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FA Cup: Ebbsfleet United boss Garry Hill on the 0-0 draw with Cheltenham Town

Garry Hill took the positives from his first match in charge of Ebbsfleet United.

Hill's side held Cheltenham Town, of League 2, to a goalless draw in the FA Cup first round.

Fleet bossed the first half and created the best chances overall but had to settle for a replay in the end.

Ebbsfleet's new manager Garry Hill Picture: Andy Jones
Ebbsfleet's new manager Garry Hill Picture: Andy Jones

Hill, who was appointed on Thursday, said: "There were a lot of positives.

"A lot has gone on over the last 48 hours. I’ve only had a couple of days on the training pitch with the players but it was an ideal game to have being in the FA Cup, playing against a League side.

"The number one factor you ask for is work-rate and commitment for 90 minutes, whoever you play against, and I got that.

"I read certain things and I heard last week they got the result here at home against Barrow but the performance was poor.

"But I take a great deal out of the first half. We were the better side in the first half by a long way but we lacked quality in the final third.

"We got round the back of them several times, certainly on the right-hand side. Myles Weston caused them a lot of problems and even on the left-hand side, Luke Coulson and Corey Whitely got round the back and there were some positives there but it didn’t quite go for us.

"At the start of the second half they got in the game, there was a 15-20 minute spell where they grew in confidence and started to dictate a lot of the possession - not really causing us too many problems but they were starting to get a certain amount of belief.

"You could see us giving the midfield advantage away so we made one or two changes. Jack King came on to bolster it up with Jack Payne and we started to get back on top.

"You hope that with five or 10 minutes to go, you’ll get a chance which could be the winner and we had that great chance.

Myles Weston shields the ball from Chris Hussey Picture: Andy Jones
Myles Weston shields the ball from Chris Hussey Picture: Andy Jones

"Kenny Clark was disappointed (after sending a free header wide). The chance should have been taken and you win the game but then you look at the other end of the pitch and your backline boys have kept a clean sheet.

"There’s still a lot to play for and I take the positives, that in 48 hours, playing against a League side, we kept a clean sheet.

"By the appreciation of the supporters at the end, I think the team performance and work-rate was to a standard with something to build on."

Cheltenham looked ordinary in the first half but crucially, Ebbsfleet didn't score when they were on top.

Hill said: "I’ve had it several times over the years in the FA Cup, that League sides tend to be a little bit nervous and want to feel their way into the game, hope to ride their luck and get the breaks and I think they really got that in the first half.

"If we’d been one or two up at half-time I don’t think they could have complained and over the 90 minutes, we had the better chances.

"I didn’t see the (penalty) situation with Danny Kedwell late in the game. He was frustrated in the changing-room. I thought he slipped from where I was but he said he got tugged.

"But we go again, put that to rest and the most important thing in cup football is that you want to be in the draw at the end of the game.

"Even more so as a management team coming in after two days and the right reaction from the players, it’s a good result."

The replay will be at Whaddon Road on Tuesday, November 20.

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