This fixture always promises goals and the Fleet started the 2024/25 pre-season campaign with a bang as they fired six past Punjab United.
It took just four minutes for the opener as Trialist D found the back of the net from close range after latching on to a low cross from the right sent over by Ben Chapman.
The Fleet were eager in looking for a second with shots coming in from Dominic Poleon from distance on two occasions but he was denied by the young Punjab keeper.
The hosts levelled the score just pass the half-hour mark against the run of the play with their first real attack of note, Jordan Campbell making the most of a gap to get a shot away inside the box to poke a ball past Mark Cousins.
A quick response from the team in all-white returned the Fleet to the winning ways as a delightful through ball by new signing Wes Fonguck allowed Chapman to time a run with the ball at his feet and he sent a precise effort over the goalkeeper.
Five minutes into the second half with plenty of changes from the break and a third goal arrived for the visitors. Toby Edser and Giles Phillips linked up before Rakish Bingham’s headed effort kept the Fleet fans happy. Minutes later a fourth goal was secured, this time Giles Phillips finishing Craig Tanner’s set piece. His initial headed effort was denied but he was there to glance the rebound over the line.
Bingham, having come on for Poleon in the first-half, was himself substituted off for Dominic Samuel after being on the receiving end of a heavy tackle.
It didn’t affect the Fleet though who continued to see chances flow – but Punjab enjoyed a couple of runs forward and Harrison Firth pulled off a fine save to deny the hosts a second goal on 66 minutes.
Samuel snatched his first goal of the evening with 20 minutes remaining after he connected with a ball down the right and he hit a shot from a tight angle that flew in. He almost claimed a second moments later but was caught out by the offside trap as he tried several times to get on to the lively Tanner’s passes that dropped behind the Punjab defence.
The Fleet striker did secure his second, however, and the Fleet’s sixth with a curling effort from inside the area, Greg Cundle the provider this time around.
EUFC SQUAD: Cousins, Firth, O’Neill, Wright, Cordner, John, Kellermann, Bingham, Fonguck, Samuel, Poleon, Cundle, Edser, Phillips, Odokonyero, Chapman, Tanner, Trialists A-D.
Attendance: 420
