Ebbsfleet United 1-0 Burton Albion (AET)- Long calls the Shots as Fleet march closer to Wembley Arch

EBBSFLEET UNITED 1-0 BURTON ALBION (AFTER EXTRA TIME)
FA Carlsberg Trophy Quarter-Final Replay
Tuesday 26^th February 2008
Stephen McCartney reports from Stonebridge Road

BLUE SQUARE Premier leaders Aldershot Town are standing in the way of Ebbsfleet United playing at Wembley Stadium for the very first time - and Fleet boss Liam Daish insists the Kent UNDERDOGS have nothing to fear.

The semi-final first-leg takes place at Stonebridge Road on Saturday, 8^th March before the return leg in Hampshire just seven days later for the right to play second placed Torquay United - or York City - in the showpiece Wembley Stadium final on Saturday, 10^th May.

In a quarter-final replay where Ebbsfleet United dominated throughout, it took 205 minutes of Cup football for a goal to be scored against Nigel Clough’s men.

And never has a goal been celebrated so passionately - especially by me in the press box - as midfielder Stacy Long netted his ninth goal of the season just five minutes from the end of extra time.

Substitute George Purcell, who appeared to be in an offside position, utilised his pace down the left-hand side and centred for the unmarked Long to scuff his shot towards goal but a goalkeeping blunder from Saul Deeney ensured the ball crossed the line to keep the Wembley dream alive.

It was what the Kent side deserved against a shot-shy Burton Albion side but it looked like the game was heading towards a dramatic penalty shoot out before Long pounced with the decisive touch.

“I don’t think it was every going to come to be fair,” admitted delighted Daish, when speaking to www.kentishfootball.co.uk afterwards.

“Not that I didn’t think we were going to progress but the amount of chances we had and didn’t finish off you think “Christ, is it going to be one of them days? - when you rue missed chances?”

Daish kept faith with the same starting eleven that were held to a goal-less draw at the Pirelli Stadium on Saturday.

And it took them only 39 seconds to register their first of many attempts on goal but Deeney made a comfortable save from a downward John Akinde header, following Chris McPhee’s cross from the right.

Shaun Harrard tried his luck from the edge of the Fleet box soon after but England C international goalkeeper Lance Cronin was equal to it.

But Long should have broken the deadlock inside the opening fourteen minutes.

Akinde latched onto a ball over the top of Burton’s defence and instead of shooting the teenage striker played the ball across to Long on the other side of the penalty box.

But Long’s initial shot was blocked by Deeney before the match-winner blazed the follow up shot over.

Deeney made another smart save within a minute when he beat out a towering header from Fleet central defender James Smith, after Long floated in a free-kick.

And another chance went begging on the stroke of half-time when a rasping Michael Bostwick shot, following Long’s out-swinging corner, was tipped onto the top of the crossbar by the impressive Burton goalkeeper.

Ebbsfleet United sensed that the game was there for the taking and continued to pepper the visitors goal during the second half.

But Long missed another gilt-edged chance after 56 minutes and frustration started to creep in amongst the expectant home crowd.

He latched onto Neil Barrett’s ball over the top but Long agonisingly flashed his shot past the far post when he only had the goalkeeper to beat.

Akinde then called Deeney into action with a right-footed drilled shot from the edge of the penalty area, which the busy goalkeeper saved at the second attempt.

And when McPhee blazed over from eight-yards after Raphael Nade had flicked on Long’s cross after 61 minutes, you sensed it was going to be one of those frustrating nights.

The nights that your opponents complete a smash and grab raid - and this almost happened with eight minutes left.

Burton Albion striker Harrad latched onto a rare mistake from skipper Paul McCarthy, but luckily he lashed his shot wayward.

Fleet had a couple more chances, the best coming from McPhee’s left-footed drive, which was superbly tipped around the post by Deeney.

Burton Albion, somehow, forced extra time.

The home faithful thought Akinde had broken the deadlock in the first period but Deeney pounced on the ball on the goal-line after the striker reacted to McPhee’s cross.

Burton almost stole victory when John McGrath’s half-volley whistled past the post after the Kent side survived a penalty area scramble after Michael Simpson delivered a free-kick from twenty-yards.

Long, however, spared us the dreaded penalties and Daish warns Aldershot Town that his side are ready and willing to spring another upset on their march to the Wembley Arch.

“We’ll enjoy tonight!” he said. “We’ll have a good preparation for a big game (at Northwich Victoria) on Saturday but it’s great for the club, a semi-final place in a national trophy over two legs, who knows?”

And on such a small turnout for a quarter-final replay, Daish added: “I bet they turn out if we get to Wembley, won’t they?”

But he added: “We’re capable of beating anyone in this league and what the lads will do then they’ll have a real desire.

“You can see them today. We haven’t got no superstars, we haven’t got, but what we have got is a real strong collective spirit and a good work ethic and we’ll work very hard for each other and we’ll play a bit of football as well.

“And I’m sure we’ll cause Aldershot problems. They won’t want to play us at the moment or in the next round, who knows?

“Everyone will be looking at Aldershot, top of the league, they’ll beat lowly Ebbsfleet but we may have a little bit of a say in that!

“The lads like a challenge. We were the first team last year to end Oxford’s run; we were the first team to beat Torquay (this season); we were the first team to end Burton’s (unbeaten away) run.

“We like a challenge and we’ll look forward to it!”

On his side’s performance, Daish admitted there was a bit of tension as his players knew what was at stake.

He said: “I thought we were a little bit tense to be fair. I don’t know if that was a bit of nervous tension or whatever.

“We were neither sort of passing the ball or neither getting in behind them, turning them.”

But Daish certainly earned his money during the half-time team talk as the players came out with all guns blazing.

“I said to the lads “let’s pick the onus up, let’s take the game a little bit by the balls,” instead of leaving it to luck and the lap of the Gods.

“Second half I thought we did that. I thought we were a little bit forceful, made them defend, closed them in, got their defenders running back towards their own goal and in the final third we had a bit more belief and passed the ball better and created numerous chances.”

Daish was quick to praise his defensive unit for tonight’s glory.

“I thought Sacha (Opinel), a defender, got man-of-the-match but he was magnificent along with Smudge (James Smith), Paul McCarthy and Peter Hawkins,” acknowledged Daish.

But it was a tactical change, bringing on lightening quick Purcell for Akinde, that proved decisive.

“I was scratching my head for quite a while, I was dying to get him on but the lads out there were doing quite well and it was only a goal that was missing if you like,” explained Daish.

“But we got him on and to be fair to him he showed again a bit of pace and fed a lovely ball into Stacy and he finished it well.”

Daish was relieved in the end that Deeney was finally beaten.

“He kept them in it for most of the time,” he said. “But we kept asking questions, kept on putting the ball in there, we kept on filling the box.

“I’d like to see the stats on everything. We deserved it today, just on our desire to go and win the game. The chances that we had will tell you that.”

Ebbsfleet United fully deserved their standing ovation on the end and are more than capable of preventing Aldershot Town securing the double this season.

Ebbsfleet United: Lance Cronin, Peter Hawkins, Sacha Opinel, James Smith, Paul McCarthy, Michael Bostwick (Luke Moore 83), Neil Barrett, Stacy Long, Chris McPhee, Raphael Nade (Chukki Eribenne 120), John Akinde (George Purcell 107).
Subs: Gary MacDonald, Sam Mott.

Goal: Stacy Long 115

Booked: Peter Hawkins 28, George Purcell 110

Burton Albion: Saul Deeney, Paul Hurst (Darren Stride 118), Tony James, Ryan Austin, John Brayford, John KcGrath, Michael Simpson, Danny Holmes (Jake Edwards 77), Andy Corbett, Shaun Harrard, Marc Goodfellow.
Subs: Keith Gilroy, Nigel Clough, Stuart Tomlinson.

Booked: Andy Corbett 65, Jake Edwards 90

Attendance: 849
Referee: Mr James Linington (Isle Of Wight)
Assistants: Mr Richard Kendall & Mr Sam Lewis
Fourth Official: Mr Nigel Lugg