United stay top of the table after a comfortable win at Ebbsfleet this afternoon. Two goals in two minutes from Matt Green and Simon Clist half way though the first half kept United unbeaten this season and still unbeaten away from home in 2009.

With an adventurous 4-3-3 shape and Cook, Constable and Green up front United found their hosts were stubborn and quick to close them down which made the first fifteen  minutes a real scrap as both sides tried to stamp their authority on the game. A 17th minute effort from Ricky Shakes on the edge of the area went close for the Fleet, but after a quiet start United just about sealed the game in the space of two minutes soon after.

They opened their account on 24 minutes. Foster, first to the ball and aggressive in the challenge all afternoon, won another important one and fed the brilliant Adam Murray. Murray span a superb pass for  Green who was  two yards behind left-back Collins but ate up the ground then outmuscled a weak challenge to get past his man. Cool as you like he rolled it past the advancing Cronin and unerringly in to the far corner of the net.

Sixty seconds later and it was 2-0 with a fine goal. Murray sprayed a thirty yard pass over Collins again for Green whose cross was half cleared, but only as far as the left boot of Clist who once again showed superb technique to volley it powerfully home with Cronin stranded. It was a great goal and worth the £3 a month it will cost you to see it again in Yellow Player.

It might have been three as Cook tried an outrageous shot from the centre circle which Cronin scrambled back to gratefully catch under his bar, but read between the lines of the opening of  this report and you will see that the opening stages had been a battle, and having come through that United were now able to open up and start to play more expansive football.

The second half saw Ebbsfleet rally for ten minutes and fire a couple of efforts towards goal without really looking like getting past the excellent Ryan Clarke, but United might have extended their lead as a flowing move ended with a Cook backheel and only a fine tackle from Darius Charles denying Constable a goal. Leon Crooks then missed Ebbsfleet's best chance before United should have just about killed the game as Constable saw a fierce drive well saved by Cronin.

Jack Midson's return after injury capped another good afternoon's work as United cantered through to full time without really looking too troubled in keeping their third clean sheet in a row.

Another fine win and the perfect way to prepare for the visit of Luton Town on Tuesday evening. It's going to be the biggest game of the Blue Square season: BE THERE

Att: 1468

Away: 506

Report by Chris Williams

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