This game had nothing riding on it as Ebbsfleet were in the play offs after victory over Concord Thursday night & Dorchester were already relegated.

Steve Brown was able to give some of his fringe players a run out whilst resting others. The club set this game to be free & they got a great attendance in & they put on a show for them.

The game started slowly with Dorchester belying their position as they pressed Ebbsfleet & made a game of it but in the 9^th minute it changed as first Anthony Cook on the left saw his cross shot parried away by Alan Walker-Harris & then cleared for a corner & from the resulting corner Shane Huke headed it forward for Stacey Long who turned & shot but it went wide.

In the 13^th minute Ebbsfleet took the lead when Paul Lorraine’s long ball into the channel found Billy Bricknell who controlled it & then passed to Daryl McMahon who shot home from 15 yards.

Ebbsfleet were now enjoying most of the possession & in the 25^th minute Alec Osborn passed to Chris Sessegnon in the area & his pass found Bricknell but his shot was blocked.

In a rare attack Dorchester nearly equalised in the 29^th minute when a cross from the left to the back post found Sam Lanahan whose header forced Brandon Hall to tip over the bar.

Ebbsfleet regained their composure after that small shock & in the 36^th minute Cook’s free kick from 20 yards out on the left curled around the wall beating Walker-Harris but clipping the crossbar.

In the 40^th minute it was two when Bricknell in the area saw his first shot blocked but came back to him & he then passed to Long who passed straight away to McMahon who drilled his shot home from 20 yards.

Two minutes later another Cook free kick just went past the far post & in the 45^th+2 minutes a ball crossed into the area by Osborn found Bricknell 4 yards out but he seemed to miss his kick & the ball then came to Michael Thalassitis whose header was cleared off the line.

The second half started with Ebbsfleet in control & in the 51^st minute Osborn on the right saw his low cross find Bricknell 4 yards out but his shot hit the crossbar.

Three minutes later Osborn to Cook who cut inside & shot from just outside the area forcing Walker-Harris to parry it away but Bricknell reacted first but his shot was smothered by Walker-Harris & cleared.

In the very next minute McMahon received the ball & went forward slipping the ball forward for Osborn but his shot from 15 yards under pressure went over the bar.

In the 59^th minute Bricknell had another chance when a cross into the area was half cleared & his shot was saved at the second attempt by Walker-Harris.

In the next minute Bricknell was denied again when Osborn passed to him in the area & from 8 yards his shot was cleared off the line by Oakley Hanger.

In the 68^th minute Dorchester had their first chance of the half when Lanahan saw his shot from 25 yards parried away by Hall. In the 70^th minute Ebbsfleet increased their lead when McMahon took a short corner got the ball back got to the by-line & his cross was half cleared to Thalassitis whose shot from 18 yards trickled into the net.

Two minutes later it was definitely game over as Bricknell flicked on for Osborn who raced into the area slid the ball past Shane Murphy (who had only been on for two minutes).

Ebbsfleet were now enjoying themselves & if there was a criticism they were not clinical. In the 81^st minute another chance came when Joe Howe’s cross came out to Long & his 20 yard volley went just over the bar, in the 83^rd minute Osborn to Long to Sessegnon who passed to Bricknell but his shot was blocked denying him a goal.

The last chance of the game came in the 90^th minute when Sessegnon passed to Ben May who put Howe in & from 10 yards out his shot was tipped over the bar.

The final whistle went & the Ebbsfleet players did a lap of honour. On Wednesday the Play offs begin & Ebbsfleet have set up a mouth watering game against Bromley with the return game next Saturday.

EBBSFLEET UNITED:

1. B.HALL  2. C.SESSEGNON  3. A.PALMER  4. D.McMAHON  5. P.LORRAINE  6. S.HUKE   7. A.OSBORN

8. S.LONG  9. M.THALASSITIS (70)  10. B.BRICKNELL  11. A.COOK (61)

SUBS USED: 14. J.HOWE (61)  16. B.MAY (70)

SUBS NOT USED: 12. A.ACHEAMPONG  13. P.EDWARDS  15. D.RANCE

 

DORCHESTER TOWN:

1. A.WALKER-HARRIS (70)  2. O.HANGER  3. D.WAY (79)  4. M.JERMYN  5. N.WALKER  S.WALKER

7. S.LANAHAN  8. J.SMEETON  9. R.EASE (66)  10. E. CHAMBERLAIN  11. C/LOSASSO

SUBS USED; 14. D.MUNDAY (66)  15. S. SMITH (79)  17 S.MURPHY (70)

SUBS NOT USED: 12. J.TWYFORD  16. L.PIDGELY

 

REFEREE: Mr P.HARRIS

ASSISTANTS; Mr P.HOWARD & Mr A.WATERS

ATTENDANCE: 1,670