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Ebbsfleet United manager Daryl McMahon praises character of 10-man Fleet after 1-1 draw at Truro City in Vanarama South

Daryl McMahon praised the 'unbelievable character' shown by 10-man Ebbsfleet to maintain their unbeaten status away from home following Saturday's draw at windswept and boggy Truro.

Fleet saw their lead at the top of Vanarama National League South cut to 10 points by their 1-1 draw at Treyew Road, however the Fleet boss conceded it a point won given his side were 1-0 down through a freak own-goal from Anthony Acheampong when Matt Fish earned a straight red card for a needless lunge nine minutes into the second half.

McMahon admitted: "It was obviously very difficult. The weather was unbelievable with the wind and the cold and the pitch was in a terrible state."

Ebbsfleet United manager Daryl McMahon Picture: Andy Payton
Ebbsfleet United manager Daryl McMahon Picture: Andy Payton

Truro's five defeats all season is only one more than Fleet, and four of those came in the opening month of the season and McMahon admitted: "It's a difficult place to come and Truro are a good side.

"They are in good form. We knew it was going to be a difficult game - for us it's a great point. Even before the game I wouldn't have been too upset to come here and leave with a point, to be honest.

"The way the game panned out - the goal we conceded, going down to 10-men - the character we showed to get back into the game was unbelievable, to be honest.

"It was what they've done all season."

McMahon admitted his men had 'needed to play the conditions better' after Acheampong's backpass was missed by keeper Brandon Hall to give City the lead seconds before half-time.

He added: "I don't think Ache needs to play it backwards, he could have played it forward or I'd rather he'd kicked it off. Today we had a policy of no risk. There was no need to go back to Brandon with the wind and the pitch and the bobbles in the area - anything can happen.

"If you do go back, the golden rule is you go back outside of the goal not between the posts. It was disappointing, but it happens. I'm glad to get out of here with a point."

McMahon also claimed Fish's straight red for a lunge into Matty Jay on the touchline was '100% a red card.'

He claimed: "It was a stupid tackle from Fishy. Very unlike him. I expect a player of his experience not to do things like that. It was five or 10 minutes into the second half, you're 1-0 down, away at Truro in those conditions and you're down to 10-men. Luckily for him we got back into the game."

He added: "It probably galvanised us. You shouldn't need something like that to happen but it did. It was blustery and horrible and it might have just triggered us to think 'we're getting something here today' and knocked us up a gear even though we were down to 10."

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