Wrexham are in my home county of Kent this evening, taking on an Ebbsfleet United team who still believe they can qualify for the play-offs.
Ebbsfleet were called Gravesend and Northfleet when I was a teenage sports reporter working for the Kent Messenger and reporting on the club.
Club chairman Roger Easterby’s day job was in the music industry and he was manager of the Edison Lighthouse pop group, who had a hit with ‘Love Grows (Where Rosemary Goes)’ in 1970.
Tony Sitford, a former Brighton player who for years held the fastest goal record at Anfield when he netted for the Sussex club well inside the opening minute, was the ‘Fleet team manager.
Fans of the Kent club loved to sing ‘Fleet, Fleet, We are the Fleet – we are the team you can never defeat’.
Roy Hodgson, Crystal Palace manager and former England boss, played for Gravesend along with Brian Wolfe, ex-Gillingham midfield player George Jacks and Bobby Dudman.
Today, their Stonebridge Road ground is home to Ebbsfleet United, who are aiming to chase down sixth-placed Wrexham.
The Vanarama National League champions will earn promotion to League Two, while the next six feature in play-off matches.
Manager Daryl McMahon’s Ebbsfleet are seven points behind AFC Fylde in seventh place and eight adrift of Wrexham, who are sixth.
‘Fleet are unbeaten in eight matches and have two games in hand. They have taken points off all the sides above them except Wrexham, who won 2-0 at the Racecourse in November.
“We can’t wait,” said McMahon. “It will be a great game.
“I’d like to think, over the years I’ve been here, we’ve thrived in those big games – especially at Stonebridge Road.
“When we’ve had big moments go against us, we tend to bounce back.
“We’ve got good character in the group and we look forward to Wrexham.
“They know they won’t get an easy game on Tuesday night.”
For captain Shaun Pearson and his Wrexham team it must be a case of Enter The Dragons in Kent this evening.
“We have to find a killer instinct and fast,” said Pearson after the 1-1 draw against Eastleigh.
“The game should have been killed off. It’s happened too many times where we need to have more about us in terms of playing against ten players, we have to control the game and we don’t.
“We have to be better in that respect. It’s as simple as that.”
Wrexham travel to Ebbsfleet this evening before taking on Dagenham and Redbridge at the Racecourse this Saturday.
“If we get that win at Ebbsfleet everything will look a lot brighter,” says Pearson. “It’s crucial we stick together, keep believing and pushing on.
“It’s up to us players to handle the pressure and come out fighting on Tuesday.”
Wrexham FC’s remaining Vanarama National League fixtures
April
Tuesday 10 Ebbsfleet v Wrexham (7.45pm)
Saturday 14 Wrexham v Dagenham and Redbridge (3pm)
Saturday 21 Leyton Orient v Wrexham (3pm)
Saturday 28 Wrexham v AFC Fylde (12.30pm)
National League Table
| # | Team | Pl | HW | HD | HL | AW | AD | AL | W | D | L | F | A | Diff | Pts |
| 1. | Macclesfield Town | 42 | 12 | 6 | 3 | 12 | 4 | 5 | 24 | 10 | 8 | 60 | 45 | 15 | 82 |
| 2. | Sutton United | 41 | 11 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 4 | 6 | 21 | 9 | 11 | 61 | 47 | 14 | 72 |
| 3. | Aldershot Town | 42 | 10 | 6 | 5 | 9 | 8 | 4 | 19 | 14 | 9 | 61 | 47 | 14 | 71 |
| 4. | Tranmere Rovers | 40 | 13 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 20 | 10 | 10 | 67 | 40 | 27 | 70 |
| 5. | Boreham Wood | 42 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 10 | 4 | 18 | 15 | 9 | 55 | 39 | 16 | 69 |
| 6. | Wrexham | 42 | 10 | 9 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 5 | 17 | 18 | 7 | 48 | 33 | 15 | 69 |
| 7. | AFC Fylde | 42 | 11 | 8 | 3 | 8 | 3 | 9 | 19 | 11 | 12 | 78 | 53 | 25 | 68 |
| 8. | Dover Athletic | 42 | 11 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 18 | 13 | 11 | 55 | 37 | 18 | 67 |
| 9. | Ebbsfleet United | 40 | 10 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 5 | 15 | 16 | 9 | 53 | 46 | 7 | 61 |
| 10. | Bromley | 40 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 8 | 5 | 7 | 16 | 12 | 12 | 63 | 47 | 16 | 60 |
| 11. | Dagenham and Redbridge | 41 | 12 | 3 | 7 | 4 | 8 | 7 | 16 | 11 | 14 | 60 | 53 | 7 | 59 |
| 12. | Leyton Orient | 41 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 8 | 14 | 11 | 16 | 53 | 52 | 1 | 53 |
| 13. | Eastleigh | 41 | 6 | 11 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 12 | 17 | 12 | 59 | 63 | -4 | 53 |
| 14. | Gateshead | 39 | 7 | 8 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 6 | 11 | 17 | 11 | 51 | 40 | 11 | 50 |
| 15. | FC Halifax Town | 41 | 8 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 9 | 8 | 12 | 14 | 15 | 44 | 52 | -8 | 50 |
| 16. | Maidenhead United | 40 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 12 | 13 | 15 | 52 | 59 | -7 | 49 |
| 17. | Hartlepool United | 42 | 6 | 5 | 10 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 12 | 12 | 18 | 48 | 60 | -12 | 48 |
| 18. | Maidstone United | 42 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 9 | 11 | 14 | 17 | 48 | 62 | -14 | 47 |
| 19. | Woking | 42 | 9 | 5 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 14 | 12 | 9 | 21 | 51 | 69 | -18 | 45 |
| 20. | Solihull Moors | 41 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 19 | 41 | 53 | -12 | 44 |
| 21. | Barrow | 40 | 3 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 10 | 9 | 14 | 17 | 45 | 57 | -12 | 41 |
| 22. | Torquay United | 41 | 4 | 5 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 12 | 9 | 10 | 22 | 38 | 64 | -26 | 37 |
| 23. | Chester | 42 | 4 | 5 | 12 | 2 | 8 | 11 | 6 | 13 | 23 | 34 | 69 | -35 | 31 |
| 24. | Guiseley | 40 | 3 | 9 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 14 | 6 | 12 | 22 | 34 | 72 | -38 | 30 |
