McPhee relishes Plainmoor return

CHRIS McPHEE is relishing his return to Plainmoor tomorrow as Ebbsfleet United go in search of another high-profile victim on their way to the Blue Square Premier play-off’s, writes Stephen McCartney.

The Fleet attacking midfielder, who turns 25 next month, was “buzzing” after last night’s 2-1 victory at Crawley Town - and is looking forward to “getting one over” his former team-mates.

The Eastbourne-born player joined the Gulls in the summer of 2006 but left Plainmoor following a year of traumas.

“Last year was obviously a disappointing for us,” he told www.kentishfootball.co.uk.

“I was involved in every single game. I didn’t get a good enough crack of the whip. I suppose I didn’t really show the fans what I’m capable of and disappointed with the relegation (from the Football League).

“There was a lot of hoo-hah around the club with all the changes of managers and everything and it was just a season, as a club, we’d wanted to forget.”

The Devon side are currently in second place in the Blue Square Premier table - six points behind Aldershot Town - with two games in hand.

But the Fleet are now only seven points adrift of the final play-off berth, currently occupied by Cambridge United, with seventeen league games remaining.

And McPhee is delighted that his former club are on the verges of bouncing back - but still wants his present side to complete the double over the Devon outfit.

He said: “I think this season for them especially has shown they’ve bounced back and they’re a decent side.

“We played them earlier on in the season, we beat them, which was absolutely magnificent and luckily enough I picked up a bottle of champagne and set up a goal (for Raphael Nade) in that game.”

McPhee cannot wait to take to the field and help the north Kent side secure their second double in the space of under three days.

“I just can’t wait to get down there and really get stuck into them and hopefully come away with the three points,” said McPhee.

“We’re looking at (completing the double over them). The boys are buzzing. We’ve only got (a short time) to recover and prepare ourselves for this game but three points (at Crawley Town), the way we dug-in, has really given us a huge boost.

“Although we’d be fatigued in our minds, we’ll be bright and we’ll be full of confidence and we’re really looking forward to travelling down there and putting in a massive performance - we’re going to come away with three points!”

Fleet boss Liam Daish, meanwhile, hinted that he’ll be making changes for the game.

“We’ve got a few knocks and might have a couple struggling,” he said. “They’ll feel a bit better, their bodies will feel better and their legs will feel fresh, with coming away from here (Crawley) with three points.”

Daish criticised the League for not giving his side an extra day’s rest - their game at Crawley Town last night was played in front of the Setanta Sport television cameras.