Thirty-five days on from the original date for this game, abandoned at half-time due to a floodlight failure with Ebbsfleet leading 2-0, the Kent side made it six straight wins with a 2-1 victory that was more comprehensive than the scoreline would suggest.
With Ebbsfleet offering free entry to tonight’s game, an impressive 2,045 were in attendance to witness Danny Kedwell and Tom Bonner match the scoreline from the original game by the 50th minute.
But, Weston hadn’t read the script, as substitute Tsveyan Filipov pulled one back with a quarter of the game remaining. In truth though, the three points never seemed to be in danger.
The difference in league position was clear as the home side’s pace and movement controlled the early exchanges. A flowing move through four Fleet players saw Matt Godden upended inside the ‘D’. Luke Parnell pushed Danny Kedwell’s thunderbolt of a freekick over the bar with difficulty in the Weston goal, and from the resulting corner Godden rose highest to head over.
An opening goal for the league leaders looked on the cards when Kedwell came close to converting a drilled cross by Joe Howe, after good work from Godden to retrieve a lost cause. A Jordan Parkes corner finding Stuart Lewis with the freedom of the penalty area closely followed this, but the midfielder’s volley skimmed the bar.
Weston, sitting deeper to try to nullify Ebbsfleet’s pace, started to show flashes of a threat on the counter attack, with Scott Wilson a willing runner in behind the back four. All too often though his efforts were unrewarded as Kenny Clark and Tom Bonner were able to close down the isolated forward. Weston’s leading scorer, Dayle Grubb, did fire an effort towards Brandon Hall’s goal, but it was always curling wide.
Ironically, the opening goal came on 21 as Weston were looking to push forward. Godden did well to steal the ball from a dawdling Clayton Fortune allowing Kedwell and John Paul Kissock to exchange passes. Kissock released Matt Fish, whose cross drifted beyond Pat Keary to Parkes. He played a quick pass to Kedwell, who swivelled and fired underneath Parnell.
The remainder of the half saw the Fleet struggle to find the space they had been enjoying, and they were only able to create half-chances at best. Godden slid in to retrieve a Parkes corner with a volley which almost found the top corner, and the forward drew a full-length save from Parnell, latching onto Fish’s pinpoint through ball. At the other end, Hall had to be alert to turn a header from Barnes over his bar.
If the end of the first period was tough going for Ebbsfleet, they flew out of the traps at the start of the second. Within 75 seconds, Godden should have doubled their advantage. Clark’s long clearance was flicked beyond the back four by Kedwell, allowing Godden to run in and fire across goal.
The lead was doubled though on 50, as Tom Bonner won the initial header from Joe Howe’s freekick, and as the ball bounced away from Keary, Bonner reacted like a forward, lashing a left foot shot into the bottom corner.
Ebbsfleet were having the better of the midfield, as Stuart Lewis strode through unchallenged to sting the palms of Parnell with a long-rangedrive. But a double change by Weston threatened to alter the course of the game.
A quick throw on 67 on the right wing from Joe McClennan found Bulgarian Tsveyan Filipov on the right corner of the area. He weaved past two challenges and cut a shot back into the bottom left corner, leaving Brandon Hall rooted to the spot.
Despite having a quiet game up to the last quarter, Jordan Parkes had two attempts; a snapshot from the edge of the box that flew over after Kissock’s shot had been blocked. Then, Parkes went on a weaving run across the area, having picked up Godden’s flick, and once again, drawing a good save from Parnell in the Weston goal.
Weston, despite their best efforts, never really created anything to worry Hall in the Ebbsfleet net, as Clark and Bonner marshalled the defence well. And right at the end, Kedwell could have made the result save with a volley over the bar, after Barnes had headed the ball almost out of his keeper’s hands.
Ebbsfleet’s manager, Daryl McMahon, was thrilled with the start to the season, and explained “we made hard work of it really, rather than them troubling us. I don’t know how many chances we had, the saves their keeper made, but we should have been out of sight. I thought we started as though we wanted to put a show on (for the 2000+ crowd), but the most important thing was to get the three points.”
“I thought we were good first half, dominating the ball. Then we got another goal at the start of the second, and probably got a bit complacent. It happens from time to time. For me, we’re still evolving, played terrific in spells, but we’re not a 90-minute team yet. We’ve been together for four months now, and I feel there is more to come.”
“The start we’ve had, ten wins from eleven, is unbelievable, and there will be dips in games. We’ve attacked each game to go and win it, but it is only September, and there will be times when we don’t win games. We’re there to be shot at, but we’re not looking too far ahead.”
So it’s FA Cup action next for Ebbsfleet, with a trip to Chelmsford City on Saturday, before the eagerly awaited return derby against Maidstone United at Stonebridge Road on 3rd October.
EBBSFLEET UNITED: Brandon Hall, Matt Fish, Joe Howe, Stuart Lewis (Danny Haynes 68), Kenny Clark, Tom Bonner, Dean Rance, Jordan Parkes, Danny Kedwell, Matt Godden (Robbie Willmott 79), John Paul Kissock.
Subs not used: Anthony Acheampong, Jonathan Miles, Adam Cunnington.
Goals: Danny Kedwell 21, Tom Bonner 50.
Bookings: Stuart Lewis 34.
WESTON-SUPER-MARE: Luke Parnell, Joe McClennan, Jacob Cane (Jake Llewellyn 64), Pat Keary, Ollie Barnes, Clayton Fortune, Jamie Edge, Alex Byrne, Scott Wilson (Bradley Ash 79), Dayle Grubb, Jake Mawford (Tsveyan Filipov 64).
Subs not used: Ben Withey, Jason Pope.
Goal: Tsveyan Filipov 67.
Bookings: Ollie Barnes 11.
Attendance: 2,045
Referee: Mr Rob Mackay
Assistants: Mr Simon Finnegan and Mr Phil Rowley