FA CUP SPECIAL: We have nothing to fear

KENT HEROES Ebbsfleet United go into their FA Cup First Round tie at Crewe Alexandra confident that they can cause an upset, writes Stephen McCartney.

Saturday’s Gresty Road showdown is the first time that the Stonebridge Road club have reached this stage of the competition for five years.

The Fleet relish the underdog tag, especially last season, when they won the FA Carlsberg Trophy at Wembley Stadium in May.

Burton Albion and Aldershot Town - The Shots going on to clinch promotion into Coca-Cola League Two - were defeated en-route to the march to the Wembley Arch.

And who could forget Kent’s big day out, when the heroic Fleet defeated Torquay United 1-0 to lift the FA Carlsberg Trophy for the first ever time.

However, Ebbsfleet United needed a replay to knock out fellow Blue Square Premier side Woking out of the FA Cup in the fourth qualifying round.

Trailing 2-0 after just nine minutes at Kingfield Stadium, the Fleet seemed destined to go out of the competition at the first hurdle yet again.

But two second half penalties from home-grown striker, Luke Moore, brought The Fleet back from the dead, earning a replay at Stonebridge Road three days later.

Although the replay was a flat affair, Kezie Ibe’s stunning strike after nineteen minutes, proved to be enough to book their place in the First Round, and with it a trip to League One strugglers, Crewe Alexandra.

Despite going down 3-2 at Huddersfield Town last weekend, Crewe Alexandra climbed one place off the foot off the table, as Hereford United, who are now bottom, were defeated 2-0 at Peterborough United.

Crewe have gone eleven games without a win, although they did beat Stockport County 3-2 in last night’s Cheshire Premier Cup tie, and although The Fleet haven’t won in five Blue Square Premier games and are now only four points clear off the drop zone, the Kent heroes are confident that they’ll be enjoying their trip to Cheshire.

“It’s good to be in the first round,” said Fleet boss Liam Daish, when speaking to www.kentishfootball.co.uk, following their replay win over Woking.

“We’ll be the underdogs, we can go there and have a right go. The players will be right up for it and it’s something new for the club since I’ve been here.

“We all know about FA Cup disappointments here, we’ll again, we’ve done it the hard way and we’ll enjoy it and have a go at it.

“I’ll enjoy being in the first round and taking the club to a League club in the FA Cup.”

Striker Ibe, who has previously played at this stage of the competition before for Tiverton Town and Chelmsford City, believes The Fleet can earn the plaudits from the national media.

When asked if the Kent side have anything to fear at Gresty Road, the 25-year-old replied: “I don’t think the gap, I don’t think there’s much off a difference in the football. We’re going to go there with confidence and believe that we can go there and get a result.

“We’re going to go there with confidence, that’s the main thing, and anything can happen from there.”

www.kentishfootball.co.uk will be covering this game

Visit Crewe Alexandra’s website: www.crewealex.co.uk

Visit Ebbsfleet United’s website: www.ebbsfleetunited.co.uk

Crewe Alexandra v Ebbsfleet United
FA Cup (Sponsored by E.ON) First Round Proper
Saturday 8^th November 2008
Kick Off 3:00pm
At The Alexandra Stadium, Gresty Road, Crewe CR2 6EB