luke Moore’s cross with a towering downward header, which found the bottom right-hand corner, twelve minutes and 26 seconds into the second half, but the six-yard effort was ruled out.

And Daish, speaking to www.kentishfootball.co.uk afterwards fumed: “I thought the officials’ were poor - we had the ball in the back of the net.

“I was looking at the replay and he’s level when that ball got delivered.

“You get one goal and draw level and that’s it. We can go on now and go and win but them sort of things didn’t run for us.”

The Kent side also had appeals for a first half penalty for handball turned down, and Daish said: “I didn’t have time to go through all the contentious decisions against us.

“I’d be here all night so I stick to the offside but you could watch the whole game.”

Matt Pattison’s third goal of the season ensured Woking climbed into sixteenth place in the Blue Square Premier table, with the decisive 20^th minute match-winner, leaving the Fleet placed in eighth on 32 points from 21 games.

The midfielder was left unmarked inside the Fleet penalty area and with the side of his right-foot, guided the ball past Lance Cronin and into the bottom far corner, following Adam Green’s cross from the left.

It was Woking’s first win in nine games. The last time the Surrey side won was also in front of the Setanta Sports television cameras when Farsley Celtic were beaten 2-1 on Thursday, 4^th October.

The game attracted a crowd of 1,255, of which 121 were Ebbsfleet United fans.

Ebbsfleet United striker George Purcell latched onto a Nade pass after just eighty seconds but dragged his left-footed shot across the face of goal, after Giuseppe Sole blazed over at the other end.

But the first real chance of the game arrived after 15 minutes.

French left-back Sacha Opinel used his strength to win the ball and after a pass by Moore, Michael Bostwick’s right-footed drilled effort brought a comfortable low save from Nick Gindre, preventing the ball finding the bottom right-hand corner.

Ebbsfleet United played some good passing football at times, and they went close when Stacy Long’s right-footed shot from fifteen-yards agonisingly curled just over the bar, following a slick move involving Nade and Moore.

But slack marking from the Kent side presented Woking with a chance that was accepted.

England C Team international goalkeeper Cronin was picking the ball out of his net, as he was beaten by Pattison’s ten-yard shot, after his defence left him exposed.

Woking defender Jay Gasson escaped penalty claims for handball after 24 minutes, which resulted in Fleet skipper Paul McCarthy being booked. In total four other players were booked throughout the match.

Woking almost doubled their lead with six minutes of the first half remaining, but Fleet were thankful to defender James Smith and Cronin.

Sole latched onto a defence splitting low pass from Kevin James, but a fine defensive tackle from Smith thwarted him. The loose ball was retrieved by Green, and his shot was turned around the near-post by Cronin.

But the Kent side should have been on level terms but Nade’s goal was ruled out for offside.

And with the aid of television replay’s, Daish wasn’t pleased when he faced the media afterwards.

Later, Fleet skipper Paul McCarthy met Nade’s flick on with a brave towering header, which was plucked out of the air by Gindre.

And the former Walton & Hersham stopper wasn’t going to be beaten by a drilled right-footed effort from Long from thirty-yards.

Woking should have killed the game off, once again on the break, inside the last five minutes of normal time.

Substitute Liam Marum latched onto a through ball from James and raced towards goal and his right-footed shot from fifteen-yards was flicked just past his right-post by Cronin.

Fleet striker John Akinde, 18, back from a loan spell with Ryman League Division One South outfit Whitstable Town, came off the bench inside stoppage time.

And central defender McCarthy glanced a header agonisingly past the far post, following Long’s cross from the left, with 45 seconds of the game remaining.

But Daish was pleased that his players impressed in front of the television cameras.

“I said to the players “we’ll play worse than that and come away with all three points, or at least something,” he said.

“I thought we played some great stuff. We were bright, we were quicker to the ball than them but at the end of the day, away from home, you’ve got to take chances and we didn’t do that.”

Woking were more than pleased to shut up shop during the second half, catching Daish’s men on the break.

“I think second half they got their one-nil lead,” Daish said. “They’re scrapping for, you’ve got to give them a little bit of credit, they’re fighting for their lives, or they’re not fighting for their lives, that’s a bit harsh, but they’ve been on a bad run.

“They’ve got a one-nil goal, against the run of play, they’re going to work very hard.

“They’ve probably come in at half-time thinking “how have we got that one-nil but we’re gonna protect this.”

“But even then I still think we played some good stuff, we were quicker to the ball, passed it fairly well.”

Despite having a goal ruled out, former Woking striker Nade has now set his own standards.

“Very pleased with the way Raffa played today,” Daish said.

“That’s probably his best performance his played in a Ebbsfleet shirt and I’ve told him that’s his standard, and that was pleasing.

“I was pleased with the lads in midfield, George Purcell and Like Moore, always lively.”

Daish revealed that his players will be training tomorrow to “have a nice warm down and get their legs and bodies back,” and will have a weekend off as they prepare for York City’s visit to Stonebridge Road in nine days time.

He said: “I think what they’ve given me tonight and what they’ve given the club, you can’t argue and then we’ll get them back Monday nice and fresh ready to go and have a right go at it against York City on the following Saturday, which will be a tough game.”

And on tonight’s display, the Portsmouth born boss felt his side impressed their
far-and-wide board members, saying: “I’m sure anyone who watched this game tonight would have been impressed with us and would have thought maybe the manager, apart from the result, put out a side that played some good stuff, created chances away from home, and could of and should of won the game.”


Woking: Nick Gindre, Danny Bunce, Jerome Maledon (Goma Lambu 75), Jay Gasson, Matt Pattison, Matt Ruby, Bradley Quamina, Kevin James, Adam Green, Joe Gatting (Liam Marum 77), Giuseppe Sole.
Subs: Matt Gray, Ross Worner.

Goal: Matt Pattison 20

Booked: Jerome Maledon 23, Joe Gatting 45

Ebbsfleet United: Lance Cronin, Peter Hawkins, Sacha Opinel (Liam Coleman 84), James Smith, Paul McCarthy, Stacy Long, Michael Bostwick (Neil Barrett 73), Chris McPhee, Luke Moore (John Akinde 90), George Purcell, Raphael Nade.
Sub: Phillip Starkey, Robert French

Booked: Paul McCarthy 24, Sacha Opinel 27, Luke Moore 88

Attendance: 1,255
Referee: Mr D Phillips
Assistants: Mr M Downey & Mr C Miller
Fourth Official: Mr B Malone