Matt Godden’s second half hat trick eased the pressure on Ebbsfleet manager Steve Brown after his side climbed to second in the conference south with a 3-0 win over Farnborough.
Brown’s Ebbsfleet side came into the game after an inconsistent set of results in recent weeks, having only won once since the last time the two teams met in early October which has left plenty of fans frustrated at Stonebridge Road. This was expected to be a relatively easy victory for the fleet with the Hampshire team 18th in the table at the beginning of the day and a run without a win since the 20th of October.
The Ebbsfleet manager only made two changes from his side who drew 0-0 against Bath the previous week, Shane Huke took the place of Aiden Palmer who was left out after a knee injury and Brendan Kiernan replaced Matt Johnson in midfield. Farnborough also made some changes after a series of friendlies against lower league opposition, Charlie Grainger and Aaron Dawson made their debuts after signing from Leyton Orient and Exeter respectively.
Ebbsfleet were able to control the early stages of the game but were unable to open the scoring, despite a series of corners from both sides and winning the battles in the air they were unable to steer the ball goal- bound.
Within ten minutes Anthony cook made his first dazzling run of the day, this time beating three players before laying the ball into the path of Matt Godden whose placed effort went over, despite this, the referee brought play back as a result of a trip on Cook but McMahon’s curling free kick went agonizingly over.
McMahon had another chance from a set piece minutes after fleet debutant Brendan Kiernan was pulled back by Amadeu Arnau but, despite keeping the ball lower, his free kick hit the underside of the bar before being hurried away.
The Fleet’s pressure continued and after Shane Huke won the ball back for the hosts some quick passing allowed Dean Rance to play a long pass through to Matt Godden but the striker’s low shot across goal went inches wide to the left.
As the half hour mark approached Farnborough began to work their way back into the game after they won a free kick on the left wing a cross from Harry Grant was cleared by Dean Rance. Ebbsfleet’s defence continued to break down any attacking threat from the visitors. This was until a quickly taken free kick on the left fell to Fes Okenbarhie, the winger’s low cross fell to Harry Grant but the midfielder’s first time shot was bravely blocked by Joe Howe.
The visitors had one final opportunity to score before half time as they began to gain momentum but after Dan Bennett hit the bar with a header Louie Theophanus had an open goal before him but before he had a chance to shoot the referee had brought the game back for offside, meaning Ebbsfleet were lucky to go into half time without conceding.
The first chance of the second half came out of nowhere, after receiving the ball in midfield from a short free kick, Harry Grant hit a low shot from 30 yards out which Brandon Hall was just able to keep out.
From the resulting counter attack some quick thinking from Kiernan allowed him to get a low cross into the area which Matt Godden received with his back to goal before tuning and hitting a low shot across Charlie Grainger to give Ebbsfleet a 1-0 lead.
Moments after going 1-0 up, the hosts had another set of chances to extend their lead, first Brendan Kiernan’s acrobatic effort from a cross from the right flew over the bar before Anthony Cook’s volley as a result of some quick footwork met the same fate.
Farnborough quickly looked to get back into the game but after Dan Bennett’s driven shot was deflected over Brandon Hall but to the goalkeeper’s dismay the ball fell into the path of Phil Page who was unable to control the spinning ball and failed to force it into the open goal.
Anthony Coook came close to doubling his teams lead after beating the offside trap to get to a long pass form the Fleet defence but, after cutting inside, his shot was easily blocked by Aaron Dawson.
Ebbsfleet continued to push forward but headers from Acheampong and Clarke were blocked on the line before Anthony Cook’s half volley went inches wide as the hosts c=search for a second goal went on.
Farnborough’s search for an equalizing goal continued and after Anthony Cook’s penalty appeals were waved away by the referee the Yellows came back with Phil Page but the striker’s shot went inches wide of Brandon Hall’s goal.
Farnborough’s hope was cut short in the 84th minute when Chris Sessegnon, who only came on two minutes before played a perfect pass into the path of Matt Godden, through the legs of Aaron Dawson before the fleet striker slid a low shot past Grainger for his second of the afternoon.
Anthony Cook nearly stretched Ebbsfleet’s lead to three after receiving a pass from Dean Rance and cutting inside onto his right foot but his shot was well saved.
Ebbsfleet did finally get their third of the game when a crunching tackle in midfield allowed the ballot come to Cook who quickly saw Joe Howe making an overlapping run and played a pass into the full back’s run before Howe took a touch and hit a low cross into the path of the sliding Godden to get his second hat trick since his return to Stonebridge Road to give Ebbsfleet a convincing 3-0 win.
After the game Brown commented on the small set of fans who have been unhappy with his team’s performance “There are lots of pockets of supporters who stay and clap the team off, I’d say there are more who clap them off than there are little groups of negative comments
“Last week in particular I thought a few of the comments overstepped the mark” but the Ebbsfleet manager was wanting to focus on his side’s win “The ground wanted us to be ahead [in the first half] but the players kept cool heads in the second half, it was good to get the early goal and that set the tone for the second half, it’s also great to keep another clean sheet”.
Those three points allow the Fleet to keep up with the pace set by Boreham Wood and Basingstoke at the top of the Vanarama Conference South despite staying third. They will travel to 11th placed Eastbourne Borough as the pressure put on Steve Brown by the fans of the club will temporarily be taken off.
Ebbsfleet united: Hall, Huke, Howe, McMahon, Acheampong, Clark, Kienan (Sessegnon), Rance, Shringham, Godden, Cook
Subs not used: MAzzone, Edwards, Johnson, Bricknell
Farnborough: Grainger, Arnau (Banjo), Treacher, Dawson, Foot, Siaw, Grant, Okenbarhie, Page (Quiessaca), Theophanus, Bennett (Pearse)
Subs not used: Fearn, Barnes
Booked: Arnau
Attendance: 849