The Fleet concluded the pre-season programme with a draw at local rivals Dartford in front of a good crowd for a friendly as both sides had one eye on next week’s league openers.
The Darts began well and claimed the first chance of the match with a close-range header which was blocked by Mark Cousins and helped away by Max Ehmer.
Despite that start, it was the Fleet who were first to find a goal and it came after only five minutes. Lennon Peake’s shot was cleared for a corner and although Dartford cleared that, it went only as far as Toby Edser who looped the ball back towards goal and it was met by Ronny Nelson who got a good connection to nod the ball into the bottom right corner.
The Fleet continued on the front foot after that with Peake twice firing shots from distance, the first heading just marginally wide. Aaron Cosgrave found space for a chance a little later, this time from closer range but he put it just past the post.
Dartford celebrated an equaliser on 13 minutes but that was eventually chalked off for a foul by Michael Olarewaju in the build-up. Cousins was called into action again when he tipped Samir Carruthers’ free-kick on to the crossbar as the two players went head-to-head for a spell. They went up against each other again when the hosts were awarded a penalty after Olly Box was fouled by Mustapha Olagunju but Cousins again came out on top as he dived to his left to push away Carruthers’ spot kick.
Carruthers finally got the better of the Fleet goalkeeper a few minutes before the break when a shot that appeared to be heading well over the bar took a deflection and looped back over the head of Cousins and to drop over the line.
The Fleet soon got into their stride in the second-half and went in front for a second time on 54 minutes. A corner was cleared to Kwesi Appiah who delivered the ball to the far post where Nelson and Maxx Manktelow were waiting and it was Manktelow who tucked his effort away, seeing the ball clip the underside of the bar as it beat Jonny Henly.
It turned out to be the Fleet’s best spell of the game and Manktelow came close to securing his second of the afternoon with a well-executed drive that ricocheted back off the crossbar. And Manktelow was in the thick of the action at the other end as he dived in to stop Callum Jones finding the target.
Into the last 10 minutes, Dartford were making their physical height advantage tell and from a free-kick delivered from a dangerous position, they equaliser when Jones headed it beyond Cousins.
That spelled the end of pre-season after seven warm-up games with all eyes now on the next 46 and much more important National League South fixtures.
EUFC: Cousins, Olagunju (Manktelow 40), Ehmer, Nelson, Passley, Hessenthaler, Edser, Peake (Moncur 83), Chapman, Cosgrave, Appiah. Subs not used: Dallinson, Samuel, Kennedy, Barnes, Anthony, Bellagambi
DFC: Henly, Odaudu (Williams 86mins), Frempah, Carruthers (Pinder 58), Smith, Whitefield, Jones, Olopade (Dsane 76), Box, Eze, Olarewaju. Subs not used: Omara-Knapp, Atkins, Pinder, Campbell, Taylor
Attendance: 986
Photos: ©EUFC/Ed Miller
