The Fleet Academy side made it through to the next round of the Youth Cup with a convincing 3-1 win over Dulwich Hamlet .
Watched by Peter Varney and several Fleet staff and senior players, it was a particularly impressive display against a big, powerful Dulwich side given that the Fleet side contained nine 16-year-olds while the opposition had only two (the rest were all 18).
The first 20 minutes saw few clear-cut chances for either side but then Jeff Nguede broke clear from Tre Zailor’s poor back pass and fired home from 20 yards to give Fleet the lead. That scoreline lasted through to half-time and then a good move down the right let Caleb Bearman-Dyce unleash a scorcher of an effort with his left foot to make it 2-0 shortly after the break.
By now Fleet were well on top and Dulwich No.1 Ediz Hoca did what the Hythe keeper failed to do and kept out a Karn Miller-Neave free-kick. First-team squad member Leo Mazzone burst through to send an effort narrowly wide and Nguede had a shot deflected for a corner. Mazzone left the field with an ankle injury before Miller-Neave wrapped things up with another stunner, firing over the goalkeeper from 25 yards for 3-0.
Joshua Fernandes pulled a consolation back for the home side three minutes from the end before Hoca was called into action to stop another goalbound Fleet effort while Miller-Neave sent another free-kick narrowly wide.
But the visitors saw the game out without any further trouble and now face yet another away game – at either Hastings or Dartford which takes place tonight – in the third qualifying round.
TEAM: Rhys Hughes, Oliver Boulding, Karn Miller-Neave, Mitchell Liddell (Jack Barnes), Joe Denny, Charlie Stewart, Caleb Bearman-Dyce, Leo Mazzone (Louie Allen), Jeff Nguede (Marshall Taderera), Shilow Tracey, Casey Johnson. Subs: Andre Trenton, Nathan Gaimster
