Ebbsfleet United goalkeeper and yesterday’s man of the match Nathan Ashmore praised the men in front of him and claimed yesterday’s win was a game the Fleet might have lost or drawn last season.
“The three at the back are just animals,” he told BBC Radio Kent’s Matt Davison. “Between the four of us, we’re all 6ft 2-plus… we’re more ruthless, we communicate perfectly. These games are just a battle and we thrive on that.”
And the Fleet No.1 believes this season’s side compares favourably to the team he came into at the tail end of 2015/16. “I believe we’re better than last year,” Ashmore said. “We’re much better defensively whereas last year we might have drawn that or even lost it.”
The win over Bath City was certainly more of a battle than recent games at Stonebridge Road where Fleet racked up the goals but that’s not a problem for Ashmore who seems to prefer it that way! “Where we’re only 1-0 up, it’s a bit more of a graft,” he said. “I’m all over those games, that’s me all over. It’s 1-0, I have to concentrate twice as much. I love those sort of games.”
Of the penalty and his resulting save, Ashmore made a calculated guess as to where the spot kick was going. “I thought it was harsh but he [Andy Watkins] is a clever player. I think the last penalty [Marvin Morgan] took was 2013. He’s only going to go one way and it’s the same way he went last time. I went left, he kept looking to my right and his whole body shape was going to my left so I gambled and went left and he saw I started to go. He tried to lift it and luckily I got my right hand up to tip it over the bar.”
Hear the full interview below.
https://soundcloud.com/eufcofficial/nathan-ashmore-v-bath-city
