The Fleet fell to defeat at Wealdstone after going ahead twice in the first-half but were pegged back by a hotly disputed penalty decision before the Stones took control with two goals in the second period.

And as last season here, the Fleet were down to 10 men for a short while towards the end of the match as Mustapha Olagunju received a second yellow card.

Josh Wright recalled Aaron Cosgrave and Franklin Domi to the starting lineup at the expense of Rakish Bingham and Kwame Thomas, while loanee Ryan Carr was named on the bench.

The Fleet started positively with George Moncur whipping a ball into the area in an attempt to pick out Tom Dallison in the six-yard box as the visitors got men forward quickly but the ball just flew past the number 26.

The opening goal arrived on 17 minutes as Fleet made the most of their corners. The initial delivery by Moncur was cleared only as far as Toby Edser whose recycled cross was then punched by Luca Gunter towards Domi on the edge of the area. He duly rifled a left-footed shot into the top right corner for his second goal of the season.

Cosgrave had another attempt on goal moments later as Fleet looked to extend their lead but Wealdstone weren’t far off at the other end when Harrison Sohna’s dipping shot flew just over the bar.

But the visitors’ lead only lasted nine minutes after a controversial penalty was awarded. Former Fleet man Alex Reid slipped on the mud inside the box as Fleet cleared, but his fall was all it took to convince the referee and Reid stepped up to level the scores.

Craig Eastmond became the first card of the afternoon as he moved across Edser, leaving a flailing elbow in his face, but was fortunate to take only a yellow. Moncur tried his luck from distance with the free kick and that effort skimmed the woodwork.

Reid sent a curling shot over Cousins’ upright before Fleet took the lead for a second time – and from another set-piece. It came on 33 minutes when Moncur floated the ball across the six-yard box and past Gunter who let it bounce. That gave Anthony Stewart space to come in at the back post to head the ball home.

There were two good shouts at the other end for Fleet when Stewart was grappled in the box and then Passley as clearly felled as he moved into the box from out wide but both times the referee showed no interest.

Fleet kept things tight to half-time but the Stones managed to claw another equaliser back in time added on. A cross from the right was headed against Stewart and dropped for Sohna to take a touch and fire low into the corner.

After the break, Cousins was called into action to deny Reid the hosts’ third when he ran on to a ball through the middle and the Fleet goalkeeper dived low to get a hand to it. Reid got in behind a short while later and this time tried to lob Cousins from out wide but had to watch the ball drop just the wrong side of the post.

For the Fleet, Domi drilled a low ball into the area from the left which whistled past Cosgrave. Substitute Ben Chapman arrived for the rebound at the far post but couldn’t pull the ball back enough to trouble Gunter.

More controversy arrived when a free kick was awarded to Wealdstone in a dangerous position on 69 minutes. From that, Sohna sent a precise effort up and over the wall and into the top corner.

Cousins made an excellent double save from the result of another free-kick but Wealdstone settled the match on 79 minutes, working their way behind the Fleet line and an inviting pass for Reid was tucked away for his second of the afternoon.

The Fleet then went down to 10 men as Olagunju was shown a second yellow card for a really soft challenge as he walked into Sam Ashford as the pair chased the ball.

Chapman had a close-range effort comfortably collected by Gunter which signalled the end of February’s fixtures for the Fleet.

EUFC: Cousins, Passley (Chapman 54), Stewart, Olagunju, Dallison, Lankshear, Bolger, Edser (Manktelow 85), Moncur (Carr 68), Domi (Thomas 76), Cosgrave (Samuel 70). Subs not used: Bingham, Firth
WFC: Gunter, Grant, Mariappa, McAvoy (Cook 59), Hutchinson (Randall 88), Eastmond (Dyer 59), Sohna, Georgiou (Boldewijn 59), Kretzschmar, Obiero (Ashford 78), Reid. Subs not used: Baptiste, Sekyere
Attendance: 1,401 (108 EUFC)
Photos: © EUFC/Ed Miller