Having treated fans to some pre-Christmas cheer at Chelmsford, the Fleet applied the post-Christmas finish as the same scoreline was enough to see off Tonbridge Angels this Boxing Day. And it was the same man to deliver the goods as top scorer Dominic Samuel applied the finish in the second-half to lift his side to ninth place and within a point of the play-offs.
Josh Wright was forced into just the one change as former Angel Ronny Nelson came in for Tom Dallison while Tonbridge named former Fleet favourite Sean Shields in their lineup.
On a bitterly cold afternoon with a stiff breeze still in evidence, Fleet opened in trademark possession-based style but neither side could fashion a solid opportunity in the opening encounters.
Tom Leahy drew the first save of the afternoon when his turn and shot on 12 minutes was comfortably gathered by Matt Hall and that brought forth an encouraging spell for the Angels. Three minutes later, Naz Bakrin snuck in behind Lennon Peake to get on the end of a high delivery into the six-yard box and it needed Hall’s intervention to put the Tonbridge midfielder off his attempted lob.
Having survived those couple of chances, Fleet came forward once more. Peake’s delivery from the left saw Samuel and Josh Coley test goalkeeper Laurie Shala who then saved again from the feet of Samuel as the Fleet striker tried to slip the ball past him following some awry defending.
And it was a misplaced pass at the other end on the half-hour that gave the Angels their best chance as Mustapha Olagunju’s switch across to the left was straight into the path of Bunmi Babajide but although he had a clear run on goal, his shot lacked conviction.
With five minutes to go to the break, Fleet’s pressing almost unlocked the Angels defence. Peake played a neat one-two with Charlie Seaman whose back-heel was pounced on by the No.17 inside the box and he swung a low shot whistling past Shala’s outstretched glove. The half closed with Seaman’s firm strike parried behind for another corner by Shala and Coley sending a shot into similar territory.
Tonbridge bounced back in the opening minutes of the second-half and Kyle Smith ran on to a pass to the byline to whip a low effort across goal that eluded several incoming players to run free back out of the box. Ricky Korboa then tried his luck from 20 yards which had Hall at full stretch but was always heading wide.
Alfie Pavey replaced Shields on the hour mark for the visitors which gave the Fleet defence a different dimension to contend with but the hosts were beginning to gain a little ground with Seaman’s forays down the right. One delivery presented Coley with a chance but his firm header was off target.
With a goalless draw edging closer as time ticked down, it was the Fleet who produced the crucial moment of quality. It arrived 12 minutes from time as the red shirts began to press possession in and around the Angels box. Peake’s persistence in getting to the byline past Pavey allowed him to ease back inside and switch passes with Samuel who outfoxed the defenders to move into space and smash a low drive through the six-yard box and in.
Fleet saw the game out relatively comfortably after that with Peake testing Shala from a free-kick out wide while the Angels’ final opportunity came from a dangerous corner that was hit towards Hall’s goalline before being hacked away.
EUFC: Hall, Seaman, Passley, Olagunju, Nelson, Peake (Coker 89), Hessenthaler, Kennedy (Edser 64), Chapman (Manktelow 80), Coley (Cosgrave 71), Samuel. Subs: Ehmer, Barnes, Macaulay
TAFC: Shala, Warren, Sutcliffe, Penney, Korboa, Babajide, Leahy, McCann, Bakrin, Shields (Pavey 59), Smith. Subs: Wagstaff, Sablier, Akehurst, West-Astute, Adams
Attendance: 1,695 (279 away)
Photos: ©EUFC – Dave Plumb/Tom Harris
