Ebbsfleet United 2-1 Bromley - It's been a memorable season and it's great to be apart of it, says Bromley Academy boss Steve Baker

Ebbsfleet United 2 – 1 Bromley
Location	Stonebridge Road, Northfleet, Kent DA11 9GN
Kickoff	29/04/2015 13:00

EBBSFLEET UNITED  2-1  BROMLEY
The Football Conference Youth Alliance East Sussex/Kent Division
Wednesday 29^th April 2015
Stephen McCartney reports from Stonebridge Road

DARYL McMAHON says he is looking forward to his permanent first team manager’s role at Ebbsfleet United.
 

The Dublin born 31-year-old, who lives near Bishop’s Stortford, has been handed a two-year-contract to manage the club in the Vanarama National League South, but will also stay in charge of the highly-rated Academy side.

McMahon’s side beat champions Bromley in their penultimate game in the Football Conference Youth Alliance East Sussex/Kent Division to climb into third-place on 49 points - in front of a crowd of 77 at a wet Stonebridge Road.

Striker Shilow Tracey celebrated his seventeenth-birthday by giving The Fleet the lead early in the second half, before his strike partner Louie Allen made it two near the end.

Bromley, who won the title after Maidstone United were held to a goal-less draw at Eastbourne Borough on Monday, pulled a goal back when captain Jordan Higgs headed home.

“I thought the boys’ played well today,” said McMahon after the game.

“We really moved the ball well, two good goals. I thought it was a competitive game, end-to-end, a bit feisty as well being a local derby. It was a very good game, both teams desperate to win.

“I thought the standard was very good today. Both teams tried to play. There’s some exciting players to watch as well, lots of chances created and good to watch.”

Bromley’s Academy manager Steve Baker was full of praise for his title-winning side.

He said: “First of all the boys have had a really good year.  I think they really deserve it.

“It’s a very strong league. I thought it was a really good game today actually, a really close game. We knew it would be. Ebbsfleet are a really, really good side.

“I’m really pleased for Daryl to get the job here as well and they’ve got a lot of young players and they’re going to be really strong next year.

“It was a good game. It was tight, it was even. We had one disallowed but I was pleased with how we went about it.  I don’t think we played like it was a game at the end that didn’t mean anything in terms of us still winning but I thought it was a very decent game of football.

“At development level they’re the sort of games you want to see.”

This was a high-quality game played on the prestine pitch at Stonebridge Road, which allowed both sides to play an eye-catching brand of passing football.

It was the last game to be played in front of The Liam Daish Stand, which will be demolished soon as the club improve the stadium as they bid to climb up the leagues.

The Fleet created the first chance of the game when winger George Della-Valle drove a right-footed shot straight at Bromley keeper Bradley Morgan from 25-yards inside the opening eight minutes.

Bromley’s first chance arrived five minutes later when right-winger Albert Caton whipped in a cross and Ayo Thompson cut the ball back to Jason Bloor, the striker drilling a left-footed shot over the bar from 22-yards.

Baker was pleased that work on the club’s 3G pitch at the back of Hayes Lane nearly paid off.

Conal O’Leary swung in a left-footed free-kick from the left and Connor McGrady came up from the back to direct his diving header sailing over the bar from four-yards.

Baker said: “We’ve been working on them all year. We’ve used a few set-pieces and they’ve paid off. We’ve scored quite a few from corners and it’s good for the boys to learn different roles and different types of set plays that can sometimes be a difference in a game.”

Another corner from the left-back saw Ebbsfleet block Jack White’s flicked shot on the line.

This marked a good spell for the blue shirted Ravens as a throw in from Fleet left-back Karn Miller-Neave – who scored a fantastic free-kick for the first team in their FA Cup rout against Hythe Town – was intercepted by Bromley striker Nicholas Johnson, who went on a mazy 30-yard run before unleashing a powerful left-footed drive from 25-yards, which was tipped over by the flying Rhys Hughes high to his right.

McMahon said: “Rhys is a good goalkeeper. He’s had a fantastic season for us. He’s actually left footed, he couldn’t use his left foot today so he had to use his right foot the whole game and he had a good game.”

Baker added: “Nick done really well today. He was a handful. If he keeps his focus he always looks to pull the trigger and get shots off. He’s very quick, dynamic and he had a couple like that in the first half that he just fired over. I was quite pleased with Nick. I thought he done well.”

Despite being goal-less, the two sides were playing excellent football and Ebbsfleet United almost broke the stalemate in the 32^nd minute.

Leo Mazzone swung in a corner from the right, which Bromley cleared away back to the midfielder, who put the ball back into the box and Allen’s header was cleared off the line.

The ball came back out to Mazzone, who was now in a central position, and his right-footed drive from 25-yards was clawed away to safety by Morgan, diving to his left.

“Leo needs to get more goals into his game, something that he’s got to improve on going forward,” said McMahon.

“He’s a very good player and if he gets goals into his game as well, he’ll be a very effective midfield player.”

Ebbsfleet created the last chance of an entertaining first half when Allen cut the ball back for Della-Valle to hit a first time shot straight into the hands of the Bromley keeper.

Both managers were asked their thoughts at the break.

McMahon said: “Just the first goal is important, which we got it to open up Bromley a little bit because their defensive shape is quite good so I thought it was important that we got the first goal and once we got one I knew we’d get another one because they’d had to come out a little bit.

“That was it really, move the ball about quicker as well because I don’t think our midfield played great first half but they were a lot better second half.”

Baker added: “Just said that I was pleased with it. It was a tight game. The margins were going to be very slight. We needed to try to sustain the level and try to raise it a little bit.

“As a team of young footballers it was their last 45 minutes together as that particular side and just go and enjoy themselves.”

All the game needed was a goal and Ebbsfleet United got it in the 52^nd minute.

Allen played a lovely pass in behind the Bromley defence from the edge of the box to play in Tracey, who celebrated his birthday by dinking his right-footed shot past Morgan to find the back of the net from six-yards.

McMahon said: “It was a good finish from Shilow. He’s got a lot of goals lately. He’s got a lot of interest in him as well. He’s seventeen today. It’s his first year and he’s just signed a first team contract as well. He’s a player who we’ve got a lot of faith in him at the club.”

Baker admitted he was disappointed with his side’s defensive play.

“You never really get to see the goals again but I think there were gaps between (Billy Carter and Connor McGrady) were a little bit too big, which is unusual for us.

“Connor was struggling with his knee so he wasn’t as sharp as he’d normally have been but there lads are very quick and they pounced on it. I thought their front players were really good.”

Morgan kept Bromley in the game by making a great one-handed save just 49 seconds later.

Substitute Caleb Bearman-Dyce played a lovely ball in to put Casey Johnson in behind the Bromley defence and with only the keeper to beat from 12-yards his right-footed shot saw Morgan stick out a strong left hand to make a fine block.

McMahon said: “It was a good save from the keeper. It was a great run from Casey and a great pass as well into him.  He probably should have scored but Casey is another one who has had a fantastic season.

“He scored two goals Saturday for (Ryman League Division One South) Redhill. He’s been on loan there for a while and he’s been having a good year.”

Bearman-Dyce hit a right-footed shot on turn from the corner of the box, which flashed wide, before Bromley called Hughes into making a comfortable save in the 70^th minute to deny winger Ayo Thompson from scoring from 25-yards.

Bromley felt they had equalised when Bloor slipped a nice pass into left-back O’Leary, who ran with the ball from the half-way line to the edge of the box before slipping the ball through to striker Johnson who slotted the ball underneath the keeper.

However, the striker has a problem of keeping onside and assistant referee Alan Escudier flagged and the climax of a nice move was ruled-out.

Baker said: “I said to both full-backs (Conal and Theo Newton) at half-time to try to push forward a little more. Conal is a little bit more direct centrally rather than outside and it was a good weight of pass but Nick took it really, really well. He does get caught offside sometimes so I can’t say if it was on or off but in terms of the move the finish was pretty good.”

The game livened up during the last ten minutes.

Hughes made a fine low save to his left to prevent O’Leary curling a low left-footed free-kick into the bottom corner from 30-yards.

Baker added: “Good save but we could have got a little bit quicker to get the rebound. Conal’s been good at set-pieces all year.”

Bromley keeper Morgan made a brilliant double save when he saved Allen’s right-footed drive from 25-yards, diving low to his left to parry. The ball came back to Johnson, who set up a hungry Allen and his shot was destined to fly into the top right-hand corner but Morgan dived high to his left to keep the ball out.

Baker said: “Brad’s done well. He’s made a couple of good saves today, a really good double save in the second half as well.

“Brad has really kicked on this year, he really, really has. He’s been in and around the first team goalkeeper coach and it’s really helped his development and he’s learnt a lot this year.”

But Morgan could not prevent Ebbsfleet United inflicting Bromley’s third league defeat of the season with five minutes left.

The keeper rushed out of his box to make a block tackle on the advancing Bearman-Dyce, but the ball fell at Allen’s feet, who slid his low right-footed shot into the bottom right-hand corner of an empty net from 25-yards to score the Fleet’s 88^th league goal of the season.

McMahon added: “Louie was excellent today. He got on the ball a lot. He looked to open them up second half. He got into dangerous spaces and in the end, got his goal, what his play deserved to be fair.

“The goalkeeper came out and Caleb’s tackled the goalkeeper and it feel to Louie. He’s not going to miss an open goal from 25-yards, not with his technique!”

Baker added: “Again, he finished it calmly but that came from a loose pass! There weren’t too many of them. It came from Jason Bloor, who again had a really, really good game especially first half. He really effected the game. It was one stray pass that led to that being cannoned forward and it caught us. The lad was quick in the first instance.”

Bromley scored their 79^th league goal of the season with three minutes remaining.

White swung in a corner from the left and Higgs beat Hughes to the ball to glance his header into the top left-hand-corner from 12-yards.

Baker said: “Fitting for Jordan because he’s a good captain. He leads by the way he trains and the way he plays and he scores goals in the tough games.”

McMahon added: “That wasn’t a free-kick for me! Joe Denny won the ball in the first place off the centre forward who had come on.  Rhys came out when he shouldn’t had come out. It was a good free-kick and a good goal for Bromley.”

As Bromley pressed for a dramatic late equaliser, this left holes for Ebbsfleet to exploit and Bearman-Dyce cracked a left-footed dive which dipped just over the Bromley crossbar.

But Bromley clinched the league title with 53 points from 22 games although they will not receive the silverware until the Conference AGM in June, but that didn’t stop the celebrations in the dressing room afterwards.

“You get that (trophy) when you go to the Conference AGM which is late June and the boys get their medals through the post in a couple of weeks,” revealed Baker.

But this has been Bromley’s most successful campaign in their 123-year history with Mark Goldberg’s first team squad winning the Vanarama Conference South title – the club’s first for 54 years and promotion into the rebranded Vanarama National League for the first time - and Baker leading the club to their second the Conference Youth Alliance title.

Steve Payne’s Ladies’ won the Kent Women’s Plate, the under 18s won the Kent FA Under 18 Cup and chairman Jerry Dolke led the Veterans side to a 3-1 win over Essex based side Manford Way Vets at Beckenham Town’s Eden Park Avenue later in the day.

Bromley’s goals were scored by Danny Hockton, Pete Allen and an own-goal.

Baker said: “It’s been a fantastic season. It’s really great for the club. It’s great to be a part of it.

“It’s great for these lads that they have that experience and have that kind of memory to being part of that season.

“The first team have done fantastically well. There’s a real buzz around the place. It’s been a memorable year and a very good one.”

Ebbsfleet United, meanwhile, complete their campaign with a trip to Eastbourne Borough next Tuesday where a 3-0 win will be good enough to finish runners-up to Bromley.

McMahon said: “We’ve got Eastbourne next Tuesday to finish the season off. It’s been a great season for us with our first season with probably the youngest team in the league. To do what we’ve done and have so many players get into the first team and go out on loan, it’s been a terrific season for us.”

Ebbsfleet United: Rhys Hughes, Olly Boulding, Karn Miller-Neave, Mitch Liddle, Joe Denny, Charlie Stewart, George Della-Valle (Caleb Bearman-Dyce 46), Leo Mazzone, Louie Allen, Shilow Tracey, Casey Johnson.
Subs: Marshall Taderera, Ben Bowers, Harry Salter, Reece Crean-White, Andre Trenton, Jeff Nguede

Goals: Shilow Tracey 52, Louie Allen 85

Booked: Mitch Liddle 28, Charlie Stewart 80

Bromley: Bradley Morgan, Theo Newton, Conal O’Leary, Jack White, Billy Carter, Connor McGrady (Dwight Barnett 58), Albert Caton (Kai Brewster 58), Jordan Higgs, Nicholas Johnson, Jason Bloor, Ayo Thompson (Eden Dewar-Douglas 83).
Subs: Tobi Akemi, Matt Bennett, Josh Dowding, Oscar Kotting-McMillan

Goal: Jordan Higgs 87

Booked: Jordan Higgs 29, Jack White 90

Attendance: 77
Referee: Mr John Quirke (Maidstone)
Assistants: Mr Steve Christie (Gravesend) & Mr Alan Escudier (Belvedere)