Farnborough 0 Gravesend & Northfleet 3

ROY ESSANDOH fired off a two-goal salvo that sunk sorry Farnborough and spared Gravesend’s blushes at Cherrywood Road on Tuesday.

The big striker’s first goals in six months confirmed Farnborough’s relegation from the Nationwide Conference to Conference South while inflicting a 10th straight defeat on the home side.

A relieved Essandoh said: "It’s good to get back among the goals. They were certainly long overdue.

"Though we scored early in the game we were not happy because one goal away from home is seldom enough and we needed the second to kill off Farnborough."

Until Essandoh’s intervention on the hour, and then in the 88th minute, the Fleet had laboured against a side looking to end a run of 21 games without a win.

When midfielder Andy Drury forced the ball home from close range in the second minute, all the signs pointed to a rout. It never happened.

Manager Liam Daish’s long-standing plea for his side to play with greater self-belief was justified, as at times they lacked conviction against poor opposition whose confidence grew the longer the scoreline remained the same.

The lively Carl Gibbs should have equalised in the ninth minute, while the visitors failed to take advantage of goalkeeper Craig Holloway who looked like an accident waiting to happen.

Uncertainty over the outcome continued until the 60th minute when Lee Protheroe’s free kick was glanced home at the far post by Essandoh.

Farnborough’s prospects of making a comeback were not helped by the 74th minute dismissal of right-back Jimmy Turner for a second yellow card. He had spent a good deal of his time niggling Matt Lovell.

When Essandoh rose to head home Protheroe’s 88th minute corner it sealed a hard-fought win, leaving the players to advance on Thursday’s date with Woking and Saturday’s at Stevenage with renewed optimism.

Gravesend: Wilkerson, Protheroe, Gledhill, Bunce (Porter 12), Jackson (McKimm 83), Drury (Deane 65), Saunders, Surey, Lovell, Pinnock, Essandoh. Subs Not Used: Pullen, Sigere.

Attendance: 425.