Four wins on the trot

The Harriers held on for their fourth win in a row tonight in an entertaining game that saw the home side surge into a two goal lead within minutes of the start.  Then tiredness started to creep in and a slightly flukey goal mid way through the first half enable Ebbsfleet to get back into the game.

The second half was backs to the wall time for the Harriers but we managed to hold firm for three more points.  The win takes us up to tenth place in the league.

After missing the game at Cambridge on Saturday Jeff Kenna was back for us at the expense of Paul Bignot who dropped back to the bench.  On there was one of the new signings, Michael Wylde, waiting to make his debut for us but there was no sign of the other new man, Jake Moult.

The game kicked of at a quick tempo and it was hard to believe that we had now played five games in twelve days.  Slick passing was the order of the evening and the Trophy finalists, Ebbsfleet, just couldn't cope with us.  In the third minute we had taken the lead with another superb goal from Iyseden Christie.

Darryl Knights easily beat a handful of Utd players to the ball and put in an accurate pass for Christie to run onto.  He got round Darius Charles and then slipped to the floor but still managed to fire the ball past Lance Cronin into the back of the net.

Eight minutes later and we had gone into a two goal lead.  Knights, again, was the architect of the goal after he raced onto a superb pass from Christie on the half way line.   He took it to the edge of the area to pick up the just arriving Christie but Matt Barnes-Homer got to it first and crashed a shot against a defender.  Christie picked up the rebound and his shot got blocked and made it's way out to Russ Penn who then deftly slipped inside his man and let fly with a venomous shot that almost burst the net.

We should have added a further goal minutes later when Barnes-Homer beat the Utd defence again but his shot rippled the side netting with almost everyone thinking the ball had gone in.

Suddenly against the run of play Ebbsfleet pulled a goal back.  Dean Coleman punched a ball out to well outside the area but it fell kindly for Charlie Hearn who then hoofed the ball high into the air.  As we were laughing it suddenly dipped and, with Coleman off his line, Jeannin back peddled quickly but only managed to help it into his own net.

Utd started to believe in themselves after that bit of good fortune and began to press the Harriers defenders more.  Twice more they could have drawn level but for quality saves from Coleman when he tipped shots from Hearn and Stacey Long over the bar or round the post.

With Harriers fans starting to get worried it took a great shot from Simon Russell to renew our faith in them.  Knights went on a run towards goal but found himself forced off the ball which then ran on for Russell to fire in a shot that Cronin just managed to fingertip onto and over the bar.

Knights also had a shot fly over the bar two minutes before half time but it would have never gone in anyway.