Stevenage Borough eased into the second round of the FA Carlsberg Trophy with a comfortable victory against Ebbsfleet United. But for goal-shy Borough the game was needlessly tense as they spurned chance after chance to add to Chris Beardsley’s thirteenth minute strike, allowing Ebbsfleet hope of an equaliser, finally putting the tie to bed in the closing seconds..

 

Borough could and should have taken the lead on seven minutes when Michael Bostwick sent in a powerful freekick that Lance Cronin could only parry but Jon Ashton and Chris Beardsley got in each others way attempting to tap home the loose ball and eventually the ball squirted wide of the post.

 

Borough did take the lead on 13 minutes with a move straight from the training ground. Stacy Long lined up a freekick from the right corner of the penalty area. The midfielder shaped to shoot but instead fed Mitchel Cole in the inside left channel and his first-time cross was side footed home by Beardsley.

 

Borough comfortably held sway but as has been their Achilles heel in recent weeks the second goal just would not come. In fact it was the visitors who came closest to finding the back of the net when a cross from Stefan Bailey found Ricky Shakes unmarked six yards from goal, but he completely mis-timed his header and the chance went begging.

 

Borough continued to rack up the chances. The best fell to Jon Ashton when he headed a corner from Long straight into the arms of Cronin, with the goal gaping;

 

The second period began in muted fashion but burst into life just short of the hour. Long broke with the ball from his own half, fed Cole who outpaced Ross Smith with ease, but his chip went just over the bar. Griffin was next, breaking into the area but his weak effort was comfortably saved by Cronin. Griffin next turned provider sliding the ball into the path of Beardsley but he fired well wide under a stern challenge from Smith. Moments later Cole fired a drive from outside the area the grazed the bar, but still the second goal would not come.

 

Still Borough pressed forwards, and after good interchange on the edge of the area Cole received the ball, rounded Will Salmon with ease, slid the ball past the advancing Cronin only to have his effort hacked off the line by Smith. David Bridges was next to get in on the action, back heeling a Long freekick that beat Cronin only to land on the roof of the net.

 

With 15 minutes remaining Yemi Odubade was sent on to replace Charlie Griffin and he almost had an immediate impact when he glanced a cross from Cole past Cronin’s despairing drive but he header went agonisingly wide of the post. As he had been at Stonebridge Road ten days ago Odubade was giving the Ebbsfleet rearguard a torrid time with his pace.

 

Borough did eventually get the second goal to put the tie beyond doubt. Cole raced clear down the left, squared the ball to Odubade who moved it on quickly to Bridges who took one touch and fired a stinging drive that flew low past Cronin.

 

 

STEVENAGE BOROUGH (4-4-2) C Day – R Henry, M Bostwick, J Ashton, S Laird – S Long, D Murphy, D Bridges, M Cole (Sub:  M Albrighton, 90) – C Beardsley, C Griffin (Sub: Y Odubade, 75). Substitutes not used: A Bayes, E Odhiambo, P Vincenti. Booked:  Bostwick, Beardsley