Ebbsfleet United 1-0 Altrincham - It was important to win ahead of our busy month - Daish

The Fleet went into this game sitting one place inside the relegation zone in the Blue Square Premier, but Ricky Shakes’ early finish was enough to climb up two places.

Now nineteenth in the table, courtesy of the right winger’s third goal of the season, the Kent side leapfrogged over Grays Athletic and York City as they look to cash in on their games in hand.

Daish’s men must play ELEVEN league games in April, starting with their trip to Eastbourne Borough in 48 hours time, but their home form should be enough to maintain their current status.

Daish made five changes to the side that were defeated at Kettering Town at the weekend, and they were eager to get the job done as early as possible, to save their legs for their gruelling end to their campaign.

They should have opening the scoring inside the opening two minutes, but striker Luke Moore blazed over from just five-yards, following Shakes’ cut back.

But Shakes scored what turned out to be the winning goal, with exactly five and a half minutes on the clock.

An impressive intricate passing move down the right, involving Mark Ricketts, who later went off injured, and Moore, released Michael Gash inside the box in the inside right channel and his cross along the six-yard line was turned in with aplomb by Shakes’ right-foot, finding the bottom right-hand corner.

Fleet defender, Leon Crooks, meanwhile, playing alongside the veteran Paul McCarthy at the heart of defence, gifted Altrincham three chances during the game, thanks to three poor headers.

A kick from Altrincham goalkeeper Stuart Coburn should have been headed back to Cronin by the Fleet defender, but instead his poor header dropped perfectly for Altrincham striker Colin Little, but thankfully his left-footed lob dropped wide of the right post.

Then, after 35 minutes, yet another long Coburn kick was met by a poor header from Crooks, which resulted in Dale Johnson challenging a high ball with the home goalkeeper.

The ball was won by the corner flag by Johnson and he swung a left-footed ball back into the danger area, where McCarthy was well positioned at the near post to head the ball off the line.

Crooks almost gifted Altrincham an equaliser on the hour when his mis-placed header dropped to Joe O’Neill, and with Cronin off his line, the substitute's speculative lob dropped just wide of an empty net.

Altrincham’s manager Graham Heathcote appeared to have personal issues that tonight’s referee was in fact a woman, moaning throughout the match over her decisions, which for a majority of the match, were spot on.

Having escaped a warning from the fourth official, it was his kit man that was duly asked to leave the dug out by Ms Amy Rayner with twenty minutes remaining.

Heathcote was certainly a relieved man when Ebbsfleet United had a 21^st minute goal ruled out for offside when Danny Slatter was adjudged to have been in an offside position, having glanced Michael Gash's knockdown into the net. 

But 15^th placed Altrincham went close after 32 minutes.

A hooked ball into the box from Shaun Densmore dropped to Dale Johnson, who tried to shoot on the turn. The ball then deflected to the edge of the area and Warren Payton hit a first time left-footed drive, which Cronin saw late and did well to turn the ball behind for a corner, diving low to his right.

Coburn was called into action when Shakes’ right-wing cross was headed clear by Altrincham skipper Marc McGregor and Stacy Long, lurking on the edge of the penalty area, struck a right-footed drive, which almost caught the goalkeeper unawares on the line.

Then, at the other end, Matt Doughty’s long free-kick fell to Johnson, who laid the ball to Densmore, whose first time shot was held by Cronin.

Ebbsfleet United create a great chance to double their lead as the first half came to a close.

Cronin throw released left-back Darius Charles, and he hit a pin-point sixty yard diagonal ball straight to Shakes’ feet, and after cutting inside, the winger fed the ball to Gash, whose driven right-footed shot ricochet clear via the goalkeeper’s legs.

Altrincham, who enjoyed plenty of possession during the second period, did have the ball in Cronin’s net eight minutes after the break, but Ben Wilkinson was yards offside before he swept a left-footed shot past the diving goalkeeper to find the bottom left-hand corner.

But they battled to fight back and Densmore unleashed a left-footed drive from 25-yards, which forced Cronin into a fine low save to his right.

With the mist rolling in, the Fleet were content to soak up the pressure, in what was a nerve jangling final twenty minutes.

Densmore went close when his right-footed free-kick from twenty-yards flew over the crossbar and Greg Young hooked the ball over the bar after Anthony Danylyk’s long-range shot was charged down by Fleet midfielder John Martin.

Despite soaking up all that pressure, the Fleet almost had the audacity to grab a second, totally against the run of play, with the last kick of the game.

Gash won a foot race down the right hand side and crossed low for substitute George Purcell, who ghosted into the penalty area, but the striker miss-kicked the ball with the goal gaping.

But tonight was all about winning, especially with games in hand over all the sides in and around the relegation zone.

“Yes, definitely, we needed a win, it was the right time to get it,” Daish told www.kentishfootball.co.uk afterwards.

“We always go out to win, but obviously going out of the Trophy (and) losing the next two games, it was important we won at home today against Altrincham and try and get as many wins as we can before the real congestion kicks in.”

Daish added, “To be fait to the lads, I think our first half display warranted and deserved the points.”

Speaking about the second half, Daish added, ““They threw caution to the wind and had a go at us but we stood up and defended their set-plays, defended the long throws and things like that, but properly.

“When you know your desperate to get that, get back on a winning track, nerves can set in, but that will do the lads a power of good, confidence wise.”

Daish was also pleased that his defensive unit kept a clean sheet, against an Altrincham side that had plenty of possession after the break.

“It was important,” said the boss. “You do gain confidence from that. We said before the game, let’s minimise any errors and individual errors, which I think we did.

“It was a big effort from the players down there, a real big effort, and all credit to them.”

Ebbsfleet United: Lance Cronin, Leon Crooks, Paul McCarthy, Danny Slatter, Stacy Long (Rashid Yussuff 89), Michael Gash, John Martin, Mark Ricketts (Sacha Opinel 65), Ricky Shakes, Luke Moore (George Purcell 90), Darius Charles.
Subs: Sam Mott, Michael West.

Goal: Ricky Shakes 6

Booked: Paul McCarthy 81

Altrincham: Stuart Coburn, Chris Lane, Matt Doughty, Mark McGregor, Greg Young, Colin Little, Wayne Payton, Dale Johnson (Joe O‘Neill 45), Anthony Danylyk, Ben Wilkinson, Shaun Densmore.
Subs: Robbie Lawton, Chris Denham, Pat McFadden, Chris Senior.

Booked: Matt Doughty 31, Anthony Danylyk 46

Attendance: 774
Referee: Ms Amy Rayner (Packington)
Assistants: Mr Nick Cooper (Ipswich, Suffolk) & Mr Carl Brook (St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex)
Fourth Official: Mr Gary Croft (Battle, East Sussex)