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Ebbsfleet United's Steve Brown says there is no bad blood between him and Concord Rangers boss Danny Cowley

Steve Brown Picture: Andy Payton
Steve Brown Picture: Andy Payton

Ebbsfleet manager Steve Brown insists there is no bad blood between him and Concord boss Danny Cowley ahead of tonight’s rematch on Canvey Island.

Brown’s side were beating Rangers 2-0 at the Aspect Arena last Tuesday when floodlight failure forced the game to be abandoned.

The Fleet players were angry afterwards and Brown said that if Cowley "had anything about him" he should give Ebbsfleet the result. The north Kent club, unhappy at having to play the whole game again – rather than the remaining 35 minutes – appealed to the FA, but Brown never expected that appeal to be successful.

And while hostility has been brewing between both sets of supporters on Twitter over the last week – with Concord chairman Antony Smith in the thick of it – Brown and Cowley’s only public comments have been made to the press.

Brown said: "We’ve had a couple of chats since the abandonment. We discussed things like two adults should and there is no animosity between myself and Danny Cowley. There will be no shenanigans and no feistiness in the dugouts – well, not between the managers, anyway.

"I wouldn’t have the foggiest idea what’s been said between the supporters. But I’ve been made aware of comments made by their chairman. There was always going to be a fallout and rumblings about things. This is modern-day football, with social media.

"This is how things happen these days. This was the sole reason I was asked not to have a Twitter account. I stay away from the comments, so I can concentrate on the football. I’ve chatted with Danny Cowley privately but I’m not aware of any comments made on various forums and sites."

Ebbsfleet would qualify for the play-offs with a win at Concord.

Brown said: "It’s not going to be sweetness and light, I wouldn’t have thought. But I’ve got a football match to go and win. We’ll do our best to win and cement our place in the play-offs."

Admission is free at the Aspect Arena, with kick-off at 7.45pm.

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