Greg Cundle has made a habit of scoring important goals this season. His first at Chippenham kick-started Fleet’s run of good form in the league, his second at Eastbourne proved to be the winner as his side came through with 10 men and yesterday’s late strike produced three vital points and returned the team to winning ways.
And the former Gillingham striker-turned-winger credited his earlier miss for the motivation to go and bury the winner seven minutes from the end of yesterday’s game.
“I didn’t think it was ever going to come,” Cundle told BBC Radio Kent’s Charles Webster. “I missed a chance five minutes earlier where I probably should have scored and that spurred me on to get the winner.
“We pushed hard all second-half and I think we deserved it in the end, so I’m buzzing with that. My first goal [at home] so I’m looking to get a few more this year but I’m back in the team after a few weeks out with a little niggle.”
Before that injury, Cundle had been an ever-present, showing the faith Dennis Kutrieb has in a player who was initially on the release list last spring.
“[My Ebbsfleet career] started quite hard for me with an injury and then the season ended,” Cundle said. “I’ve worked hard to get going and got offered my contract. Since the start of the season I’ve just tried to prove to the manager what I can do and the boys too and it’s working out well so far.”
Part of the Cundle renaissance – aside from the sheer hard work and application that the former trialist has produced – is a switch by Kutrieb to a wide position, a role he’s relishing.
“I’ve never played that position up until last year, I’m still learning it. But I’m fit enough to do it and I’m enjoying doing it and working well with the boys on the left. It’s been a tough couple of weeks for us. We’ve been working hard and it ain’t been happening for us. And especially after that last 10 minutes as you can see, that meant so much to us. We defended for our lives at times.”
The busy Christmas period now lies ahead and the squad will return for training during the week ready and prepared for what comes.
“We’ve got one more at home and then the Christmas period,” said Cundle. “They come round very quick so we’ve got to be on it.
“We’re out tomorrow as a team so that win will make the day even better and we’ll be buzzing for next week now. I have some targets to hit, one of the main ones is just to play games after the last year I had. So to stay fit and stay consistent and go from there.
“As a team, inside the dressing room we have our targets, we have our aims, but we won’t really speak about them outside.”
