Daish talks up promotion bid

NO WONDER manager Liam Daish has been talking of his Ebbsfleet United team as possible promotion contenders this season.

Former Republic of Ireland international defender Daish has done the hard work on his squad over the past two years.

A memorable 2007-2008 campaign saw the Fleet bought by internet website MyFootballClub, they finished eleventh in the Blue Square Premier and topped it all off, of course, with victory over Torquay United in the FA Trophy Final at Wembley.

Diash's job now is to push Ebbsfleet up to the next level.

His personal performance is under constant scrutiny from MyFC's 30,000 members, but he's already shown that he's not afraid to make difficult decisions.

The latest is to start highly promising striker John Akinde on the subs' bench for the first two games of the season, even though the 19-year-old centre-forward attracted a £100,000 bid from Millwall a fortnight ago.

The new faces in the squad include three from Brentford — defender Darius Charles and midfielders Ricky Shakes and Craig Stone — while the new cash available to him has enabled Daish to splash a reported £20,000 on striker Michael Gash from Cambridge City.

It's Gash who has taken Akinde's place of late.

Former Crystal Palace youngster Lance Cronin, 22, had spells with Oldham and Shrewsbury before filling the goalkeeping spot at Ebbsfleet in 2006.

Charles has joined a fairly settled back-four, replacing veteran centre-back Paul McCarthy, with Peter Hawkins (MK Dons, Rushden) and Frenchman Sasha Opinel at full-back and James Smith alongside Charles in the middle.

Shakes, who also played for Swindon before joining Brentford, plays on the right of midfield with Stacey Long (see Player To Watch) on the left.

In the middle are Stone and well-travelled Neil Barrett (Portsmouth, Dundee, Livingston, Woking).

And up front are new boy Gash, who marked his debut with a goal in the 2-2 opening day draw with Mansfield, and Luke Moore.

Moore is only 20, and his seven goals last season don't fully reveal his potential as a pacy, opportunist forward who's not afraid to put himself about.

Fleet's recent subs' bench has included Akinde, reserve goalkeeper Sam Mott, defender Mark Ricketts and midfielders George Purcell and Kwesi Appiah.