THE Reds travelled overnight to Northfleet, ready for their match with Ebbsfleet United and took a couple of trainees with them.

Both defender Kai Edwards and winger Luke Carding boarded the team coach as it left the Racecourse on Friday afternoon.

"Both players have done well in recent practice matches, as well as training," said manager Dean Saunders.

"So this is their reward for continuing to work hard."

Kai was an unused substitute at Kidderminster Harriers, while fellow scholar Obi Anoruo saw some action against Eastwood Town in the FA Cup.

"We have some good youngsters in the youth team and they have just as much of a chance of progressing as any of the professional players."

The only question mark on the squad was midfielder Steve Abbott, who has been struggling with a knock, while Levi Mackin continues his return to fitness after several weeks on the sidelines.

Otherwise, everyone else is fit and with Sam Williamson's conversion to a fully contracted player, the manager also has full scope to select the remaining five loan players into his 16-man team.

While we have not faced Ebbsfleet United on their own ground before, we have previously played on their Stonebridge Road ground, back in the early 1960's.

It was a Football League game against Gillingham, when the authorities had closed the Priestfield Stadium for one match, following some previous crowd disorder and the Gills were forced to switch their next home fixture, against ourselves, to an alternative venue, which was then the home to Gravesend & Northfleet.