A typical Bank Holiday Friday saw my chosen ‘double’ of Chard Town and Bridport Town rained off during the morning. Luckily Salisbury had moved their relegation clash against Ebbsfleet to Friday and the weather held off prior to the game.
Salisbury started the game well and took the lead in the 7th minute. A good cross from new loanee Chris Shepherd was flicked across goal by Matt Tubbs for Aaron Martin to smash the ball into the roof of the net at the back post. Ebbsfleet’s first real chance came from a well worked corner. The ball was worked to the back post where Bittner had to be quick to save both a shot and a follow up. Shakes also came close to an equaliser in the 21st minute with a shot over the bar when a corner was cleared.
Ebbsfleet should have equalised in the 22nd minute when Viera was played into space and only had Bittner to beat. He brought the ball towards the goal from the right side but his low shot was well saved by the Salisbury custodian.
Matt Tubbs was looking sharp up front and almost increased the lead in the 25th minute when his header came back off the left post, skipped along the goal-line and was cleared. Ebbsfleet were putting a lot of pressure onto Salisbury with their front players linking well. Shakes was played in with a great throughball in the 30th minute but blasted his shot over the stand.
With five minutes to go to halftime it started to rain and it got heavier before starting to hail. The terraces quickly emptied as everyone moved round to the stands to take cover but there was no respite for the players other than James Bittner. When the ball ended up near the corner flag, he ran to the back of the pitch before running down the line as his shaved head could get some cover. I was a bit worried with Ebbsfleet getting an advantage with a corner but the hail affected their play as much as Salisbury as Charles curled his shot over the bar.
Ebbsfleet had been in control of the game in the latter part of the first half and got a deserved equaliser less than a minute after the restart. A great through ball from the midfield found Viera in space and he outpaced the defence and slipped a shot low past Bittner and into the net.
The goal gave Ebbsfleet confidence to attack and a minute later they created a great chance to take the lead. The ball was played down the right side and an Ebbsfleet player took it past two defenders and put in an inviting low cross that was tantalisingly just too far out of reach for the player in the box to convert. The ever dangerous Ashikodi went on a run and put a shot just over the bar. I couldn’t work out why they were in the relegation zone from the way that they were playing.
Salisbury were struggling but Matt Tubbs then created two good chances. In the 54th minute he hit a rising shot over the bar and two minutes later came even closer to scoring. Tubbs received the ball in the centre and took the ball round Cronin in the Ebbsfleet goal, only to stumble slightly which allowed an Ebbsfleet defender to get to the line before his shot. The shot was on target but the defender was able to flick the ball over the bar.
Salisbury retook the lead ten minutes later from a corner. The ball was curled to the penalty spot by Clohessy and Giles rose a good foot above his marker to place a firm header into the top left corner of the goal. Both Flood and Tubbs had good shots well saved by Cronin but the best was yet to come for the Whites.
In the 72nd minute Ben Adlesbury received the ball outside the area. He chested the pass down, swivelled and hit a first time volley towards goal. The ball flew towards goal, hit the right post before bouncing along the goalmouth and in. No keeper in the world could have got close to saving the shot, one of the best goals I’ve seen at the Ray Mac.
Ebbsfleet had lost all confidence now and the game was all Salisbury. Flood put a shot over the bar before setting up another opportunity for Matt Tubbs in injury time. He hit a shot past the keeper but it rolled agonisingly past the post and wide.
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