Post by dbbn on Apr 8, 2023 11:35:33 GMT
Match Preview
Monday 10 April 2023
Vanarama National League South
Braintree Town v Ebbsfleet United
It’s a Bank Holiday Monday and the TV cameras will be at the Dunmow Group Stadium to witness the Iron take on this season’s VNLS champions – Ebbsfleet United.
The Fleet have been storming their way to the title since the season began back in August 2022. Their first defeat of the season came in November following a run of sixteen games, thirteen of which were wins, when they lost to local rivals Tonbridge Angels at home by two goals to one. They temporarily lost their lead at the top of the table in December when four successive defeats, two of which came in the seasonal Christmas/New Year double header against Dartford, which saw the Darts take over the top spot. Normal service was resumed in January 2023 as the Fleet remain unbeaten with a further thirteen wins and four draws giving them an overall record of:
P 42 W 30 D 7 L 5 GF 98 GA 57 Points 97
With more teams in the VNLS this season, there are records to be broken including Newport County’s most wins in a season – thirty two, in 2009/10, which also saw them record the most points too with one hundred and three, however Ebbsfleet will be hard pressed to surpass Grays Athletic’s one hundred and eighteen goals scored in 2004/05.
Leading goal scorer for the Fleet this season is former Chelsea Youth player Dominic Poleon who also turned out in the EFL for Leeds United, Oldham Athletic, AFC Wimbledon, Bradford City, Crawley Town and Newport County. Although he was never prolific at any of those clubs, in the League, F. A. Cup and Trophy this season, he has found the net thirty eight times. He has scored three hat-ticks this year against Hampton & Richmond Borough, Dulwich Hamlet and on Good Friday against Oxford City along with numerous braces.
Behind him in the goal charts are Rakish Bingham with eighteen goals and Greg Cundle with ten goals.
Fleet made it all the way to the Second Round of the F. A. Cup where they narrowly lost at home to EFL One side Fleetwood Town one-nil, but had an earlier exit from the F. A. Trophy after a second round defeat at home to Eastbourne Borough also by one goal to nil.
When the two sides met at Stonebridge Road on 13 September 2022, two goals apiece for Poleon and Cundle gave the hosts a four-nil win.
Last season’s home meeting with the Kent side was on 15 March 2022 when the Iron triumphed one nil courtesy of a Stefan Ilic goal, highlights here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=fltatQwPCuI
The last home win before that was in 2013 – highlights here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQFs2yVqG38&t=18s
The Iron made a timely return to winning ways against play-off rivals St Albans City on Friday with the returning Alfie Pavey back with a goal after Baris Altintop had opened the scoring.
Defeat could see the Iron lose their play-off spot should St Albans, Worthing and Eastbourne Borough all win, but with the unbeaten home record now gone and firmly the underdogs in this game, can the Iron raise their game to record the Fleet’s first defeat of the year?
Monday 10 April 2023
Vanarama National League South
Braintree Town v Ebbsfleet United
It’s a Bank Holiday Monday and the TV cameras will be at the Dunmow Group Stadium to witness the Iron take on this season’s VNLS champions – Ebbsfleet United.
The Fleet have been storming their way to the title since the season began back in August 2022. Their first defeat of the season came in November following a run of sixteen games, thirteen of which were wins, when they lost to local rivals Tonbridge Angels at home by two goals to one. They temporarily lost their lead at the top of the table in December when four successive defeats, two of which came in the seasonal Christmas/New Year double header against Dartford, which saw the Darts take over the top spot. Normal service was resumed in January 2023 as the Fleet remain unbeaten with a further thirteen wins and four draws giving them an overall record of:
P 42 W 30 D 7 L 5 GF 98 GA 57 Points 97
With more teams in the VNLS this season, there are records to be broken including Newport County’s most wins in a season – thirty two, in 2009/10, which also saw them record the most points too with one hundred and three, however Ebbsfleet will be hard pressed to surpass Grays Athletic’s one hundred and eighteen goals scored in 2004/05.
Leading goal scorer for the Fleet this season is former Chelsea Youth player Dominic Poleon who also turned out in the EFL for Leeds United, Oldham Athletic, AFC Wimbledon, Bradford City, Crawley Town and Newport County. Although he was never prolific at any of those clubs, in the League, F. A. Cup and Trophy this season, he has found the net thirty eight times. He has scored three hat-ticks this year against Hampton & Richmond Borough, Dulwich Hamlet and on Good Friday against Oxford City along with numerous braces.
Behind him in the goal charts are Rakish Bingham with eighteen goals and Greg Cundle with ten goals.
Fleet made it all the way to the Second Round of the F. A. Cup where they narrowly lost at home to EFL One side Fleetwood Town one-nil, but had an earlier exit from the F. A. Trophy after a second round defeat at home to Eastbourne Borough also by one goal to nil.
When the two sides met at Stonebridge Road on 13 September 2022, two goals apiece for Poleon and Cundle gave the hosts a four-nil win.
Last season’s home meeting with the Kent side was on 15 March 2022 when the Iron triumphed one nil courtesy of a Stefan Ilic goal, highlights here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=fltatQwPCuI
The last home win before that was in 2013 – highlights here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQFs2yVqG38&t=18s
The Iron made a timely return to winning ways against play-off rivals St Albans City on Friday with the returning Alfie Pavey back with a goal after Baris Altintop had opened the scoring.
Defeat could see the Iron lose their play-off spot should St Albans, Worthing and Eastbourne Borough all win, but with the unbeaten home record now gone and firmly the underdogs in this game, can the Iron raise their game to record the Fleet’s first defeat of the year?