Fleet fans will most certainly be feeling it’s a case of better late than never this weekend as the 80th anniversary season officially gets under way this Saturday – writes Libby O’Connell.
The trip to Surrey takes on an almost end-of-season play-off final feel more than a first away trip of the campaign, such is the joy with which the travelling red army approach it. The relief and pent-up yearning to watch their team again has made this a match to go down in club history, even before a ball is kicked.
Josh Wright’s squad, after several weeks of an effectively extended pre-season, will make a first-ever trip to the Elmbridge Xcel Sports Hub to face Walton & Hersham – a side we have faced previously, but not at their current ground.
Form Guide
With the Fleet yet to play a competitive fixture this season, while Walton & Hersham have already contested six, both teams are at very different stages, which makes Saturday an even more interesting affair.
Ebbsfleet head into Saturday with a clean slate and plenty of anticipation around the possible starting 11. Manager Wright maximised the club’s extended pre-season following the arrival of nine new signings, and the retention of many of last season’s favourites.
The progression of integrating new talent into the retained squad has been shown throughout the summer’s friendlies, with Wright using those fixtures to give as many players as possible minutes on the pitch, before shifting his focus in the later games to getting squad members a full 90 minutes under their belts.
There were encouraging performances throughout, including high-scoring victories over teams such as Brentwood Town and Aveley. And despite being a few games behind their opposition, the team have been maximising the matchday ‘downtime’ by continuing to work hard in training.
The players come into Saturday full of energy, and incredibly focused on getting their National League South campaign under way at long last.
For Walton & Hersham – the Swans – this will be their seventh league game of the season. They currently sit bottom of the table, howver, having lost all six of their previous games. The most notable results include their opening fixture at Folkestone, where they suffered a 5-1 defeat, before another five goals were shipped in their most recent matchday against Tonbridge Angels.
Previous Meetings
Saturday’s fixture will be the first at Elmbridge but the Fleet did play at Walton & Hersham’s old Stompond Lane ground. The two sides met in the Ryman League for three seasons in the late Nineties and before that in FA Trophy and FA Cup ties. The Fleet enjoy a four-two advantage in wins, with the last two meetings more than 25 years ago ending in draws.
The Swans’ promotion to the National League South for the first time, after winning the Southern League Premier Division South title last season, means this is the first meeting at this level. They have quickly risen up the football pyramid with four promotions in six seasons, taking them from Step 6 to Step 2.
Who’s Who?
Despite the Swans’ difficult start, midfielder Matas Škarna has been a consistent attacking threat, scoring two goals in the opening six games, as well as assisting the goal against Folkestone. The-21-year old joined the club from Canvey Island ahead of this season, after winning the Supporters’ Player of the Season award with the Gulls.
The last of the club’s three goals so far this season was scored by Junior Dixon; the forward has lots of professional experience despite only being 21, playing for clubs such as Boreham Wood, Chatham Town, and Hampton & Richmond Borough.
The Manager
Walton go into Saturday with a currently unknown management structure after short-lived boss Kevin James and assistant Julian Charles were relieved of their first-team duties. The club is yet to announce any further updates but it is their second managerial departure in a matter of months, having only parted ways with Jakub Pietrzak in May.
