Woeful Boro hit for four at Ebbsfleet

That’s 3 defeats, 1 draw, 2 goals scored and 13 goals conceded in the first 4 games of the new season. Not the start that Phil Wallace was hoping for upon the return of Graham Westley. Also alarmingly the home defeat to Eastbourne now looks even worse as they have conceded 9 goals since their visit to Broadhall Way after being beat 6-3 at Oxford and 3-0 at home to Cambridge. Boro’s performance was terrible yesterday, one of the worst I have seen since I began watching them in 1994.

Westley had quite a few players missing yesterday with McMahon, Anaclet, Willock and Boylan all out either injured or ill. Steve Morison was also serving the last of his 3 game suspension. Mark Albrighton was recalled to the first team at right-back, but was not Captain. Lawrie Wilson played on the right of midfield after playing right back in the reserve game in midweek. With 3 strikers out, Anthony Thomas was partnered up front with Iyseden Christie with Jerome Anderson on the bench.

Ebbsfleet started the stronger and had a few attempts on goal before taking the lead after 20 minutes when Bayes punched a free-kick straight to Neil Barratt who shot home from the edge of the box. It was a good finish, but he really should of been marked at the original free-kick. Boro weren’t keeping possession enough and straight from the restart Cole ran into an Ebbsfleet player and lost the ball. Why they insist on using that tactic when they kick-off I don’t know, it has worked once and that was in pre-season! The team couldn’t seem to string 3 passes together and gradually began resorting to the long ball looking for Christie or Thomas to get in behind. Both Thomas and Christie had ineffective afternoons and were kept quiet by the impressive defence pairing of Charles and McCarthy.

Boro would have settled for being just 1-0 down at half time, but just before the break John Akinde deflected in a Craig Stone shot and doubled the Kent side’s lead. Akinde was a handful for Boro all afternoon. He could of had a hat-trick by the end of the game and looked a class above most of the other players on the pitch. Stacy Long was also impressing in the Ebbsfleet midfield. He was involved in most of their good attacking play. Boro began the second half better and had a good chance to get back into the game, but Luke Oliver headed wide from a corner. For someone so tall, Oliver is pretty awful in the air and a few minutes later he allowed a ball to bounce over him which nearly enabled Akinde to score a third for the hosts.

Ebbsfleet didn’t have to wait much longer for the third goal though. Akinde got into the box and was brought down by Ronnie Henry. The ref gave the penalty and Luke Moore calmly put the ball past Bayes and into the net for 3-0 and with still 20 minutes to play. Boro never looked like scoring and were consistantly playing the long ball up towards the front two who were never in the game. 5 minutes before the end, former Canvey Island striker Kezie Ibe added a fourth, tapping in from 3 yards. The worst performance from Boro for some time and Crawley up next tomorrow at BHW, who have just beat Torquay 3-1. It could be a long afternoon.

Another reminder that The Broadhall Way is out for tomorrow’s visit of Crawley Town. It will be on sale outside the ground and also available via subscription by emailing thebroadhallway@hotmail.com so if you can’t stomach watching another Boro performance you can still get the fanzine.