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Ebbsfleet United winger Sean Shields targeting more goals this season

00:00, 27 August 2018

Sean Shields was challenged to score more goals this season and he's already delivering.

The popular winger began the campaign having found the net just 14 times in 112 appearances for Ebbsfleet.

But Shields' brace against Aldershot on Saturday means he's now scored three times in his last two outings.

Sean Shields celebrates the first of his two goals against Aldershot Picture: Andy Payton
Sean Shields celebrates the first of his two goals against Aldershot Picture: Andy Payton

Shields said: "I sat down with the gaffer in pre-season and he said he wants me to come off the line a little bit more this year.

"I’m known for my wide attacking play, getting half a yard, beating players and getting crosses in but he said he thinks I can be dangerous in central positions as well, which I agree with, and that I can get more goals than I have done in the last couple of seasons.

"I’ve got three in two now, which is very pleasing and long may it continue."

Shields, who was voted man-of-the-match on Saturday, scored an equaliser which was originally credited to Danny Kedwell but later confirmed as his.

"Keds has done all the work so massive credit to him," said Shields. "He’s followed in a shot, headed it back across and the keeper’s got a touch to it.

"It’s come back across the line, half a yard out and I got the final nod over the line - a little header which I don’t normally score so I’ll take it."

There was no question about Shields' second goal, which clinched a 3-1 win, an emphatic but controlled finish from 20 yards after Jake Cole had pushed out Myles Weston's shot.

Shields said: "It was bobbling a little bit so I remember instinctively in my mind thinking ‘strike it as truly as you can’ and thankfully it’s gone into the bottom corner."

Sean Shields runs at the Aldershot defence Picture: Andy Payton
Sean Shields runs at the Aldershot defence Picture: Andy Payton

This was Ebbsfleet's first home win of the season after 1-0 defeats to Chesterfield and Sutton.

Shields said: "The gaffer said to us before the game ‘don’t panic’ and that was a key piece of information.

"We’re expected to win our home games and we hadn’t won or scored yet. In those games we deserved a point at least from each so it was important for us to keep playing our football, stay composed and after going 1-0 down early, we did really well to get back into it quickly.

"We’ve got a clear way that we like to play here. We want to play football, we want to be exciting and attack.

"Aldershot started very well. They’ve got a lot of pace in attack and they got the early goal and they were on top for a little bit which is why it’s credit to all the boys today for digging in at an important time in the game. If they’d got that second goal, it would have been very difficult but we got ourselves back into it and it’s a great three points.

"There’s a great buzz at the minute coming off the back of two good away wins. We had our sights set on getting that first home win, which we were really confident about.

"In general, it’s a very confident camp. We’re all in it together, the whole squad is backing each other and that breeds a real good feeling for the rest of the season.

"We’re ready to fight together and it’s such a tough league, we’re going to need the whole squad if we want to be successful."

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