The Fleet saw off Ashford’s challenge with an attacking second-half display that earned four goals after Aaron Cosgrave had set his side on the way at the end of the first period.
The home side looked for an early advantage as a shot from inside the area was gathered by Marcin Brzozowski. George Moncur had the best chance in the opening moments but couldn’t get a solid connection inside the box and then Toby Edser dragged his shot wide in another good move into the Ashford penalty area.
Gene Kennedy looked to open the scoring with an effort from the centre of the penalty area which took a deflection wide and Ben Coker’s delivery was marginally too deep for Jamie Fielding to get a head to.
The visitors might have got a dream start with their first chance on 18 minutes when Sam Balogun delivered for Tyler D’Cruz who fired a shot just too high from a good position close in. Top scorer Jack Arnold might also have got away from a forward pass he chased but Coker challenged him to earn a yellow card.
Fleet had almost all the possession but Ashford got men behind the ball and it proved difficult to break them down in the first 45. The closest chance for the Fleet came when Toby Edser made it on to the end of a pass from Josh Passley but fired wide of the far post.
The Fleet found the breakthrough as the clock ticked down to the break. It was neat move as Finlay Barnes kept the ball low to play a pass into the feet of Cosgrave who made no mistake to fire the ball past Brzozowski for the breakthough.
That let the home side put their frustrations to one side and they were much more effective in attack from the first whistle of the second half. The lead was quickly doubled when Edser’s curling effort from distance flew past Brzozowski with the aid of a small deflection.
Barnes was unfortunate not to add a third in the 50th minute before Peake tried his luck from a free kick which went wide.
The third did arrive and it was from another free-kick as Coker stepped up and made no mistake with a strike that had Brzozowski reaching.
That was Coker’s final action and he was replaced by Ben Chapman. It took only another quarter of an hour for Fleet to make it 4-0 and it came from Edser’s boot again, another excellent shot that went in with a slightly more forceful deflection this time that wrong-footed the goalkeeper.
With Ashford well beaten by then, Chapman added a fifth with a superb drive right into the upright angle and on into roof of the net to ensure the Fleet’s name was in the hat.
EUFC: Bellagambi, Passley (Seaman 85), Coker (Chapman 65), Ehmer, Nelson, Fielding, Kennedy, Edser, Peake, Moncur Barnes 36), Cosgrave (Coley 71). Subs: Hessenthaler, Olagunju, Cousins
ATFC: Brzozowski, O’Neill (Kenlock 67), Church, Humphries (King 55), Elliott, Poley, Paine, Balogun, Arnold (Harris 88), D’Cruz (Bitmead 55), Iqbal (Kazi 71). Subs not used: McCarthy, Day.
Attendance: 547 (69 away)
Photos: EUFC : Tom Harris
