Matt Godden’s third hat trick of the season helped Ebbsfleet to a 4-2 win over Eastbourne Borough, preparing them well for the upcoming playoffs.

With second place already guaranteed for the Fleet, Daryl McMahon’s side came into the final game of the scheduled season looking for a positive result to build momentum for the upcoming playoff campaign. The Gravesend side had a chance to put their tough loss at Sutton behind them thanks to a weekend away from action the previous match day and now, with the past behind them, their focus turned to postseason matches against an unknown semi final opponent.

McMahin made four changes from the side who lost at Sutton a fortnight previously, in defence Dan Pooley and Joe Howe took the places of Matt Fish and Bryan Van Der Bogaert whilst Anthony Cook and Sam Deering replaced Sean Shields and John Paul Kissock in midfield.

They came up against an Eastbourne side in good spirits; their most recent match, a 3-0 win over Gosport Borough, had secured their safety in the National League South. Their side included former Ebbsfleet fan favourite Craig Stone whilst Nathaniel Pinney, who spent the 2011-12 season at Stonebridge Road on loan, started on the bench.

In a tight opening tem minutes chances were limited, but Danny Kedwell was able to challenge the visiting defence despite being tightly marked. In the opening minute a long range effort from the striker was deflected wide and soon after he forced Lewis Carey into a reflex save, which the goalkeeper responded to well.

It only took twelve minutes for the hosts to find the opening goal. An impressive run inside from the left by Anthony Cook ended with the winger forcing a save from Lewis Carey, only for the loose ball to fall to the feet of Matt Godden who placed his shot into the open goal.

Jordan Parkes nearly doubled Ebbsfleet’s lead with the team’s next shot, but his free kick from a tight angle could only hit the near post.

The visitors soon worked their way into the game. With just over twenty minutes gone Craig Stone hit a low pass back across the area, only to see it roll out untouched and soon after a free kick was headed inches wide by Darren Lok.

Despite this pressure, it was Ebbsfleet who scored the second goal of the game and, yet again, it came through Matt Godden. With his back to goal, Danny Kedwell did brilliantly to get a cross to fall into the path of Godden who finished with ease.

The former Scunthorpe striker could have had a first half hat trick, but with one minute remaining in the first period he dragged a shot wide, despite fining himself one on one with the goalkeeper.

The second half began with Eastbourne looking to correct their mistakes from the first 45 minutes. Jake Sheppard beat Joe Howe to a pass down the right wing and found Jack Evans in the middle, but the midfielder could only fire over with three minutes gone in the half.

This purred the south coast team on, and after Tommy Widderington introduced Nathaniel Pinney to the game, the ex- fleet striker capitalised on some horrible defending before sliding the ball under Nathan Ashmore, halving Ebbsfleet’s lead.

The hosts, not being fazed by the soft goal, continued their search for a third. Danny Kedwell used his strength to turn past his man and hit a low shot into the side netting before Sam Deering’s powerful shot was blocked from close range with just over twenty minutes remaining.

With time beginning to run out for Eastbourne, they pushed even more players forward, and their attacking intent was rewarded when Nathaniel Pinney took down a bad clearance to hit a powerful half volley past Nathan Ashmore, who may believe he could have done better, tying the game up at 2-2.

Both teams kept pushing forward, and on their next attack Ebbsfleet regained their lead. Sam Deering was pulled back during an attacking run to win a free kick. The playmaker took it himself and his looping cross from the left wing was headed home by Charlie Sheringham with his first touch of the game.

Sheringham was involved in Ebbsfleet’s next goal as well. With ten minutes remaining a long ball forward was cushioned down by Sheringham into the path of Matt Godden. The attacker, looking for his hat trick, hit a spectacular effort over Lewis Carey to regain his side’s two goal lead.

Their pressure continued, Danny Kedwell’s low cross was forced behind for a corner and soon after an impressive run by Joe Howe ended with the full back’s cross being caught under pressure by Carey.

The game still wasn’t over though, Eastbourne pushed on, looking for a way back into the game. Jack Evans hit a long range effort inches over Nathan Ashmore’s goal, but it was Ebbsfleet who had the final opportunity when Danny Kedwell picked out Charlie Sheringham at the far post. The substitute took the ball down well, only to fire his shot over the target, meaning the game finished 4-2, giving Ebbsfleet a good result to enter the playoffs with.

Other results mean that Daryl McMahon’s side will need to beat Whitehawk in the semi finals before having the chance to have one final afternoon fighting for promotion.

Despite this result, McMahon remains optimistic about his team’s chances in the upcoming two weeks, “We should have defended [Eastbourne’s first goal] better, without a doubt. We’ve got to do better but I’m not worried about it”.

 

Ebbsfleet United: Ashmore, Pooley (Kissock), Howe, Lewis, Acheampong, Bonner, Deering, Parkes (Sheringham), Kedwell, Godden, Cook (Boulding)

Subs not used: Miles, McLean

Eastbourne Borough: Carey, Sheppard (Pinney), Khinda John, Evans, Stone, Buckley, McCallum (Worthington), Collier, Lok, Romain, Bosma (Taylor)

Subs not used: Worrall, Haysman

Attendance: 1,348