Ebbsfleet United 2-4 Thatcham Town - We're tremendously proud of our young kids, says McCarthy

With Wembley fever gripping the north Kent club ahead of Saturday’s FA Carlsberg Trophy Final against Torquay United, all eyes were on Ian Docker’s youngsters to see if they could win their very own piece of silverware.

However, in front of an estimated crowd of 300, who were taking advantage of free admission, it was Thatcham Town, who play their first-team football in the Southern League first division, that stunned the Fleet.

The Kent side enjoyed plenty of first-half possession, but their best chance didn’t arrive until the 18^th minute.

Visiting defender Adam Bell failed to cut out Nick Nowotny’s through ball and this played in Sam Callander, who was denied by a fine smart save from advancing goalkeeper Warren Carter.

However, the Fleet striker had a second bite of the cherry, but his weak low shot was comfortably dealt with by visiting right-back, the impressive Aidan Lewis, inside the six-yard box.

Ebbsfleet United, however, rued that missed opportunity as they fell behind six minutes later - against the run of play.

Thatcham striker Alex Wall played in right-sided midfielder Marc Piper, who slotted the ball past the advancing Rob French to score the game’s opening goal.

Despite that set-back, it was Ebbsfleet United who looked the better side, creating more chances.

Michael West’s drilled free-kick tested Carter, who made a low save at the second attempt, and Nowotny headed Michael West’s near-post corner over the crossbar from eight-yards.

But the Fleet thoroughly deserved their equaliser, which finally arrived on the stroke of half-time.

Callander, who later went off injured, turned the defence on the right-hand side of the penalty area before crossing to left-sided midfielder Jordan Thomas, who applied a sweet right-footed finish from 12-yards to find the bottom corner.

Thatcham skipper Michael Booroof, who later lifted the small trophy to the delight of the travelling contingent in the main stand, almost gave his side the lead early in the second half.

He drilled a shot across French from the left-hand side on the angle but Fleet’s left-back Grant Duff was on hand to clear the ball off the line, beside the far-post, injuring himself in the process.

Both sides, however, squandered opportunities before Fleet’s best chance of the second half arrived after 66 minutes.

Nowotny’s hooked pass sent Thomas through on goal down the middle and the winger only had goalkeeper Carter to beat, but was denied by a smart save by the advancing goalkeeper and the follow up shot from substitute Ryan Cole was blocked by a back-tracking defender.

But the Fleet had one hand on the trophy just two minutes later when Cole punished a goalkeeping mistake from Carter to steer the ball over the line from three-yards.

However, Thatcham were rejuvenated in the 77^th minute, courtesy of a poor referee decision from Hemel Hempstead based referee Mr Keith Hammond.

Impressive striker Steffan Brown accepted the gift, sending French the wrong way from the resulting spot-kick, driving his left-footed effort straight down the middle.

And Brown sent the visiting fans’ wild when his left-footed screamer flew past French to find the left-hand corner from 25-yards, which gave their side a 3-2 lead, just 108 seconds later.

A fourth goal was added just 159 seconds after that when substitute Matt Jones slid the ball around the diving French to slot the ball into the corner.

Despite the defeat, coach Paul McCarthy, who hopes to lift some silverware at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, was proud of the youngsters.

The Irishman, speaking EXCLUSIVELY to www.kentishfootball.co.uk wasn’t happy with the penalty decision that changed the game.

“We were 2-1 ahead, doing really well, we should have been more ahead, we had lots of chances but we didn’t take them,” he said.

“The referee gave a penalty, which I think he was the only man in the ground that saw anything there, but that happens in football.”

But McCarthy was quick to explain that the side representing the Fleet were just starting out on their professional footballing careers.

“Out of the starting team there tonight, eight of them we’re first year players so they’ve got another year or two playing at this level,” he said.

“So we’re tremendously proud of them to get this far in their first year.

“They’ve been great all season to get as far as we have.

“We’ve won our own league and we’ve played the champions of another league in the quarter-final, we’ve played Barnet who were the champions of their league in the semis.

“We’ve got beaten by a side who worked hard, a nice bunch of lads, good, honest kids and they had the fortune on the day and they win the trophy.

“I’m just devastated for the young lads and everyone involved because you see them in there, they're all in tears, bless them.

“It affects myself, Ian (Docker) and Paul Nash and everyone involved with the young boys and we’re tremendously proud of them.

“They’re young lads, 16-year-old boys most of them and they’ve got a long, long time in football.”

Ebbsfleet United: Rob French, Chris Patey, Grant Duff, Tom Parkinson (Chris Kinnear 37), Myrone Turbine, Steven Springett (Adam Oxberry 69), Michael West, Chris Henry, Sam Callander (Ryan Cole 60), Nick Nowotny, Jordan Thomas.
Subs: Luke Phillips, Jack Tidiman.

Goals: Jordan Thomas 45, Ryan Cole 68

Thatcham Town: Warren Carter, Aidan Lewis, Nick Lukacs (Matt Jones 60), Adam Bell, Chris Cairney, Jamie Gannon (Callum Wilmoth 69), Marc Piper, Jake Bright, Stefan Brown, Alex Wall (Nick Lilley 87), Michael Booroff.
Subs: Declan Jacob, Tom Coventry, James Paull, Charlie Hunt.

Booked: Alex Wall 54, Marc Piper 58, Matt Jones 88

Goals: Marc Piper 24, Steffan Brown 77 (pen), 80, Matt Jones 82

Referee: Mr Keith Hammond (Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire)
Assistants: Mr Craig Wood (Gravesend, Kent) & Mr John Barnard (Erith, Kent)