Match Report

Hendon
2
Ebbsfleet United
3
Date:
Tuesday 25 July 2017
Competition:
Friendly
Attendance:
98
Venue:
TBA

Match Report

Hendon entertained Vanarama National League Premier Division Ebbsfleet United, who sent almost all of their first-team squad to Silver Jubilee Park in Tuesday nighs preseason friendly. The match was a thoroughly entertaining affair and it ended 3-2 in Ebbsfleet's favour, a not unreasonable reflection on the game.

That said, the Hendon performance overall was excellent, against a team two levels higher than them. It is also true that the Greens did have a number of moments of good fortune in defence and, being a friendly, the match counted for nothing.

For the first 20 minute, Hendon were on top, Zak Joseph and Niko Muir combining well up front, with Keagan Cole prompting from behind the pair.

The opening goal was a superb piece of football, Cole playing the ball into the penalty area from the left side and Muir finishing with a strike into the bottom corner, giving Jon Miles no chance of making a save.

From then on, Ebbsfleet upped the tempo and asked some serious questions of the Hendon backline. Luke Tingey was forced to supplement centre-backs Rian Bray and Arthur Lee and full-backs Sam Murphy and Jake Eccleston.

Just before half-time a cross from Sean Shields looped over Montel Joseph and was cleared by Lee, using the unorthodox route of the underside of his own crossbar to get the ball away from danger. A minute or so later, another goalmouth scramble saw Tingey clear the ball off the line.

Ten minutes into the second half, Ebbsfleet drew level when the veteran Danny Kedwell curled a shot just inside Joseph’s far post.

The goalkeeper, who had already pulled off a couple of good saves, made two more in the second half as Ebbsfleet replaced their starting strikers, with what may be their first-choice front two, Darren McQueen and Danny Mills.

Most of the Hendon changes came in midway through the second half (Tingey having made way for Malachy McGovern at half-time), with Lewis Davis, Ashley Nathaniel-George, Cameron Currie, Andre Da Costa, Leo Pedro, Tarum Dawkins and Charlie Kuehn taking over from Murphy, Daniel Uchechi, Eggleton, Muir, Cole, Zak Joseph and Lee, respectively.

In the 62nd minute, Andre Da Costa worked himself an opening and fired a power drive which forced Miles into an excellent full length save.

With 12 minutes remaining, McQueen gave Ebbsfleet the lead finishing off powerfully after a flow move which included a contribution from former Hendon loanee Jack Connors.

In the 82nd minute, Nathaniel-George had the chance to equalise, but he put his powerful drive just wide of the target. And it proved a costly miss - if there can be such a thing in a friendly - because within a minute, Mills had turned in a cross at the far post to make it 3-1.

There was a sting in the tale, because, with three minutes remaining, Lewis Davis scored an excellent second Hendon goal, his bending drive finding the bottom corner. The Greens had time to get an equaliser, but Ebbsfleet were able to hold out for the last few minutes.

Report by David Ballheimer

Hendon

1
Montel Joseph
2
Jake Eggleton
3
Sam Murphy
4
Luke Tingey
5
Rian Bray
6
Arthur Lee
7
Zak Joseph
8
Dave Diedhiou
9
Niko Muir
10
Keagan Cole
11
Daniel Uchechi
12
Lewis Davis
14
Ashley Nathaniel-George
15
Malachy McGovern
16
Cameron Currie
17
Andre Da Costa
18
Leo Pedro
19
Tarum Dawkins
20
Charlie Kuehn

Match Events

19''
Niko Muir
46''
Malachy McGovern replaced Luke Tingey
Jack Connors replaced Ollie Boulding
46''
Jack Powell replaced Jack Payne
46''
Danny Kedwell
50''
Darren McQueen
51''
Danny Mills
52''
61''
Andre Da Costa replaced Niko Muir
61''
Cameron Currie replaced Jake Eggleton
69''
Ashley Nathaniel-George replaced Daniel Uchechi
69''
Lewis Davis replaced Sam Murphy
70''
Charlie Kuehn replaced Arthur Lee
71''
Leo Pedro replaced Zak Joseph
71''
Tarum Dawkins replaced Keagan Cole
Darren McQueen replaced Anthony Cook
75''
Luke Coulson replaced Andy Drury
75''
Danny Mills replaced Aaron McLean
83''
89''
Lewis Davis

Ebbsfleet United

2
Marvin McCoy
8
Andy Drury
9
Danny Kedwell
10
Aaron McLean
12
Anthony Cook
13
Jon Miles
15
Bagasan Graham
16
Jack Payne
17
Sean Shields
18
Yado Mambo
22
Ollie Boulding
1
Nathan Ashmore
3
Jack Connors
5
Dave Winfield
7
Jack Powell
11
Myles Weston
14
Darren McQueen
19
Danny Mills
20
Karn Miller-Neave
24
Sam Magri
25
Luke Coulson