It was a perfect start for the Fleet as an opening-day three points was secured at title favourites Dagenham & Redbridge. The two sides have shared late goals in recent fixtures here and although Tom Dallison provided one again, it was an early goal by Kwesi Appiah which set the tone for the game.
For Josh Wright’s first selection of the season, Toby Edser missed out as he awaited the birth of his child and so five debutants started as the two sides went head to head having only done so four months ago in the National League.
An early chance for the Fleet saw Ben Chapman open up from distance but his effort ran past the post and the Fleet certainly continued on the front foot with Appiah, 17 years on from his last goal, firing his side in front with just four minutes on the clock. It came via the frontal attack of Josh Coley who found Appiah running through and he sliced the ball across goalkeeper Sam Howes to get the 307 Fleet fans behind the goal off their seats.
There was a lively start from both sides which helped create a good atmosphere at Victoria Road with some early challenges going in. Charlie Seaman timed his challenge inside his own penalty box to perfection to slide in to deny the Daggers’ Reggie Young and that drew more applause from the Fleet end.
Ben Coker nearly grabbed a second when he found himself in a position to attack the ball low in front of goal from a teasing cross but he couldn’t quite make a clean connection with the ball whilst Seaman’s effort was also marginally wide.
Dagenham had the odd sight of goal but were wasteful when they did take advantage of a rare slip in the Fleet defence and their management staff couldn’t get them off the pitch quick enough to deliver some fresh tactics at half-time.
As a result, they picked up the pace at the beginning of the second-half and Mark Cousins had to deny Donovan Wilson at his near post.
Back came the Fleet and Appiah saw shots fly wide and just over while Seaman’s effort came off a Dagenham boot for a corner as the visitors raised their game again to keep a frustrated Dagenham penned back.
Dagenham were still in it though and Fleet had to keep on the offensive, with fresh legs from Aaron Cosgrave and Dominic Samuel being introduced with 10 minutes remaining. Cosgrave might have claimed a penalty after he collided with Howes in the area, although the goalkeeper wanted a free-kick for a claimed push in the back – the referee waved away both appeals.
But it was from the back line that Fleet got their second. It arrived from Coker’s corner which floated into the box and was recycled by Chapman. Dallison met it with a bullet header for his first goal for the club to secure the three points.
Samuel could have added more cheer with a late shot driven low just too wide of the post but by then Fleet were worthy winners.
EUFC: Cousins, Seaman, Coker, Ehmer, Olagunju, Dallison, Hessenthaler, Chapman, Moncur (Kennedy 78), Coley (Cosgrave 80), Appiah (Samuel 84). Subs not used: Passley, Fielding, Peake, Bellagambi
DRFC: Howes, Burley (Lusala 70), Graham, Panter, N’Guessan, Dieng (Khaleel 7), Wilson, Haigh (Scott 70), Broad (Stephenson 85), Young (Harrack 85), Hemmings. Subs not used: Rendall, Nightingale
Attendance: 1,601 (307 away)
Photos: ©EUFC / Tom Harris & Ed Miller
