Brown highlights calming influence of Ebbsfleet owner

The Kuwaiti was watching on in the stands in Saturday’s 4-1 Stonebridge Road win over St Albans, a result which came as a welcome boost to manager Brown after the Fleet had picked up just a solitary point from the previous three games.

Charlie Sheringham heads home the opener

That run of form on the back of some heavy financial investment during the close season meant Brown knew a positive response was required at the weekend.

And the players certainly didn’t disappoint as two goals apiece from Charlie Sheringham and Billy Bricknell secured what in the end was a comfortable victory.

Brown was spotted afterwards by the side of the pitch deep in conversation with Dr Abdulla and explained to the media it was a very positive discussion.

“I have to say Dr Abdulla is brilliant at sort of relieving pressure,” the manager said.

Sheringham makes it 2-0

“He doesn’t come over here and sit in the stand and make any judgements.

“Of course we wanted to put on a performance, of course we wanted to win - we’ve done that.

“But you know what, if we’d have drawn 0-0 or lost 1-0 he would have been the same way.

“He has been extremely generous, he is very level headed. He is a young man, he is 29.

“As an owner he must look out there at times, and with the investment he has put in think we have got a very good chance this year, but that pressure never really finds its way to me.

“He was extremely generous and very kind with his words.”

Billy Bricknell restores Fleet's two-goal advantage

Meanwhile, Brown expressed his delight at Sheringham’s display having only been named on the bench in the previous weekend’s 1-0 defeat at Basingstoke.

“It was vitally important to get him back and scoring,” the Fleet boss said.

“I left him out and he took it very, very well.

“It was a great response from him in that he worked hard on the training pitch this week, there was no airs and graces.

“He knew why he had been left out, he knew Whitehawk wasn’t where we needed him to be and I brought him off against Wealdstone because I felt the same.

“I wanted more out of him but we know, and you know, that he is a very good player that will score goals at this level.

“I thought the response against St Albans was superb.”

Bricknell (no 10) completes the scoring

The striker’s brace is exactly what Ebbsfleet fans thought they were getting when he signed in the summer, although his manager was left questioning why he had been denied a hat-trick after a late effort was controversially ruled out by referee Constantine Hatzadakis.

Brown said: “He battled, he held the ball up, flicked balls on and got his two goals, which should have been three – that wasn’t hand-ball.

“How the ref can give that when he is behind? The linesman is facing it, the ref has got a terrible view of it and he gives hand-ball.

“The linesman has given a goal, he pointed to the centre circle so it was strange, but brilliant for Charlie in as much as his confidence goes up.

“That’s three goals in four or five starts – excellent.”

Brown added: “Bill Bricknell has come on, I played him last week and he got his two goals today so he is full of confidence.

“Matty Godden has come on the right, he hasn’t got his goal but I thought he looked bright and lively and I just said to them in there believe in yourselves, believe in your ability, be confident.

Steve Brown

“No-one is going to have a go at you for trying your hardest, don’t leave anything in the dressing room.

“And the response from Charlie today was terrific, the response from Matt getting on the pitch with 25 minutes to go was terrific and that’s all you can ask.

“If the response is good, they will score goals.

“Matty Godden will score goals, Charlie Sheringham will score goals and so will Billy Bricknell.”

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