Fleet repeated the scoreline of the last visit to Tonbridge with two early goals once again but had to dig in during the second-half to make it a fifth unbeaten game in all competitions.
Josh Wright made two changes with Jake Vokins and Josh Passley back in the starting lineup at the expense of Olly Box and Camron Gbadebo.
It was a lively opening minute from the Fleet against the side who began play sixth in the table. And the first chance of the match fell with just three minutes on the clock as former Angels defender, Ronny Nelson headed his effort just wide from a Lennon Peake free-kick.
It was only two more minutes before the Fleet broke the deadlock. Ben Chapman got up well in the middle to head the ball into Gene Kennedy’s path and a stunning swerving effort by him from 25 yards picked out the top right corner – an early shout for goal of the season on only Matchday #5.
Kwesi Appiah almost instantly doubled that lead with a close-range header but he could only hit the bar this time around.
The tempo of the Fleet’s first Kent derby dropped as both sides began battling it out in the midfield but it got lively again for the travelling fans when a second goal arrived on 25 minutes. This time, Peake supplied a tidy delivery from the right flank and it picked out Appiah who dived to the ball ahead of his marker and found the target.
Nathan Harness was busy in the hosts’ goal as he had to halt further chances from Appiah and James Vennings before Peake’s attempt went narrowly wide of the mark just before the break.
Tonbridge had offered only a few forward runs with overhit balls or poor final passes but they did pull a goal back in the added four minutes of the first-half. Frankie Baker beat the Fleet defence to find the space to slot the ball past Will Buse.
It was the Angels who began the second-half on the front foot with former Fleet academy player Haydn Bullas coming off the bench. A dangerous shot came in from Bailey Akehurst that flew over the angle of the goal which was the main threat of the opening 10 minutes.
Tidy football from the Fleet allowed Chapman to get an effort away from the edge of the area and although Harness thought he had tipped that one over the bar, he was forced to gather the ball the second time around. Great link-up play between Finlay Barnes and Peake then allowed the latter to shoot but his curling effort was marginally wide.
Tonbridge kept the ball well as they introduced more attacking players as time ticked on but the chances they did have were marginal, although Will Tizzard’s late challenge in the box helped save the day – and the three points – for the Fleet.
EUFC: Buse, Passley (Manktelow 90), Nelson, Tizzard, Vokins, Chapman (Gbadebo 86), Vennings, Kennedy, Peake (Oteh 78), Barnes (Edser 64), Appiah. Subs: Ogunleye, Box, Walker.
TAFC: Harness, Sutcliffe, Beeden, Thompson (Lintott 64), Korboa (Pavey 68), Corne, Brown (Bullas 46), Tanga, Akehurst, Baker, Reynolds (Babajide 56). Subs not used: McDonald, Martin, Burford.
Attendance: 1,564
Photos: ©EUFC – Tom Harris/Ed Miller
