Mark Cousins kept his goal intact for the second game running this pre-season as a Josh Wright penalty was enough to hand the visitors victory in tonight’s friendly affair.
It was a sweltering evening at Longmead with the sun bouncing off the 3G surface from long before kick-off and the sun shining brightly over Mark Cousins’ goal in the first-half.
Tonbridge started without their new signing from Welling and former Fleet loanee Stefan Payne but as they continue to develop as Jay Saunders approaches his second season, the home side were confident in possession from the start.
Indeed they kept the ball well for much of the opening period against a Fleet side much more used to bossing the territory and an early cross flew across Cousins and behind as the blues sought a quick start.
Given the high temperatures, an early drinks session was the only real break in play as chances remained few and far between. Toby Edser was the Fleet’s chief menace, with David Amoo and Greg Cundle willing runners too.
Angels goalkeeper Jonathan Henly denied Cundle at the near post as Fleet began to pick up the pace from the mid-period of the first-half. Useful approach play from Shaq Coulthirst around the half-hour mark kept the Fleet on the front foot and it was the same player who won a penalty on 33 minutes as Ruben Soares-Jr cut across him in the box as he shaped for a shot.
Josh Wright, who opened his Fleet account at the same end here at Longmead in March, stepped up to tuck away the spot kick.
That opening goal sparked the game into life and the final 10 minutes were much more open at both ends. Tonbridge went close when Soares-Jr managed to get a shot away from under the attentions of Joe Martin and Cousins forced that wide before acrobatically tipping the subsequent corner over the bar.
He did even better on the stroke of half-time when Angels skipper Scott Wagstaff found himself in space on the edge of the box and let fly only to see the shot palmed away by the Fleet keeper.
The reds weren’t without chances too and Henly saved from Coulthirst’s 12-yard effort and was up again to deny Franklin Domi’s hefty follow-up. Coulthirst claimed a penalty for handball but the referee was in no mood for a second penalty and a Cundle counterattack was turned across goal by Amoo for Hayden White but Henly was on to that one as well.
As in the first half, Fleet had to weather a positive Tonbridge start to the second. A free-kick from a promising position whistled wide of Cousins’ goal and Haydn Hollis had to get in the way of an effort on target.
The Fleet had two excellent moments on the break, however. Wright gained ground through the middle on 51 minutes, Domi helping the ball out wide to Cundle who was denied by Henly and a covering defender.
An even better move four minutes later came courtesy of White, Domi involved once more as he strode towards goal. Cundle again picked it up and fed Amoo who turned well before smacking a shot off the post.
Tommy Wood rolled the ball into the back of the net for Tonbridge a few minutes later but the offside flag was up. Domi was denied a penalty when he went down in the box towards the end and Tanner set up Poleon to unleash a shot in the box that smacked off Domi.
Tonbridge pressed late on but couldn’t force the equaliser they’d managed here in the league fixture and Fleet maintained another clean sheet to make it two summers wins from two.
EUFC squad from: Cousins, Firth, O’Neill, Martin, Wright, Wakely, Tanner, McQueen, Poleon, Cundle, Domi, Edser, Clifford, Chapman, White, Amoo, Coulthirst and Hollis.
TAFC: Henly, Hinds, Lyons-Foster, Swift, Fielding, Wagstaff, Higgs, Gard, Soares-Jr, T Wood, Turner. Subs: Payne, Parkinson, Powell, Boachie, N Wood, Trialist
Attendance: 495
