It’s a winning start for the Fleet as they kicked off their campaign with a bang – three points, a clean sheet and an early goal to cheer the impressive travelling support.
Josh Wright named his first XI of the season which saw debuts for skipper James Vennings plus Will Tizzard and Will Buse.
And it was a dream start for the visiting side in just the third minute as Ben Chapman looped a ball from the right into the area to meet with last season’s top goalscorer, Dominic Samuel, who made no mistake, firing his shot into the top left past on-loan Bromley keeper Dillon Addai.
A chance at making it two in the opening 10 minutes presented itself as Gene Kennedy linked up with Toby Edser but his effort clipped the side netting with Jake Vokins’ effort heading over the bar minutes later.
Given Walton & Hersham’s problems up to now, they could have easily collapsed but managed to tighten up and enjoyed some possession but without really threatening the Fleet in the opening 20 minutes.
Edser drilled a ball into the path of Vokins but an important interception from the hosts stopped the No.3 adding a second. There were occasional breaks upfield by Walton and Matas Skarna had the best of them, slipping a low ball across Buse’s goal that ran clear to the opposite side.
Moments before the break, Finlay Barnes came close to that second as he latched on to Kennedy’s pass to loop an effort towards goal that ended up in the goalkeeper’s arms via a deflection.
The Fleet went into the break one up but were eager to add to that to keep the home side from rallying. Fleet began strongly and an early chance for Samuel was dispatched from just outside the box but the assistant referee – not for the first time – enraged the supporters behind the goal with a raised flag.
The visitors built on that quick start to put the game a little further away from Walton on 49 minutes. Vokins sped down the left and placed a super delivery into the area that picked out Edser who gladly buried it past Addai.
There were justifiable shouts for a penalty when Josh Passley was brought down in the area and the Fleet man was subsequently booked following the protests when his appeals were turned away and Chapman then had a curling effort saved by Addai.
A chance to make it three arrived when Chapman’s low shot was parried away by Addai and fell at the feet of Barnes. The lively No.19 sent the ball on target but Addai was well placed to take the ball down.
Walton had a couple of chances in the closing stages and David Gokou disturbed the side netting before a free-kick from 40 yards clipped the crossbar in time added on.
Wright and his coaching team were clearly keen on a clean sheet almost as much as the three points and that’s what they got as the defence remained intact, sealing a great day out for the faithful away support who were only too delighted to see their team back out where they belong, on the pitch.
EUFC: Buse, Passley (Gbadebo 72), Tizzard, Nelson, Vokins, Chapman, Vennings, Kennedy, Edser (Box 65), Barnes (Ogunleye 82), Samuel (Appiah 61). Subs not used: Oteh, Peake, Walker
WHFC: Addai, Woollard-Innocent, German, Skarna, Sablier (Tucker 74), Dixon, Eze (Gokou 61), Ernest (Osew 74), Kleyton, Sanogo (Ibrahiym 46), Wiggett. Subs not used: Reid, Toure, Mohamud
Attendance: tbc
Photos: ©EUFC/Ed Miller
