KentOnline

bannermobile

News

Sport

Business

What's On

Advertise

Contact

Other KM sites

CORONAVIRUS WATCH KMTV LIVE SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTERS LISTEN TO OUR PODCASTS LISTEN TO KMFM
SUBSCRIBE AND SAVE
News

We're keeping our feet firmly on the ground, says Ebbsfleet boss Daish

By: KentOnline reporter multimediadesk@thekmgroup.co.uk

Published: 08:00, 23 July 2009

Ebbsfleet United manager Liam Daish

Ebbsfleet boss Liam Daish refused to get carried away after his young guns beat Leyton Orient on Tuesday.

The Fleet came from behind to beat a full-strength Orient team 3-2, with goals from Jamie Forshaw (2) and Michael West.

But Daish, who used 18 players in total, insisted that it will be a different proposition once the Blue Square Premier season gets away on August 8.

"I’m not getting carried away with it and the players aren’t," said Daish.

mpu1

"We can win our next three games but it won’t mean anything when we go to Altrincham in the first game of the season. Once the season starts it’s going to be a different ball game. It’s going to be tough."

Former Southend forward Forshaw, who played as a right-winger, caught the eye with a goal in each half.

His first, a spectacular left-foot strike from 25 yards, was followed by the match-winner early in the second half when he showed great awareness to get in behind the Orient defence and scored at the second attempt.

Daish likened him to former Canvey and Gravesend wideman Jon Keeling.

"Jamie looks like a young Keeling when he came here and I like the look of him," said Daish. "He has that low centre of gravity and can twist and turn."

It was not just the performance of Forshaw that would have heartened Daish.

mpu2

Other players to impress included full-backs Jordan Collins and Michael Kamara, ex-Southend striker James Lindie and the Fleet’s homegrown midfielder, Michael West.

It was West who scored the second Fleet goal, and Daish admitted that it was great to see his team of rookies, built upon the defensive trio of Lance Cronin, Darius Charles and Dean Pooley, shine at Stonebridge Road.

"It helps when you can evaluate them on a really decent surface," added Daish. "The pitch at AEI means sometimes you don’t see the real quality of players but now we’ve seen there are some good footballers there.

"The lads have all got a good appreciation of the game. They have decent backgrounds and their hunger and athleticism will hopefully be key factors for us.

"You can see that we can break very quickly and have a turn of pace."

The key for Daish now will be how some of his young recruits react to playing week in, week out.

"They need to learn first-team football," he stated. "The majority of lads have not played first-team football anywhere. It’s more of knowing when to play and getting that first-team mentality for them."

The Fleet, who lost 3-2 at Tonbridge last weekend, continue their pre-season with a trip to Bromley this Saturday.

Ricky Shakes (ankle) is expected to feature but Michael Gash is still ruled out.

Read more

More by this author

sticky

© KM Group - 2024