Ebbsfleet United 0-6 Charlton Athletic - New-look Fleet brought back down to earth

After the well-publicised departure of Wembley-heroes Chris McPhee and Michael Bostwick, manager Liam Daish has given starts to new signings Craig Stone, Darius Charles and Ricky Shakes.

As well there are opportunities to look at a number of trailists, most notably former Arsenal trainee & much travelled Isaiah Rankin, and Chris Kinnear Jnr, son of the former Dover Athletic and Margate manager.

However, only five of the Fleet side from the side that defeated Torquay United 1-0 started today’s game against their Coca-Cola Championship opponents.

Among the visitors are Maidstone-based Scott Wagstaff , a reputed target for Cardiff City in Marcus Bent, and the nemesis of Gillingham fans so many years ago, Nicky Weaver.

Here is what happened during the game:

12 SECONDS
GOAL: EBBSFLEET UNITED 0-1 CHARLTON ATHLETIC
A long, hopeful ball pumped forward by Jon Fortune. Darius Charles, under pressure from Luke Varney on the edge of his own penalty area, heads past the advancing Lance Cronin into an empty net.

4 MINUTES:
Pressure from Stacy Long on fullback Jose Semedo saw the ball break to George Purcell on the left corner of the Charlton area. Purcell‘s long cross evaded Ricky Shakes at the far post and Kelly Youga was able to clear.

9 MINUTES:
A cross-field ball by Neil Barrett releases Shakes towards the right corner of the area. His deep cross is well controlled by Effe Echanomi. The pull back finds Purcell in space 10 yards out, but his left foot snapshot sails high over the bar.

12 MINUTES:
GOAL: EBBSFLEET UNITED 0-2 CHARLTON ATHLETIC
A quick throw-in level with the edge of the area found Jonjo Shelvey breaking into the box. His low driven cross was diverted into the far corner by Fleet’s Craig Stone, sliding in trying to clear.

17 MINUTES:
A loud, ironic cheer from the supporters behind the stand at the Northfleet end, as Charles successfully cuts out and clears a low cross along the six-yard box from Jerome Thomas.

18 MINUTES:
Cedric Ngakam is being targeted by Charlton‘s pacy forwards as Andy Gray now beats the defender convincingly before laying the ball back to Thomas, 10 yards out, but the winger curls his right foot shot over the corner of post and bar.

22 MINUTES:
Sustained pressure from Fleet forcing the first corner of the game led to a cross from the left by Purcell. Shakes challenged for the header in the box, but the ball fell to Charlton keeper Rob Elliott. His long throw immediately set Gray away down the left, before a raking cross-field ball found Scott Wagstaff in the area. His low cross broke to Thomas, but was bundled clear by the Fleet defence.

29 MINUTES:
With Ngakam off the field nursing a twisted ankle, Charlton full-back Youga fires the ball high over the Northfleet stand after a Shelvey corner down the left side.

32 MINUTES:
More pressure on Cronin‘s goal as Thomas again cuts in from the left hand side and fires a shot just wide of the left post from the edge of the area.

34 MINUTES:
The Fleet defence is getting torn apart by cross field balls from both wings, as Wagstaff is found free on the right hand side of the box, but his cross-shot went into the arms of a relieved Cronin.

35 MINUTES
Ebbsfleet United make their first substitution with Mario Noto, who helped Chelmsford City win the Ryman Premier League title last season, replacing Ngakam.

36 MINUTES:
GOAL: EBBSFLEET UNITED 0-3 CHARLTON ATHLETIC
Another break into the box down the left side by Thomas saw a driven cross along the 6 yard line and steered home at the back post by Wagstaff. Disaster for the Fleet having just had to reorganise the defence following the loss of Ngakam to injury.

38 MINUTES:
A good chance for Fleet to find a way back into this game as a snapshot from Purcell is parried away by Elliott for a corner. From the resulting corner, the ball fell to Neil Barrett outside the area, but his curling shot was shepherded wide by Elliott.

41 MINUTES:
Thomas drives at Peter Hawkins and Noto down the left hand side & beats both before hitting another low cross into the 6 yard box. This time, Sacha Opinel is on hand to clear.

45 MINUTES:
A loose ball in midfield from Barrett released Thomas into the box again. His cutback found Varney, whose curling right foot shot beat Cronin, but bounced over off the bar.

HALF TIME: EBBSFLEET UNITED 0-3 CHARLTON ATHLETIC
In truth, the half-time scoreline is flattering to Ebbsfleet as Charlton looked dangerous every time they have broken forward and without some last ditch defending, who knows what it might have been. Charlton have looked much sharper in all aspects of the game, not least the understanding through the team and the use of the wings to help their pacy forwards. That said, Fleet have looked to create chances themselves using the width provided by Stacy Long and Ricky Shakes, and new forward Effe Echanomi has held the ball up well when played into his body.

HALF TIME CHANGES:
Goalkeeper Sam Mott comes on for Cronin for the Fleet, and Charlton Athletic replace Youga and Thomas for Thierry Racon and Stuart Fleetwood.

52 MINUTES:
An early warning for Fleet as a long ball down the middle of the defence found Andy Gray breaking behind Charles, but his lob from the edge of the box cleared both substitute Sam Mott and the Fleet crossbar.

56 MINUTES:
GOAL: EBBSFLEET UNITED 0-4 CHARLTON ATHLETIC
A sense of déjà vu for the Fleet defence as another log ball finds Gray in behind Hawkins and this time his lob over the advancing Mott finds the back of the net. The pace of the Charlton forward line is too much for the Fleet defence.

59 MINUTES:
GOAL: EBBSFLEET UNITED 0-5 CHARLTON ATHLETIC
Following a foul on Varney on the edge of the box, Jonjo Shelvey drives home a free kick into the bottom corner, giving Mott no chance.

60 MINUTES:
Ebbsfleet United make two changes with Tyrone Berry replacing Purcell and Rankin for Shakes.

63 MINUTES:
Charlton Athletic make a change with Yassin Moutaouakil replacing Mark Hudson.

68 MINUTES:
GOAL: EBBSFLEET UNITED 0-6 CHARLTON ATHLETIC
A quick throw from the right by Wagstaff found Racon breaking across the front of the box. Racon‘s left foot curling shot from 20 yards sailed over the helpless Mott into the top left corner of the net.

70 MINUTES:
Charlton Athletic bring on Dean Sinclair for Varney and Mikkel Jensen for Shelvey.

74 MINUTES:
Lee Mags replaces Barrett for the Blue Square Premier side.

75 MINUTES:
A bustling run through the Fleet midfield, breaking 2 tackles on the way, saw Addicks substitute Sinclair drive a low left footed shot past Mott‘s left post.

83 MINUTES:
A good save low to the right by Mott to deny Wagstaff‘s left foot shot, having cut in from the right across the front of Opinel.

85 MINUTES:
Fleet’s PASE player Sam Callender replaces Effe Echanomi.

90 MINUTES:
A well worked corner from the left between Long and Opinel saw the midfielder break into the box between two Addicks defenders, but his shot from a narrow angle hit the side-netting.

RESULT: EBBSFLEET UNITED 0-6 CHARLTON ATHLETIC
Charlton clinically exploited the difference between Championship and Conference football with a convincing 6-0 victory over Ebbsfleet, and showed just how far along they are in their pre-season build-up. For the Addicks, their next port of call is a week‘s training camp in Spain; for the Fleet players, it is back to work on the training pitch on Monday morning.

Ebbsfleet United: Lance Cronin (Sam Mott 45), Peter Hawkins, Sacha Opinel, Craig Stone, Cedric Ngakam (Mario Noto 35), Darius Charles, Stacy Long, Neil Barrett (Lee Mags 74), Effe Echanomi (Sam Callender 85), George Purcell (Tyrone Berry 60), Ricky Shakes (Isaiah Rankin 60).
Subs: Sam Tucknott, Kwesi Appiah, Chris Kinnear

Charlton Athletic: Rob Elliott, Jose Semedo, Kelly Youga (Thierry Racon 45), Grant Basey, Jon Fortune, Mark Hudson (Yassin Moutaouakil 63), Scott Wagstaff, Jonjo Shelvey (Mikkel Jensen 70), Luke Varney (Dean Sinclair 70), Andy Gray, Jerome Thomas (Stuart Fleetwood (45).
Subs : Nicky Weaver, Marcus Bent.

Goals: Darius Charles 12 seconds (og), Craig Stone 12 (og), Scott Wagstaff 36, Andy Gray 56, Jonjo Shelvey 59, Thierry Racon 68

Attendance: 1,859
Referee : Ian Cooper (Rochester)
Assistants : Paul Kelly (Gillingham) & David Buck (Istead Rise)
4th Official : Craig Wood