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Ebbsfleet United manager Dennis Kutrieb impressed with fit-again defender Alex Finney

Defender Alex Finney brings a fresh defensive option for Ebbsfleet manager Dennis Kutrieb.

Finney marked his debut with a clean sheet in the FA Cup third qualifying round win at Aylesbury United on Saturday.

Alex Finney in action on his Ebbsfleet debut at Aylesbury. Picture: Ed Miller/EUFC
Alex Finney in action on his Ebbsfleet debut at Aylesbury. Picture: Ed Miller/EUFC

It was a solid debut from the former Maidstone centre-back who joined the Fleet in the close season from National League Aldershot and has had to work hard to get match-fit.

Finney can bring the ball out of defence and his game appears to give Kutrieb another type of player in his ranks.

"That's what you always try to have in your squad," said the Fleet boss.

"You always try to bring as many different abilities in what you can have so you can adapt to an opponent and what they try to do. When an opponent plays more with long balls he is a big threat defending.

"It was his first 90 minutes in about seven months, he was really outstanding. It was big for us that we didn't concede so he was rock solid alongside Ben Chapman and Sefa Kahraman.

"They didn't have a chance at all during the 90 minutes, one half-chance that we did well to block after 89 minutes, so I was really happy with them."

As well as Finney, Kieran Monlouis was also making his first outing in an Ebbsfleet shirt.

Kutrieb noted: "He has a different ability to the other players (in that position). He can travel with the ball, has good pace and technique as well.

"Kieran can score goals and he can defend so he gives us a little bit as a centre-mid as well. I'm really looking forward to all of them now because they've all come back slowly."

Fleet travel to Slough this Saturday looking to build on their last league outing, a 5-2 success at Chippenham.

But the Ebbsfleet manager warned his squad to keep their foot on the pedal.

"I'm very happy but in football you can't be complacent, you can't take it for granted and we need to go again against Slough," said Kutrieb.

"We come into it with much confidence but it's 0-0 again and we have to work hard to win.

"At the moment, we have the momentum but it can change so quickly. We had the same momentum with Chelmsford but we got a 0-0 draw when we were the better side after two great wins before that.

"The boys have learned during the last weeks not to get carried away, we've got two good wins but we have achieved nothing. We want to win at Slough and we need to work very hard there if we want to win there."

Ebbsfleet have been drawn at home to fellow National League South side Hampton & Richmond in the FA Cup fourth qualifying round on Saturday, October 16.

Read more: The latest sports news in Kent

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