Kent Merit Under-15 Boys’ Cup Final: Dover Athletic 0 Ebbsfleet United 5

Ebbsfleet turned on the style with a brilliant display to win the Kent Merit Under-15 Boys’ Cup Final.

A good Dover side had the misfortune of facing a red-hot Fleet outfit at Sheppey’s Holm Park on Sunday.

Ebbsfleet passed the ball crisply and with purpose, every player knew exactly what they had to do and their finishing was classy and clinical when it needed to be.

Fleet manager Samuel Streatfield said: “I’m delighted for the boys and very proud.

“I thought they were fantastic, we’ve got another cup final on May 7 so hopefully we manage to do the double.

“We’ve got our philosophy but the primary thing is to work hard and show passion.

“We want to keep the football, look after it and when the chances come to take them.

“They wanted to win it as much as we did, but we got those early goals and went from there.”

Ebbsfleet took just eight minutes to edge ahead as forward Ezekiel Ebuwei controlled and turned in a flash before firing low beyond keeper Mathias Anderson.

Shay Kauss saw his 25-yard shot brilliantly tipped over by Anderson but he was beaten again on 21 minutes.

Player-of-the-match Ryan Dioulo was a class act throughout, no more so than when he slipped past a defender out wide and then produced an audacious finish into the far corner to double Ebbsfleet’s lead.

Dover showed plenty of spirit and but for some excellent defending by Aiden Abdullah could have been back into the contest. The breaking Milo Bushell set up striker Luca Barbieri but his shot was brilliantly blocked by Abdullah.

Ebbsfleet rotated their squad in the second half but they kept to their footballing principles and were rewarded with a third goal on 49 minutes, Jacob Holman’s cross headed in by Finley Harman.

Striker Harman doubled his tally