A Shay shocker as Ugwu hands Fleet real hope
GOZIE UGWU handed Ebbsfleet a welcome boost in their desperate battle against the drop – while also denting FC Halifax’s promotion bid.
The Fleet striker took centre stage in the only televised match in Britain this weekend with a 16th-minute winner to take Kevin Watson’s men out of the bottom three and just one point off safety.
Jack Redshaw twice went close to earning the Shaymen a point but Pete Wild’s men were below par and missed the chance to close in on the inactive National League frontrunners.
“I’m frustrated and disappointed,” Wild said. “We’ve had 80 per cent of the football and we have had plenty of shots, but they’ve put a lot of bodies on the line.
“We made one mistake in the whole game and it has cost us.”
In contrast, Watson was delighted with a second straight win, adding: “We got the goal and then we defended well.”
The match was a turgid affair throughout but Watson’s men appeared happy to soak up pressure once Ugwu had set up a fourth win from six matches in a crazy two-minute spell.
Fleet were hampered after striker Josh Umerah was forced off with an injury sustained when taking on a shot which struck the post.
Seconds later, though, the man who replacved him, Tomi Adeloye, won the ball from Jerome Binnom-Williams on the byline and picked out Ugwu, who fired in past keeper Sam Johnson off the near post.
Up to then, Halifax looked in control with Redshaw going close on 10 minutes, wriggling into space before firing in a low strike that was held by goalkeeper Jordan Holmes.
Undettered, however, Halifax kept piling forward in search of an equaliser and went mighty close on 26 minutes when Redshaw curled a free-kick inches over the crossbar.
The former Salford striker was denied once again just before the half-time break with a goal-bound effort which was blocked by Ebbsfleet defender Jack King.
Second-half chances had been scarce until Ugwu broke through on goal again for Ebbsfleet on 67 minutes but his shot could only find the side-netting.
Halifax hit back to stage a late onslaught but Redshaw looked theit only real outlet. He had several efforts on and off target for the Shaymen but a combination of Holmes abd staunch dedending from the Kent side kept them at bay.
It was such defending which kept out Halifax again when an effort from full-back Binnom-Williams appeared to be heading for the top corner, only for timely headed intervention to prevent the net rippling.