The Fleet will aim to conclude January on a high to make it five wins from six in the calendar month and five out of five since the New Year’s Day defeat turned in the only blot on the 2023 copybook.
Since that game, there’s been a definite upward trend – in the league table and in terms of numbers… 12 points achieved, 11 goals scored, two games in hand won.
It’s returned Fleet to the summit and now the hard work starts once more to stay there. The obstacle this afternoon comes in the form of Concord Rangers, making their seventh visit to the Kuflink Stadium in nine years.
For the Fleet, team selection will rest on how much Dennis Kutrieb will want to tweak his winning side after an impressive midweek display at Dulwich plus the added bonus of a new signing in Billy Clifford who joined the club yesterday following his departure from promotion rivals Havant & Waterlooville.
Josh Wright enjoyed another hour’s hard graft in midfield on Tuesday as he continued his comeback while Shaq Coulthirst’s contribution from the start certainly didn’t go unnoticed as he featured in the Vanarama National League’s team of the week across all three divisions.
Elsewhere, the stats are flying for the Fleet frontmen – Rakish Bingham recently passed 40 club goals, Darren McQueen’s midweek strike earned him his 30th and Dominic Poleon is only a brace away from equalling Bingham’s record. There’s hunger aplenty coursing through the side as they passed 60 points and 60 goals in midweek.
That 60 points is three ahead of where Fleet were when last the club was promoted from this division and Kutrieb’s men eye another three on that total this weekend.
Concord come to the Kuflink Stadium having lost their previous six visits – but they arrive relatively fresh having played just three league games since December 6th. A near-full-strength side also got a runout in midweek as they went down 3-1 at home to Grays Athletic in the Essex Senior Cup, a team which featured new signings Mohammed Kamara from Potters Bar Town and ex-Royston man Luke Warner-Eley.
Since last we met, when Coulthirst and Kieran Monlouis scored in a 2-1 win at Concord, the Beachboys have switched managers, Chris Search making way for ex-Bowers & Pitsea boss Rob Small. He’s brought in a couple of faces he previously worked with and there’s a pair of Cambridge United loanees in Harvey Beckett and Saleem Akanbi in place. The experienced Mo Bettamer, who had a spell up front with Maidstone last season and played alongside Toby Edser and Craig Tanner in the National League at Aldershot, is another new addition.
More recognisable faces include former Chelmsford, Dover, Billericay and Tonbridge winger Ricky Modeste plus former Eastleigh and Bromley striker Ben Williamson.
Concord have slipped into the relegation places with one win in their last seven league games though in recent times have put up a good fight against the Fleet – with the last four games between the sides all ending 2-1 in the Fleet’s favour.
