Fleet laid waste to Taunton’s proud defensive record with a five-goal blast that almost doubled the visitors’ impressive goals-conceded record. It was the home side’s best win of the season and, as many saw it, the best performance too.
The home fans welcomed Craig Tanner back to the starting lineup after a period out as he started alongside former Aldershot teammate Toby Edser for the first time in a Fleet shirt and the pair were on song, the latter scoring twice to continue his recent streak.
Knowing full well Taunton’s defiant defensive record, Fleet sought to make an early breakthrough and it almost came in several good attempts early on.
Inside the first 30 seconds, Dominic Poleon was pacing through the Taunton back line and he found Edser in the box but that was blocked for a corner.
Taunton were showing why they had such a mean defence as they repelled two more quickfire attacks. On two minutes some great skill by Luke O’Neill got him clear towards the byline and his cross to Poleon was blocked before Rakish Bingham stabbed it just wide.
And on five minutes, Greg Cundle picked a spot 18 yards out, saw that effort charged down and it fell to Bingham at the far post but goalkeeper Jack Bycroft was out well to parry it.
The visitors’ best effort came on 10 minutes as a high ball dropped behind the Fleet defence for Joe Budd and his neat turn resulted in a ball well over Mark Cousins’ goal.
But Fleet’s pressure paid off 17 minutes in when Christian N’Guessan’s strong run picked out Poleon for a back-heel and this time, Cundle made no mistake with a precise shot out of Bycroft’s reach.
And moments later Cundle was in position again, exchanging quick passes with Poleon as both advanced into the box and both were tackled with some mild claims for a penalty waved away. And still the Fleet pressed, with Bingham laying a ball into Tanner’s path; he waltzed through several challenges but couldn’t get a proper shot away.
Taunton lost Jake Wannell to injury on the half-hour and Fleet then carved out another opportunity, a well-rehearsed corner left by two red shirts and Bingham meeting it. That one was blocked and Haydn Hollis sent the loose ball just wide.
Omari Sterling was unfortunate enough to see his run and low cross flash across goal just behind Poleon before Tanner got on the end of a free-kick to try his luck high to the centre of the goal that Bycroft held at the second attempt.
The lively Sterling advanced the length of the Taunton half from his wide position on 38 minutes but his low delivery was difficult to get on target and Bingham sent it high. And the Fleet wide man couldn’t have got much closer three minutes later, running on to the end of a good Fleet move and thundering a shot off the post.
But thoughts Fleet might go in at half-time without a deserved second were put to bed right on 45 minutes. Bingham was provider with a battling run and precise delivery along the six-yard box and there was Poleon with the task of simply touching it over the line for 2-0.
The second half got off to a quiet start by comparison but it didn’t last. Eight minutes in, Edser started and ended a move for Fleet’s third, his ball across hitting the referee before continuing on and as Fleet passed it around, Hollis returned play to Edser. He manoeuvred himself into a shooting position past several yellow shirts and steered a shot to the opposite corner.
Edser was in the thick of the action, finding Bingham who played on for Poleon to force a low save at his near post by Bycroft on 64 minutes. But moments later the same combination made it 4-0, Hollis on to Edser again, who found Bingham in the box with a great first-time pass and the Fleet No.9 eased aside challenges to plant the ball past the goalkeeper.
Four became five six minutes later, substitute Shaq Coulthirst finding Edser through a defender’s legs to fire home his second of the game to the glee of the impressive 1,474 crowd.
With Fleet firing on all cylinders and then some, substitute Ben Chapman crossed for the sliding Cundle who knocked it on for Tanner but he was crowded out at the foot of the post. As if Edser hadn’t done enough, he then fed Coulthirst through the middle whose shot was gathered by Bycroft to deny a sixth.
Tanner’s corner 10 minutes from the end was flicked on at the near post by Coulthirst to Poleon at the far post but Taunton just about survived that too.
Fleet refused to rest on their laurels, much to the pleasure of their manager in his post-match interview, but 5-0 it remained to keep Kutrieb’s boys top of the league and still with a proud total of growing victories.
EUFC: Cousins, O’Neill (Chapman 74), Hollis, Solly, N’Guessan, Edser, Sterling-James (McQueen 62), Cundle, Tanner, Bingham (Coulthirst 68), Poleon. Subs: Jombati, Domi
TTFC: Bycroft, Budd, Foulston, Grimes, Ball, Wannell (Smith 31), Chamberlain, James, McCootie (Morgan 60), Sims-Burgess (Jarvis 709), Lucas. Subs: Stearn, Staley
Attendance: 1,474
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