WEMBLEY HEROES: Daish asks the 25,000 fans - When will we see you again?

LIAM DAISH hopes Ebbsfleet United’s Wembley glory will bring the fans flocking through the turnstiles at Stonebridge Road, the club’s ground in Northfleet, next season, writes Stephen McCartney.

The Fleet boss and his heroic side beat favourites Torquay United 1-0 in front of a passionate crowd of 40,186 - to become the first Kent side to win the FA Carlsberg Trophy.

And with an average gate of just 1,087 - a figure that cannot sustain full-time football - surely yesterday’s glorious occasion will bring a percentage of those 25,000 fans that made the pilgrimage from Kent to Wembley back for the club’s Blue Square Premier campaign in August.

Daish, speaking in the press conference room, told www.kentishfootball.co.uk : “We’ve decked 25,000 people out in Ebbsfleet colours. Our average gate this year is just one thousand, hopefully  it will kick off and they will come back and want to get involved and come and buy season tickets and boost our gates.

“It would be disappointing (if the) first game of next season and we’re at home and they’ve gone. I’m not expecting 25,000 but it would be nice to get up to 2,000.

“It was important that everyone from Kent came here, the area came here, because you can come here (to Wembley Stadium) and watch the FA Cup (Final), England matches, but especially when you see your own team, it’s special.

“I’d like to thank everyone who turned up. They gave the lads a real boost, really got behind them and played their part.”

With MyFC taking credit for the club’s revival, Daish, his management team, heroic players deserve all the plaudits.

The national press were quick to mention who owns the Stonebridge Road club, but Daish said: “The My Football Club takeover has probably helped sustain full-time status at Ebbsfleet.

“We could easily gone back to part-time with the budget slashed and we sustained that and gave me a chance to keep working and keep going and keep the players here and this is the reward.”

Daish was lost for words on the scale of his side’s achievement.

The Fleet have defeated Carshalton Athletic (4-1); Dorchester Town (2-0) and Weymouth (1-0) in the first three rounds before the side came to the fore.

Holding Burton Albion to a goal-less draw in the quarter-finals, a dramatic late extra time winner from Stacy Long in the replay at Stonebridge Road brought the belief into the side that maybe their name was on the Trophy.

And who could forget those two epic semi-final games against Aldershot Town, a side that went onto win promotion into the Football League.

Two first half penalties from Chris McPhee and a Paul McCarthy goal stunned the Shots as the Fleet sealed an impressive 3-1 win at Stonebridge Road.

And a last-gasp strike from Michael Bostwick sealed a 1-1 draw at a passion filled Recreation Ground in the second leg and the Fleet were celebrating getting to Wembley for the very first time.

And the scenes at the final whistle at Wembley Stadium yesterday will live in the memories of everyone forever.

“It’s unbelievable really,” said Daish. “I thought it was an achievement for a club like us to make the final like this (and) that the fans were going to have a good day out.

“But to actually win it and to win the FA Trophy, a club our size, it hasn’t sunk in yet.”

For the first 15 minutes when Torquay United could so easily been 3-0 up, the Fleet failed to get to grips with the occasion but from that moment, and with 25,000 fans getting behind them, the Fleet grew in stature.

“I’ve played at the old Wembley and the first 10-15 minutes everything’s surreal,” explained Daish.

“We had a period where we had to find our feet. Twenty minutes on we started feeling comfortable in the stadium and occasion. We got momentum and started to dictate.”

It was heads in hands time when Chris McPhee saw his 40^th minute penalty saved by Torquay United goalkeeper Martin Rice - in front of his former club’s fans - but the Wembley roof was blown off when McPhee stabbed home John Akinde’s side-footed cross from six-yards at the far post on the stroke of half-time.

“The thing I know working at Ebbsfleet, we don’t do anything easy,” admitted Daish.

“We don’t score penalties to start with, we’ve got to miss one, or we have to do it the hard way.

“We did it today (but) we didn’t let our disappointment last too long. Chris McPhee got into the box at the right time after good work from John Akinde.

“We grew in confidence a little bit. Second half we started so bright. The two centre halves (James Smith and captain Paul McCarhy) were magnificent, the midfield closed them down, didn’t give them space. Luke Moore and John Akinde, two Gravesend boys as well, they’re always a threat for an experienced Torquay back four.

“When you play teams like Torquay, at some stage they will have their time on the ball. We dealt with the pressure fairly well and had a couple of chances.

“I don’t know what the stats were but we looked dangerous and looked like the team to get another goal.”

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