The Fleet go down to Blue Square South side Eastbourne Borough.
EASTBOURNE BOROUGH 3-0 EBBSFLEET UNITED
The Fleet succumbed to their first defeat in their final pre-season
match against a hard-working Borough side who killed off their
challenge with two quickfire goals shortly before the half-hour.
Centre-forward Scott Ramsay (pictured) grabbed both, in the 25th and 29th minutes,
his first courtesy of a shaky Sam Mott clearance that hit the lucky
striker on its way out. Former Fleet loanee Jay Lovett supplied the
ammunition for goal number two, lifting a cross into the box which
Ramsay gratefully nodded home.
It was hard luck on a Fleet side who looked brighter than their
hosts, but ultimately slightly toothless in attack, and indeed the
remainder of the game continued in much the same vein, with Moore, Long
and Paul McCarthy denied. Eastbourne wrapped up a somewhat misleading
3-0 victory when Danny Leach slotted home from Marc Pullan?s carefully
weighted pass on 71 minutes.
There was still time for Liam Coleman to have a stab at reducing
arrears but the looming form of home keeper David Hogan prevented him,
and Hogan capped a fine display by blocking a late Chukki Eribenne
effort as well.
On a positive note, Borough?s victory could be a wake-up call ahead
of next week?s opener against Northwich and a reminder that the hard
work is only just beginning.
TEAM: Mott, Starkey, Opinel (Purcell 73), MacDonald, Smith
(Hawkins 72), McCarthy, DeBolla, Long (Liam Coleman 62), Nade (McPhee
78), Moore (Eribenne 62), Ricketts. Other subs: Stubbs, French.
