In the end, this tie will be remembered for a tale of probably three penalties; the first of which in the original tie from Fleet striker Ben May that was last seen heading into the Stonebridge Road car park before two spot kicks which really were the centre piece of a pulsating North Kent derby with Darts skipper Elliot Bradbrook the undoubted hero.
After a pulsating first half that ebbed and flowed, Bradbrook came closest for the home side after a charging 50 yard run and shot that had Fleet keeper Preston Edwards at full strength to palm the ball away. It was then the turn of Darts keeper Alan Julian to pull off a couple of stunning saves – one a thirty yard pile driver from Daryl McMahon which was brilliantly flicked over the bar by the keeper, before McMahon went even closer 12 minutes from the break.
Julian did brilliantly to keep out a wicked Anthony Cook centre but as the ball ricocheted around the box like a pinball machine, Ebbsfleet were awarded a free kick in a central position twenty five yards out. Up stepped McMahon and his viciously curling shot beat Julian’s only to clip the outside of the post.
After the break, the Darts upped the tempo and were ahead on 52 minutes. Lee Noble chased a seeming lost cause to the goal line only to be bundled off of the ball despite the fact he was heading away from goal by the unlucky Alex Osborn to concede a penalty. Up stepped Bradbrook, who’s spot kick arrowed beyond Edwards’ full length dive to his left and into the corner of the net for his 4th goal of the season in his 200th appearance for the Darts.
Steve Brown, the Fleet boss, was full of sympathy for his player after the game. He admitted “I haven’t seen it again, but in real time I think it was a really soft penalty.”
“If the play is going no where and the ball is going out of play, the easiest thing in the world to do is to check up when you’re shadowed by a defender.”
“You then take a bump from behind from a defender who’s not been able to stop and as soon as you get the touch the player goes to ground. I thought it was a poor decision – I may be proved wrong with video footage but on the night and in real time I really thought it was a soft penalty.”
The Fleet now had to come at the home side (who were missing five regular starters over the two games) and despite a lot of pressure Julian wasn’t tested in the Darts goal.
That was until the 69th minute… as the ball bounced into the Dartford box, Dean Rance tried to head the ball across goal only for Danny Harris’ foot to make contact with his head, and referee Trelaven pointed to the spot for a second time. What followed left Fleet boss Brown shaking his head…
“I didn’t see the award of the kick because I was talking to Alex Osborn, who’d just come off after conceding the penalty moments before.”
“I’d turned round to give him a pat on the back as he was very down and by the time I turned round, Ben May was smashing the ball into the top corner and I have to say the block was just…”
Brown said shaking his head in disbelief. “The block was just unbelievable from the rebound – unbelievable!”
Cook stepped up with the penalty only for Julian to make a really good low stop, but the ball rebounded to May, whose drive was heading for the top corner until the intervention of a flying Bradbrook and the ball flew out for a corner.
For those who watch the NFL on TV, Bradbrook’s block can best be described as one that “special teams” try to do on kicks and punts!
Sadly for the Darts skipper despite gallantly playing, he left Princes heading for hospital and an X-ray for suspected broken ribs. His manager Tony Burman was in awe of his skipper as he spoke after the game.
“When you remember that we were missing five players over the two ties we had to have minds over bodies attitude especially in the box and Elliot just typified the spirit.”
“He wasn’t breathing too well in the dressing room after the game before we took him to hospital. Elliot does that week in, week out, season in, season out and typifies the spirit that we’ve got in this side.”
“We’ve got to continue to build on that and hopefully we wont be missing him for too long.”
The Fleet did have one more glorious opportunity to level the scores and it came seven minutes into stoppage time. The visitors were awarded a free kick on the edge of the box and after McMahon put the ball down, Cook whipped in a vicious curling shot that literally shave the paint on Julian’s left post.
As the ball disappeared into the crowd, the Fleet’s chances had as well as it’s Dartford who join Dover Athletic, Gillingham and Welling United flying the Kent flag in Round One in ten days time.
DARTFORD – Julian, Hayes, Noble, Bradbrook, Harris, Mitchell-King, Collier, Ibemere (Akinwande 83), Fry, Burns, Woodyard.
Subs not used – Hill, Cornhill, Forecast, Porter, Monger, Eisa.
EBBSFLEET UNITED – Edwards, Sessegnon, Palmer, McMahon, Lorraine, Sankofa, Osborn (Thalasittis 60), Rance (Phipp 74), May, Bricknell, Cook.
Subs not used – Hall, Corcoran, Long, Basey, Green.
Referee – Mr Dean Treleaven
Assistants – Mr Christopher Wade & Mr Maurice Taylor – replaced by fourth official Mr Dan Bonnywell 89
Attendance: 1901