Red card spurred us on, admits Fleet hero Long

Ebbsfleet United star Stacy Long was pleased that his team-mates kept their heads as they defeated Stafford Rangers with ten-men yesterday, writes Stephen McCartney.

The box-to-box midfielder scored the winning goal of the Blue Square Premier clash with fourteen minutes remaining.

The Kent side were reduced to ten-men after 37 minutes when striker Chukki Eribenne was shown a straight red card by Essex referee Mr Simon Beck.

And they fell behind five minutes after the break when substitute Neil Grayson, 43, drove a shot into the bottom right-hand corner.

But George Purcell’s screamer from 20-yards brought Ebbsfleet United level just seven minutes later before Long rifled a shot into the roof of the net, after a cut back from Luke Moore to clinch the points on a bitterly cold day at Stonebridge Road.

“I think it was a good team performance,” admitted Long when speaking to www.kentishfootball.co.uk afterwards.

“We were disappointed (with) Chuck being sent-off, it made it difficult for us but before that we didn’t get going and in a way I think Chuck getting sent off got us going in a way.

“Second half, (we were) disappointed to go one down, but again that spurred us on.

“I think we looked stronger after we went one nil down, but fortunately we got the two goals.”

Despite losing a man, the former Charlton Athletic and Notts County star revealed how boss Liam Daish told the team to keep composed during the second half.

“The main thing was when other teams go down to ten-men sometimes we panic,” said Long.

“We just kept going, didn’t change anything. There the ones that had to come at us.

“They threw that extra man forward, which I felt we dealt with that really well and in midfield and up front it didn’t really make a difference when we had ten men or not, and it showed.

“We kept playing and we had more of the ball than them sometimes, which is strange.

“We had a lot of time and at times when we got it wide, it paid for us.”

The Fleet climbed into eighth place in the table - just five points adrift of the play-off places following their ninth win of their season.

And Long said: “It wasn’t a great game especially for the spectators, it wasn’t pretty but for us we’re pleased because we went down to ten-men, 1-0 down at home, pressure (was) on you then.

“We stuck together, pulled through and that’s the pleasing thing for us, the management and for the fans as well.”

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