Ebbsfleet impress against League One Crewe

FORTY-ONE places separated these two sides at the start of play but for long periods on Saturday, Fleet more than matched their League One opponents.

Indeed, they can certainly feel aggrieved not to have at least taken Crewe back to Stonebridge Road on Tuesday week for a replay.

Liam Daish certainly tinkered with his starting line-up for this one, dropping Stacy Long to the bench and utilising George Purcell as a third attacking option in a 4-3-3 formation, which also saw Jamie Hand back in midfield at the expense of Ricky Shakes.

And the Fleet's attack-minded ethos was soon on display as Neil Barrett attempted an audacious overhead kick as early as the third minute following a knock-down in the box by Michael Gash.

Crewe goalkeeper Steve Collis was almost outfoxed minutes later when James Smith launched a long ball into the box which cleared everybody and flew over the crossbar with Collis stranded a long way off his line.

The Fleet had the upper hand in terms of possession and put the home side on the back foot.

But they still had to be alert to the threat in particular of winger Joel Grant and the tall, rangy Clayton Donaldson, whose pace and strength threatened to stretch the Fleet back four.

In truth, however, Crewe's best attacking moments were often as not snuffed out by the linesman's flag and only once - on 15 minutes - did Donaldson manage to make a meaningful incursion.

Ricketts performed a superb sliding tackle to deny him on the edge of the box.

The Fleet's lack of width, particularly down the right, was allowing former Exeter left-back Billy Jones to advance and he looked Crewe's most likely outlet as he linked well with Donaldson.

Gash and Kezie Ibe were linking well up front themselves, though both were playing rather deep and their hold-up play was causing Crewe problems.

Their best moment midway through the half saw Gash turn his marker, run at goal and as he advanced into the area, Ibe powered in to steal it from him and send a shot just wide of the right-hand post.

A minute earlier, Ibe again brought a long ball down and waited for Hand to run into space down the right, but the midfielder's excellent cross was a touch too long for Purcell at the far post.

On 22 minutes, Gash and Ibe linked up again, executing a wonderful one-two on the edge of the box and Gash shot low, forcing Collis into a save.

The home goalkeeper came to the rescue again three minutes later when he palmed away Ibe's curling, goalbound effort.

But just as the Fleet fans started to believe their side were going to walk this cup tie, Crewe produced one moment of skill to turn the game on its head.

A Fleet attack broke down after Gash was fouled but as the referee waved play on, midfielder James Bailey found space and won a throw-in.

As the ball came to Donaldson 18 yards out, the former York striker turned Smith, picked his spot in the top right-hand corner and sent a shot well beyond the reach of Lance Cronin.

The goal knocked the stuffing out of the Fleet for a few minutes, allowing the home side to catch a breath, though Hand's shot from distance on 41 minutes signalled another rally by the men in green.

A minute later and the Fleet should have had a penalty when Gash advanced to the goalline and played the ball back into the six-yard box into Purcell's path.

As Purcell went to shoot, he was brought down by a combination of Michael O'Connor and Danny O'Donnell but the referee, from whom the Fleet got little all afternoon, was not interested.

Disappointing though it was at half-time, the Fleet fans, having travelled in numbers, were confident their side could get a goal in the second half.

Crewe boss Steve Holland hauled Joel Grant and Shaun Miller off at half-time and on came Calvin Zola, another tall strong player in the Donaldson mould, though he caused fewer problems.

But the Fleet really only got going in fits and starts in the second half, though Gash had two opportunities early on.

His first, a shot after he slipped in the box, was cleared to safety and his second was an overhead kick after good build-up play by Purcell and Ibe.

Bailey blasted a shot over for Crewe from 25 yards and Byron Moore's cross on 58 minutes could have put the nail in Fleet's coffin had Zola got on the end of it.

The visitors still enjoyed much of the possession but lacked the penetration to trouble the Crewe keeper and Daish replaced Ibe with Shakes on the hour, but this seemed merely to interrupt the Fleet's flow.

An otherwise faultless Darius Charles almost got into trouble as he lingered on the ball and allowed Donaldson to get the better of him but the striker's cross came to nothing when Sacha Opinel upended Mark Carrington.

From the resulting free-kick on the edge of the area, O'Connor whipped in a shot which whistled past the post.

Opinel was fortunate moments later when he clattered Donaldson inside the box, but the referee again waved play on.

In the closing stages, the Fleet forced a succession of corners and from one, Barrett headed into the danger area and Smith went close with the third overhead kick of the afternoon.

This was to be the Fleet's last chance of note and Crewe held on to take their place in round two.

It was a brave and much-improved performance by the Fleet, with some excellent football played, particularly in the first half, though the lack of a killer instinct was probably the difference in what could, and indeed should, have been at least a draw.

Ebbsfleet United: Cronin, Ricketts, Smith, Charles, Opinel, Hand (Long 80), Barrett, Stone, Purcell, Ibe (Shakes 62), Gash. Subs not used: Mott, Hawkins, Slatter, Pooley, Bowes. Att: 2,593