'Fleet held at bay as Hungerford maintain unbeaten start

Favourites have to settle for a point after Hungerford twice hit the woodwork

Hungerford Town 1 Ebbsfleet Utd 1

MANAGER Bobby Wilkinson felt “just like in fairy tale land’ after his Hungerford side maintained its unbeaten National League South by sharing the points with league giants Ebbsfleet at Bulpit Lane.

Hungerford had to come from behind when conceding a goal two minutes before the interval to Teddy Sheringham’s son Charlie, buty they wiped out the gap within three minutes of the re-start when Nicholas Bignall pounced after goalkeeper Nathan Ashmore could only parry Ian Herring’s shot.

Hungerford also had the best chances before Sheringham’s breakthrough with Harry Goodger twice hitting the woodwork and Dave Wingfield had to block a Bignall effort just before the break.

Both sides had their chances in the second period with Mike Jones seeing his goalbound header blocked by a team-mate and Sheringham and Winfield wasting headed chances for the visitors before the outcome was the first points dropped by either side but a happy Hungerford manager.

“It’s kept our run alive,” he said, “and showed what we are all about and we can compete with any side on our day.

“I’m not going to get carried away, but we showed peopl than when we go 1-0 down, we never give up and it showed everyone why we keep doing it year after year with these boys.

“We had to ride our luck with 10 minutes to go, yet if you add up the chances, we’ve had the best.

“But for us it’s one point gained and we’ve played the best train the league with the biggest budget by a mile who were training in Portugal, and this little club matched them. It’s got to go down in the history of this club.”

Hungerford now face a trip to Bishop’s Stortford on Tuesday night, the Hertfordhsire side losing to an early goal at Poole Town.

Hungerford Town: Legg; Rees, Jons, Day, Tyler; J. Clark, Williams, Herring; Jarvis, Goodger Bignall. Subs: Rusby, Boardman, Brown, Preen, John.

Ebbsfleet Utd: Ashmore; McCoy, Winfied, K. Clark, Connors; Shields, Kissock, Powell; Rance, Cook; Sheringham. Subs: Greenidge, Miles, Lewis, Deering, McQueen.

Referee: Ryan Atkin (Farnborough). Attendance: 417.