Match Preview: Ebbsfleet United (A) – Saturday 7th January 2023
In the Terras’ first match of 2023, Bobby Wilkinson’s side take on high fliers Ebbsfleet United at the Kuflink Stadium.
MANAGER’S PREVIEW:
Manager Bobby Wilkinson had this to say ahead of tomorrow’s encounter:
“Preparations have gone very well, boys have trained well this week and are hungry as we look for a good result. We must keep picking up points, let’s stick together and go there to try and win a game of football. We’ve done what we can behind the scenes prep wise, now it’s over to the players to cross the white line now and believe and have a right go at it tomorrow”
HISTORY OF THE FIXTURE:
@TerraStatman’s Facts of the Match
We have a rich history of playing The Fleet with no less than 70 matches since our first meeting in 1949, mostly over long periods in the Southern League.
Our hosts enjoy a slender advantage overall with 31 wins to our 29 and just the 10 draws. However in more recent times (since the club changed their name from Gravesend & Northfleet to Ebbsfleet United in 2007), we have endured 6 losses with just the two victories against the Kent team, failing to score on four of those occasions.
In our most recent meeting, we did at least find the net for the first time in 4 encounters but still ended up just on the wrong side of a five-goal-thriller in August with goals from Bearwish and Ash in vain.
Despite their current lofty third position (from where they could regain top spot with games in hand) they have faltered of late with four losses on the bounce and they sit rock bottom of the five-game-form table. Meanwhile Weymouth will not fear such high placed opponents as in the last four games the Terras have played teams in the top half of the table they have won them all…three of them away from home!
In terms of personnel there is at least one player likely to feature in each matchday squad. For the hosts 35-year-old Sido Jombati played for the Terras some 15 years ago, ironically his last game for us being against his current employers. In claret and blue we have loanee Charlie Rowan who featured for The Fleet in 2021.
LEAGUE FORM GUIDE:
The Fleet: LLLLWW
DARTFORD 4-0 EBBSFLEET UNITED
EBBSFLEET UNITED 1-4 DARTFORD
CHESHUNT 1-0 EBBSFLEET UNITED
EBBSFLEET UNITED 0-2 EASTBOURNE BOROUGH
WORTHING 0-6 EBBSFLEET UNITED
EBBSFLEET UNITED 2-0 SLOUGH TOWN
Ebbsfleet United currently sit 3rd in the table with 48 points from 23 games
The Terras: LLWWDW
WEYMOUTH 1-3 TAUNTON TOWN
DULWICH HAMLET 2-0 WEYMOUTH
WORTHING 1-3 WEYMOUTH
TONBRIDGE ANGELS 0-5 WEYMOUTH
WEYMOUTH 0-0 CHESHUNT
WELLING UNITED 1-2 WEYMOUTH
Weymouth currently sit 23rd in the table with 18 points from 22 games
#UpTheTerras
