On Saturday October 10th Hampton & Richmond Borough will face 14th place Ebbsfleet United at Beveree.
It has been a disappointing run of form for the Beavers, who are without a win in the last four matches.
Last time out it was a resilient performance but ultimately a 1-0 defeat away at an
in-form Dagenham & Redbridge. It was an even game with the Beavers going toe-to-toe with one of the best sides in the league, forcing their goalkeeper into a man of the match
performance.
Ebbsfleet United come into this weekend's game on a steady run of league form, remaining unbeaten in the National League South with three wins and three draws from their opening six matches.
Their most recent outing was a narrow 1-0 victory over Folkestone Invicta on Tuesday
night, building on recent wins against Tonbridge Angels and Walton & Hersham. However, they showed vulnerability just last weekend when they were knocked out of the FA Cup by lower-league opposition, losing 2-1 at home to Step 3 side Sholing.
Despite their strong start on the pitch, Ebbsfleet have been plagued by severe off-the-field issues. The club was temporarily suspended by the National League in August over unpaid tax debts and financial non-compliance.
While that suspension was lifted on September 2nd, the resulting fixture postponements mean they have played significantly fewer games than the rest of the division. Furthermore, the club remains under active investigation, has to operate under a strict transfer embargo, and carries a suspended six-point deduction.
Nevertheless, it has been a resilient response on the pitch from Josh Wright's side, who
currently sit 14th in the table despite having four games in hand over the teams around them.
Some key players for Ebbsfleet include Kwesi Appiah, a former Ghana international, who
played a key role in the 2015 AFCON, as they finished as runners up. He has played for Crystal Palace, Reading and AFC Wimbledon. His strike partner is Dominic Samuel, who has played in the Premier League with Reading and also turned out for Coventry, Ipswich and Blackburn.
Both sides secured home wins when they met last season, with The Fleet winning 4-0 in April and The Beavers emerging victors after a five goal thriller at The Bev 3-2 in August with goals from Alfie Tuck, Davide Rodari and Craig Fasanmade.
Historically, Ebbsfleet have held the advantage in competitive encounters between the two sides, but HRBFC have firmly held their ground on home turf, winning three of the seven previous meetings played at Beveree.
With points desperately needed to break our recent winless run, let’s make that home
advantage count on Saturday and kickstart our campaign with a massive three points!
Up The Beavers!
By Joel Moore