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Ebbsfleet United boss Daryl McMahon on the 2-1 win over Dover Athletic

00:00, 03 April 2018

updated: 12:28, 03 April 2018

Daryl McMahon felt justice was done when Ebbsfleet beat Dover with a goal in the sixth minute of stoppage-time.

It looked as though Fleet were to be denied victory when Keanu Marsh-Brown's 94th-minute penalty cancelled out Sean Shields' opener.

But up popped Andy Drury in the dying seconds to score a dramatic derby winner.

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Daryl McMahon greets matchwinner Andy Drury Picture: Andy Jones
Daryl McMahon greets matchwinner Andy Drury Picture: Andy Jones

"Last-minute winners are the best," said McMahon. "I don't think you can get anything better. It's like a drug.

"People go away happy and I'm sure there were plenty in the pubs having a few beers, talking about it. It's a brilliant feeling for us and the fans to have.

"We thoroughly deserved to win. Their penalty it wasn't a penalty. I thought the lad went over very easily but that happens in football these days. He's earned the penalty rather than it being a penalty.

"It would have been a travesty if we didn't win because we were by far the better team.

"It was unjust (to be level) and then you get the free-kick and then you think 'if we can get a good ball into the area we know we've got players who can score goals' and it was a great finish from Jukebox.

"I was delighted he scored because sometimes I hear moaning on the terraces if he gives the ball away.

"He's a phenomenal footballer at this level. His brain is 10 minutes ahead of everyone else's at times and that's his problem. He's been terrific for me for 18 months and I'm delighted for him."

Ebbsfleet celebrate their stoppage-time winner Picture: Andy Jones
Ebbsfleet celebrate their stoppage-time winner Picture: Andy Jones

Drury and Dean Rance won the crucial midfield battle but across the board, Fleet were excellent.

McMahon said: "It was the best performance we've had for quite a while. I know we've won games here and drawn a few lately but in terms of actual performance, it was outstanding.

"In the first half we moved them around, made it difficult for them to get out and created a number of opportunities.

"We probably weren't aggressive enough in the final third to take people on when we could have, when we isolated them, but I can only praise the players for how good they were.

"We had too many players on the pitch that could create things (not to score). I don't know how many shots we had in the first half but it would have been in high double-figures and I thought we were excellent."

McMahon hailed the mental strength of his side to bounce back after conceding so late in the game.

He said "My team's got unbelievable character, it always has. People talk about other things and they ignore how much character this team's got.

"They were awesome, to a man, every single one of them. The lads who haven't been playing very much, Bush, Shields, I thought they were terrific."

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