Fleet blew away Dorking’s unbeaten record against them as Danny Searle and his side rounded off an undefeated February in fine style. 

The Fleet boss made just one change to the side that beat both Eastleigh and Woking as Billy Clifford came in for the suspended Franklin Domi while Dorking named former Ebbsfleet players Haydn Hollis and Bobby-Joe Taylor.

Dan Pybus’ foul on Ben Chapman 30 yards from goal produced the afternoon’s first chance and Toby Edser delivered a ball into the area but Dom Poleon couldn’t quite connect with the ball as Luke O’Neill won the visitors’ first corner. 

The first shot on target came at the other end, however, as Taylor dispatched a low shot towards goal which was easy enough for Mark Cousins.

It was a slow opening 20 minutes to the game with Fleet the better side until Dorking began to dig in and pass the ball across the back. And they made the most of their opponents’ only real slow period with the opening goal 22 minutes in. Taylor whipped a ball into the area from the right to pick out Alfie Rutherford at the far post. The initial shot from Wanderers’ promotion-final winner was denied by Cousins at a stretch but Charlie Carter arrived at the back post to force the ball over from close range before the Fleet’s defenders could gather.

The lead didn’t last for too long as the Fleet soon found the leveller. Rakish Bingham beat Haydn Hollis with a neat turn near the centre circle – the second time he’d pulled that off – and running forward, placed a perfectly angled low shot towards goal, beating Harrison Male. The composed strike clipped off the inside of the post and it was all square again 

Dorking responded with a long diagonal ball to pick out Tom Blair who was charging towards goal. He fired the ball into the box but no home player could latch on.

Four minutes from half-time, Poleon was brought down just outside the area by Josh Taylor to win a free-kick. Luke O’Neill stepped up to take and arrowed the ball over the wall and into the top right corner, a superb strike to beat Male once more.

Dorking made two changes at the break, taking off Hollis who had been second-best to Bingham and another ex-Fleet player, Luke Moore, was on. Minutes into the second-half the hosts thought they had equalised but were denied by the offside flag after Carter turned the ball over in the six-yard box.

Dorking were finding a little success with the long ball in possession but it wasn’t doing much damage and Bingham went closer to a goal when he fired a shot from just outside the area that bounced back off the crossbar.

Jason Prior’s close-range header was just off target and neat defending from O’Neill allowed him to clear the threat of Moore. Play switched upfield again and Poleon was able to take advantage of some poor back play to go one-on-one with Male but the Dorking keeper was able to get a foot in first.

Skipper Tony Craig, who had been cautioned after an ongoing battle with Poleon, was dismissed on 63 minutes after he clattered into Chapman as the Fleet wide man threatened a run on goal and the visitors took full advantage 10 minutes later.

The third goal arrived for Bingham’s second of the afternoon. Chapman travelled to the byline and swung a ball towards Bingham who made no mistake from the middle of the box to all but seal the game for the Fleet. 

Substitute Dominic Samuel came ever so close to finding a fourth, his sliding effort from close range after Bryant Bilongo’s delivery could only hit the side netting.

Samuel did make it four for the Fleet, however, with three minutes left as he barged clear of Joe Cook and with just Male to beat, he confidently steered the ball into the bottom corner of the net.

Fleet fans willed on a fifth to recall the scoreline their side had been beaten by here two years ago, but the final whistle sounded before that could happen – not that the army of travelling fans cared as they were moving on up the National League table.

EUFC: Cousins, O’Neill, Wright, Bingham, Poleon (Samuel 73), Edser, Clifford (Cissé 90), Chapman (White 82), Skura, Bilongo, Kenlock. Subs: McQueen, Fogarty
DWFC: Male, B Taylor, Pybus (Ottaway 70), Craig, Prior, Rutherford (Cook 46), Carter, J Taylor, Hollis (Moore 46), Blair, Francomb. Subs: McManus, Muitt
Attendance: 1,858

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