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Danny Kedwell admitted he had mixed emotions after his Cray Wanderers side knocked Ebbsfleet out of the FA Trophy on Saturday.
The Wands reached the third round of the competition for the first time in their history with a penalty shoot-out success at Hayes Lane.
But it was an awkward afternoon for Cray Wanderers boss Kedwell, who came up against the club where he manages the Fleet academy.
“I’ve got Ebbsfleet in my heart, I work there and do the academy and it was a draw I didn’t really want,” admitted Kedwell.
“It makes it harder (to beat them). They are close to me. What Dennis (Kutrieb) has done since I left (as a player) has been magnificent, and Damian (Irvine) behind the scenes. He has brought the academy closer to the club.
“It’s nice for Cray Wanderers, it’s a bit of history as it’s the furthest they’ve got but it’s a mixture of emotions.
“They’re in a great position in the league and that’s the more important thing for them. I said to Dennis after ‘go and win the league’ and I’ll be buzzing if they do that.”
It was an impressive display for Cray, who – in true Kedwell style – wore their heart on their sleeves in a tireless performance.
Two first-half goals from Jamie Yila put them in charge but the Fleet hit back when they introduced their big guns off the bench for the final half-hour.
“I had to work hard to get my rewards (in my playing career) and these boys had to do that,” said Kedwell. “Dennis has done an unbelievable job with Ebbsfleet, I’ve seen them three or four times this year and the football they play is so good to watch.
“Even today, I know they came out the wrong end but it was so good to watch them play the way they do, the movement and runners from midfield.
“I’m learning every day and I learnt a lot just watching Ebbsfleet. I’m young and willing to learn. I need to keep watching teams and getting bits off them.
“The boys who came in were magnificent and every one of them fought for the shirt.
“I’m really proud of the boys, they’ve worked and worked. They’ve been getting frustrated but this shows what a good team we are, it’s coming together. It’s the 14th game we’ve played together and we’re getting there.”
Kedwell praised two-goal Yila, who he plucked from Southern Counties East Fisher in the summer.
He’s still learning the ropes in senior football but Kedwell had a heart-to-heart chat a month ago, and that’s already paying dividends.
“When I played for Hollands & Blair last year before I went to Havant, he was playing for Fisher and I played against him and was ‘who is this kid’. When I first got the job here, he was my first target,” said former Gillingham and AFC Wimbledon striker Kedwell.
“He is 19, he’s learning and he’s getting there. He wins games on his own. He’s done it in phases and he needed a bit of guidance. I sat him down for an hour one night and said he needed to sort his head out because he has a great future and he doesn’t realise how good he is.
“The last four weeks he has been on it and I give him full credit for that, that’s down to him. I can only guide him and he’s shown what he has got.”
