The Fleet enjoyed another pre-season workout against a Premier League 2 side as Saturday’s score was switched in favour of the younger team this time around.
The result was less important than the performance but the Fleet could count themselves unfortunate not to find at least a second goal in a game where Josh Wright handed one half of his squad a full 90 minutes ahead of the same again this coming Friday.
West Ham began well and inside the first four minutes, former Chelmsford player Jett Murphy found space by the back post to take down a cross from the left flank but he hit his effort too high from close range.
The Fleet returned fire almost immediately when Josh Passley battled his way through towards goal but Finn Hooper blocked his path and the ball ran free just too far ahead of the incoming Maxx Manktelow, allowing Junior Robinson to clear his lines.
Charlie Seaman’s long diagonal ball from his left-of-defence position then dropped perfectly for Lennon Peake whose shot was smothered by Hooper.
Fleet kept fashioning the more promising chances and just before the quarter-hour point, Harvey Walker got in behind after running the length of the pitch and exchanging passes with Aramide Oteh, only to smack a shot into the side netting.
But it was the Hammers who went ahead on 19 minutes. A ball was flicked on to find the strong-running Josh Landers who was able to fight off Charlie Seaman before placing a well-crafted, delicate chip over Will Buse.
Another Passley run almost paid off for Peake who hit high and wide of the target after a neat turn in the box five minutes later.
But with 33 minutes gone, West Ham found a second. Fleet were the architects of their own undoing after failing to clear their lines and Murphy was able to thread a pass into the box for former Celtic striker Dan Cummings. He squared it across goal for Jepthtah Medine, arriving in the six-yard box, to finish off at the far post.
Buse prevented a third with a strong stop from Jethro Medine before Fleet were back in the game a minute before half-time. This time it was West Ham’s turn for some sloppy defending as Hooper’s clearance went only as far as Finlay Barnes, whose quick-thinking intercepted Callum Leacock. Although Hooper prevented Barnes’ shot from finding the target, Manktelow got the ball down and drilled a low shot home.
Fleet were able to keep the impressive and physical front two of Landers and Cummings quiet as the second-half began and enjoyed most of the possession after the break. A couple of half-chances were fashioned before the best of them fell to Walker on 54 minutes. An excellent Fleet move saw Barnes find Walker out wide and he advanced, dropping a shot into the six-yard box that Hooper had to come out and collect in mid-air.
A raft of substitutions ate up the minutes from the hour point but the Fleet still created chances. Manktelow headed just over from a Passley delivery while the energetic Peake – against his old club – threaded his way through in another move that ended with Walker lifting the ball over the crossbar.
The home side’s back line didn’t give West Ham any room to manoeuvre in the closing stages and a final opportunity came the Fleet’s way when Peake’s clever through ball opened a path for Oteh who slipped the ball wide.
EUFC: Buse, Seaman, Nelson, Tizzard, Passley, Vennings, Manktelow, Peake, Walker, Barnes, Oteh. Subs not used: Ogunleye, Box, Hall.
WHUFC: Hooper (Awesu 66), Robinson (Scanlon 46), Jethro Medine, Brown (Montague 66), Leacock, Hargan (Brooks 66), Murphy (Dike 46), Caliste (Omotoye 70), Landers (Kerr 70), Cummings (Balogun 57), Jephtah Medine (Beckford 57).
Attendance: 785
Photos: ©EUFC/Dave Plumb
