Woking 2-2 Ebbsfleet United

THERE are key moments in the football calendar when the season can pivot either one way or the other.

Given the Fleet's abject fortunes to date this month, and their precarious position after an hour of Saturday’s FA Cup game, the two penalties converted by Luke Moore to snatch a draw from the jaws of defeat may prove to be one of this season's pivotal moments.

Liam Daish rang the changes in his side with Darius Charles moving to left back due to the enforced absence of the suspended Sacha Opinel.

James Smith took his place alongside Paul McCarthy in the centre of defence, while Jamie Hand and Ricky Shakes were dropped to the bench, allowing starts for Craig Stone and Kezie Ibe.

The home side left playmaker and top scorer Giuseppe Sole on the bench, while midfielder Goma Lambu failed a pre-match fitness test and so former Fleet player Joel Ledgister ran the right wing.

In the early exchanges the Fleet looked like they had their tails up as Moore, playing in midfield, began to stamp an early authority on the game.

For the Fleet following of 200 or so it was an encouraging start, but they were soon to be silenced by two minutes of madness which looked as if it would end interest in the competition at this stage for the fifth year in succession.

First, on eight minutes, Stone and McCarthy misread a clearance, setting Wilfried Domoraud free down the middle.

He did well to hold off Smith and rolled the ball wide of the advancing Lance Cronin and into the goal.

Barely had the curses subsided on Fleet fans' lips when Smith missed a tackle on Bradley Quamina and the bustling Liam Marum eased past McCarthy, managed to get wide of Cronin and then tucked home into an empty net.

Ebbsfleet have been bad in FA Cup ties in the recent past, but subdued fans were trying to recall a time they'd given up the ghost quite so easily.

The irony of the situation was the Fleet's performance, while hardly top-drawer stuff, was one of their better showings of late. The midfield had much more authority and there was a genuine, if not always entirely successful, desire to play a passing game.

A much-improved Stacy Long and Moore were working well in the final third and Long struck two free-kicks which forced Carl Pentney into saves.

Darius Charles looked at home at left-back and indeed his sorties into the middle and down the wing were giving the Fleet an added dimension.

Pentney saved again from a Neil Barrett shot and the busy Moore put two efforts wide of the post as Woking, content to sit on their lead, really didn't get a sniff of the Fleet goal for another half hour.

Michael Gash went close on the stroke of half-time when he sailed high above his markers in an attempt to plant a Charles cross over the bar.

But as the whistle went for the break, one couldn't help but feel the chance to get back into the game had disappeared.

The opening exchanges of the second half were hardly encouraging.

Ebbsfleet seemed to lack momentum, with Ibe a peripheral figure and Gash well-marshalled by Paul Lorraine in the Woking defence.

Domoraud and Marum were still causing anxiety in the Fleet defence when they ran at goal and Domoraud should have done better when he shot wide after a cross by Colin Miles.

Ricketts made way for George Purcell as the Fleet moved to a three-man defence and it almost cost them on 65 minutes when the home side had a wonderful chance to seal the tie.

El Kholti again found room down the Woking left to send in a cross which Paolo Vernazza could only head into the ground when clear inside the six-yard box.

It proved vital for the Fleet's fortunes.

A minute later, James Smith sent a looping high ball into the penalty area from the halfway line and as Gash rose, Lorraine climbed on him and according to the referee after the game, pushed him in the face.

It may have been harsh but the Fleet fans were quite happy to seize any opportunity with both hands and as Moore coolly blasted the penalty into the bottom right corner, suddenly a glimmer of hope returned.

In fact it took only four minutes for that glimmer to light up Kingfield.

Ibe chased another hopeful through ball and did well to get in between Tom Hutchinson and Pentney.

As the Fleet striker attempted to take it around the goalkeeper, Pentney brought him to the ground as the assistant referee flagged for a penalty.

Furious protests ensued from the home side, adamant the challenge was both legitimate and outside the box, but Moore paid them no heed as he converted number two to complete a most unlikely comeback.

The Fleet had their tails up and Purcell did well with a turn and shot that blazed past the upright, while Stone had another effort off target.

For a while the visitors looked firmly in control and camped inside the Woking half, but when Daish reverted to a flat back four, Hawkins coming on for Ibe, the tide turned again.

Daniel Spence, on for Marum, found a lot of space down the right and whipped in a couple of crosses which had Smith and McCarthy scrambling in the box.

In the closing minutes, as the pace of the game ratcheted up a notch, it was end-to-end stuff and Ledgister could have nicked the win when he had two shots at Lance Cronin from close range, both blocked by the Fleet keeper.

There was an even bigger let-off in the inexplicable five minutes of time added on when Domoraud fired off a quite brilliant overhead kick which bounced against an unwitting Hawkins and was hacked clear by Stone.

Had the Fleet box been less crowded, Cronin would have stood no chance.

So the Fleet still have it all to do, but Liam Daish will be happythey have anything to do at all given the horrific opening 10 minutes of this game when any sensible betting money would have been against the Fleet pulling back a two-goal lead.

One lucky charm, however, is the Fleet haven't come back from a two-goal deficit in the FA Cup since being 3-1 down in a certain fourth qualifying round tie at Marlow.

The year?

1996.

The outcome?

A run to the third round and Villa Park.

There is still some way to go until those dizzy heights yet, but Ebbsfleet’s reward if they do overcome Woking in the replay tomorrow is a visit to League One outfit Crewe Alexandra on November 8.

Ebbsfleet: Cronin, Ricketts (Purcell 61), McCarthy, Charles, Smith, Barrett, Long, Stone, Moore, Gash, Ibe (Hawkins 83). Subs not used: Mott, Bowes, Pooley, Hand, Purcell. Att: 1,462