Ebbsfleet United 0 Woking 3 match report: Ebbsfleet bottom of National League after fourth successive defeat this season
17:03, 24 August 2024
updated: 18:50, 24 August 2024
The wait for Ebbsfleet’s first National League point of the season went on as they were beaten at home by Woking on Saturday.
They trailed after an evenly-contested first period when Max Dyche brilliantly headed home, substitute Charley Kendall making the most of a mistake by Craig Tanner after the restart to double the Cards’ lead before Matt Ward struck in injury time to round off the Fleet’s 3-0 loss.
It was Woking who created the first chance on 10 minutes, with the rain largely having subsided at Stonebridge Road, as Tunji Akinola headed over captain Dale Gorman’s corner.
Soon after at the other end, Franklin Domi fired over after one of many early set-piece opportunities which the hosts struggled to make the most of.
Woking midfielder Harry Beautyman then burst through but a deflection took the sting out of his effort and keeper Mark Cousins gathered well.
Dominic Poleon fed fellow Ebbsfleet striker Dominic Samuel on the half-hour mark, his powerful shot being scrambled wide off visiting goalkeeper Will Jaaskelainen.
Stand-in home skipper Jim Kellermann’s corner landed on the roof of the net.
But Michael Doyle’s men broke the deadlock with 34 minutes played in front of a crowd of 1,575.
Gorman, who hadn’t been shy of going to ground in search of free-kicks, made one of them count. He delivered a fine ball from near the halfway line and Northampton loanee defender Dyche sent an excellent header looping over Cousins and into the net.
Danny Searle’s side came close to a leveller two minutes before half-time, only for a Cards defender to make a key block to charge down Poleon’s goal-bound effort.
Four minutes after the restart, Deon Moore cut inside and blasted over for the visitors before they brought off Jacob Jones for Dennon Lewis.
The Fleet then made a double substitution shortly after the hour mark. That saw Josh Wright take the captain’s armband from Kellermann while Jephte Tanga came on for Luke O’Neill.
Tanga was quickly in the action, being denied a penalty in the 66th minute after Jaaskelainen was adjudged to have beaten him to the loose ball by referee Aaron Farmer, with Poleon’s shot having been charged down.
But home substitute Tanner gifted the Cards a crucial second with 12 minutes to play.
His pass found Kendall and he perfectly found the top corner before he got cautioned for celebrating his second goal in the space of four days in the crowd.
As the Fleet looked for a goal back, Tanga drilled Lewis Page’s left-wing cross inches wide.
There was no way back for the home team, though, and substitute Ward expertly curled in to add salt into home wounds in the third minute of seven of stoppage time.
The result leaves Fleet bottom of the National League - albeit after just four games - and the full-time whistle was greeted by boos.
Ebbsfleet manager Searle made five switches from their starting line-up, which suffered a 3-2 defeat at newly-promoted Yeovil on Tuesday evening.
One of their scorers, Samuel, came in alongside Tyler Cordner, Poleon, Domi and Toby Edser for Louis John, Wright, Wes Fonguck, Tanner and Kwame Thomas.
The visitors’ sole change saw Moore replace former Gillingham forward Lewis Walker, who dropped to the substitutes’ bench.
Ebbsfleet are at Braintree on Bank Holiday Monday while the Cards are at home against Hartlepool United.
Ebbsfleet United: Cousins, O’Neill (Tanga 63mins), Page, Cordner, Kellermann (Wright 63mins), Samuel, Poleon (Cundle 79mins), Domi (Tanner 73mins), Edser, Chapman, Dallison. Subs not used: Berry, Fonguck, Phillips.
Woking: Jaaskelainen, Moss, Harries, Odusina (Wynter 96mins), Dyche, Jones (Lewis 51mins), Andrews (Ward 82mins), Gorman, Akinola, Beautyman (Anderson 90mins), Moore (Kendall 58mins). Subs not used: Webber, Walker.
Referee: Aaron Farmer.
Attendance: 1,575.