Match Preview: Ebbsfleet United – Saturday 13th August 2022 – 15:00
David Oldfield’s Terras take on last season’s play-off finalists and early league leaders Ebbsfleet United at the Bob Lucas Stadium.
It wasn’t the start that Weymouth were hoping for in their opening game of the season, as Tonbridge Angels came away 3-1 winners at the Bob Lucas Stadium. Two goals originating from set-pieces saw Weymouth go 2-0 down at half time. Keelan O’Connell, with his first goal for the club, managed to pull one back in the early stages of the second half, but Tonbridge completed the job and added a third late on. Whilst not the most encouraging of starts from Weymouth, Oldfield and his team will be fully prepared for what will be a tough test against Ebbsfleet and the opportunity to arise to the occasion and grab three points to get the season going.
Player To Watch: Luke Nippard
One of the standout performers despite defeat against Tonbridge, with his overlapping runs on the wing and strong midfield play, Nippard could be one to use his ability on the ball to create chances for the forward line.
THE FLEET
Ebbsfleet United are coming into this season of last season’s heartbreak, where they reached the National League South Play-Off final, but ultimately suffered to defeat to Dorking Wanderers. Looking to do one better this season, the Fleet have got off to a great start, as they beat Chippenham Town 3-0 at home on Saturday. Goals from Greg Cundle, Toby Edser and Darren McQueen ensured an opening day victory and a clean sheet, setting up a difficult challenge for the Terras, as the Fleet will be looking to get another clean sheet on the board, this time away from home. Ebbsfleet lost a few players to National League sides this summer, including right back Tobi Adebayo-Rowling to Notts County and midfielder Alfie Egan to Boreham Wood. However, as mentioned earlier, two goals in the game against Chippenham came from Toby Edser and Darren McQueen, who are two of eight arrivals into the club for Ebbsfleet and they’ve certainly settled quickly following their moves from Aldershot and Dagenham respectively. There is bound to optimism and perhaps expectation that Ebbsfleet can secure their place in the National League next season.
Player To Watch: Dominic Poleon
With 17 goals last season in the National League South, Poleon, who has EFL experience for a number of clubs and racked up 32 league goals in total in the EFL, will be looking to get his goal scoring account for this season and will be a man that the Terras back line will need to closely watch, to avoid giving Poleon opportunities on goal.
@TerraStatman’s Facts of the Match
Grave reading
Over 69 meetings we have the most slender of advantages over our Kent visitors with a W31 D10 L28 record, although that drops to just two wins in seven since the name change from Gravesend & Northfleet to Ebbsfleet United in 2007. Our last meeting was just two years ago in September, a COVID-affected behind-closed-doors home friendly before the start of delayed 2020-21 season in the Conference National, when we succumbed to a 0-1 loss courtesy of a J. Payne penalty. From the Ebbsfleet squad that day only Bingham, Chapman, Cundle, Grant, Martin and Paxman are still in the squad (at time of writing). Our most recent competitive match-ups were when we were relegated from the Conference National in 2008-09, when again we failed to score against The Fleet with a 0-1 loss away under Alan Lewer followed up by a 0-2 reverse under Bobby Gould’s very short tenure.
Shots fired against the Fleet!
At least we did score against the Thames-estuary-based-outfit the season before that when we faced Ebbsfleet on no less than four times. In the Conference National we were victorious 2-0 at home (Beavon and Louis with the strikes and former players Nade and Eribenne featuring for the away side) but succumbed away (1-4, McCallum with the consolation). In the Conference League Cup, we ran out 4-0 winners but lost in the FA Trophy by a single goal. In all games, our largest win was a 6-0 thrashing way back in 1955 in the Southern League and our largest loss a 0-4 capitulation in 1959.
Fleeting glimpse?
There are two recent players who have turned out for both teams – Tyler Cordner (who was on loan at Ebbsfleet from AFC Bournemouth before he moved to The Terras permanently) and Sean Shields who was also on loan at the Kent club from whilst at Dagenham & Redbridge. Sean also later moved to Weymouth permanently.
The stellar list of some other players who have turned out for both teams are Terngu Agera, Kwesi Appiah, Chukki Eribenne, Chris Giles, Sido Jombati, Chris McPhee, Raphael Nade, Mark Robinson, Ugo Udogi, Ishmael Welsh. (34 year old Jombati could play for Ebbsfleet tomorrow having been in the Weymouth squad 15 years ago as a 19/20 year old who played 17 times in the 2007/08 season including three times against his current team!)
Kent calling!
Due to a strange quirk of the fixture calendars this will be our third competitive fixture in a row against teams from the ceremonial county of Kent following the visit to Dover Athletic on the last day of last season and hosting Tonbridge Angels on the opening day of this campaign last Saturday.
SUPPORTER INFORMATION
Tickets are available online by clicking here.
Pay on the day is available this season at no extra cost! Buy a ticket from the ticket office to be scanned through the turnstiles. We recommend buying online to avoid queues on the day!
#UpTheTerras
