Fleet moved into Round 4 of the Isuzu FA Trophy and took their second National League scalp of the season as three goals were enough to see off Braintree Town.
All square at half-time, the Fleet pushed on after the break with two more goals as Braintree finished the game with 10 men after two yellow cards for Jacob Pinnington.
Ben Chapman looked to find the early breakthrough with a headed effort in the opening minute, followed by Toby Edser’s shot over. Matt Hall was called into action at the other end when Calum Logan’s low shot was dealt with.
The opener arrived just past the quarter-hour mark when George Moncur’s good work unlocked Braintree down the left. Charlie Seaman’s initial effort was blocked but sat up for Chapman who acrobatically leapt into the air with a bicycle kick to fire the Fleet in front.
The lead lasted less than 10 minutes, however, as a decision from the referee helped Braintree back into the match. Pinnington was away through the middle but chased by Edser whose tackle clearly won the ball but the referee blew for a foul and cautioned the Fleet midfielder. From that free-kick, Seaman and Tom Blackwell came together, with Seaman feeling he was kicked first but the referee saw it the other way and awarded the penalty. Former Arsenal forward Jay Emmanuel-Thomas stepped up and converted with Hall close to keeping it out.
The only other chance after that saw a cross from Seaman fall to Moncur but his flicked effort was wide of the far post.
Braintree forced Hall into a save early after the break but didn’t threaten much after that and the Fleet doubled the lead on 57 minutes. Neat play down the right allowed Seaman to lay a ball into the area where Lennon Peake arrived to drill home into the roof of the net.
Emmanuel-Thomas came off after that and he had been instrumental in midfield for Braintree, with Fleet taking control of the game having gone in front. Edser tried to find room to get a shot away on a run into the box but the ball skipped just past the post
The nearest Braintree came was when Max Ehmer almost turned a block past Hall and Pinnington made things harder for them when he was issued a second yellow after clipping Peake at full pace out wide.
The third goal arrived for the Fleet from substitute Maxx Manktelow who, like his goal against Salisbury earlier in the season, found himself one on one with the goalkeeper. Manktelow kept his eyes on the prize to fire in off the side netting as Jack Thompson came out to narrow the angle.
EUFC: Hall, Passley, Ehmer, Nelson (Dallison 71), Seaman, Kennedy, Edser (Manktelow 68), Peake, Chapman, Moncur (Coley 68), Appiah (Samuel 82). Subs: Coker, Cosgrave, Macaulay
BTFC: Thompson, Langston, Francis-Clarke, Logan, Vennings, Hubbard (Thorpe 68), Pinnington, Cooper, Emmanuel-Thomas (Works 61), Blackwell (Kamara Jr 44), Walker (Akinde 61). Subs: Terry
Attendance: 572 (96 away)
Photos: ©EUFC – Tom Harris, Sam Wheatland
