Neil Barrett opens the scoring as Fleet end Burton’s unbeaten away record…
EBBSFLEET UNITED 2-1 BURTON ALBION
Never let it be said that the Fleet don’t enjoy playing teams in yellow with unbeaten records to protect. Sure enough Liam Daish’s charges rose to the occasion yet again with a controlled and disciplined display to overcome Burton and their unbeaten away record that must have impressed their new paymasters following the MyFC takeover.
First blood went to the Fleet on 12 minutes following Aaron Webster’s foul on John Akinde. Stacy Long curled in a free kick and from Burton’s clearance the ball dropped to Neil Barrett who somehow managed to hook a foot on it as it threatened to go behind him and it flew into the top left corner of the goal from 20 yards.
Burton huffed and puffed in the first half, but the Fleet rarely looked out of their depth as Barrett and Michael Bostwick controlled the midfield and James Smith and Sacha Opinel got in the way of everything the visitors could muster.
Albion stepped up the pace as the game wore on but it was the Fleet who extended their lead midway through the second half when Chris McPhee found Akinde on the edge of the box and, given the space to manouevre, the teenaged striker barely looked troubled as he stroked the ball past veteran Kevin Poole for 2-0.
Having stamped their authority on the game, the home side only looked briefly worried in the closing stages when Burton substitute Daryl Clare received a pass from John McGrath and from 25 yards out hit as sweet a half-volley as Fleet fans have seen all season that sped past Lance Cronin and sent an appropriate ripple through the net behind him. With only three minutes of time added on, it was a spectacle the Fleet fans could afford to admire as their side extended their unbeaten record to eight and notched up their fifth straight victory.
TEAM: Cronin, Ricketts, Opinel, Smith, McCarthy, Barrett, Bostwick, Long, McPhee, Moore (Purcell 88), Akinde (Eribenne 90). Subs not used: Mott, Coleman, MacDonald.
Attendance: 1,385
