There’s still no separating Rakish Bingham and Dominic Poleon as they took it in turns to fire Fleet to four goals, Poleon following hot on the heels of Bingham’s 40 club goals by achieving the same feat this afternoon.
But it was a real team performance to earn Fleet’s fifth win of January and fifth successive victory, with Christian N’Guessan’s marvellous assist for the equaliser and Luke O’Neill providing a couple of helping hands – or feet – of his own.
Billy Clifford made his debut and might well have scored on it as he hit the crossbar but with his former side drawing and Dartford losing, Fleet took full advantage after an early scare.
That scare came in the form of a swift Concord opener as the visitors made the most of their early set pieces as a throw-in was only half-cleared on the edge of the box four minutes in. Concord pounced and the experienced Mo Bettamer was able to pick the ball up, steady himself and find the side of the goal away from Mark Cousins.
The game was at a slower pace than usual as Concord refused to let Fleet speed things up, Ricky Modeste and Haydn Hollis exchanging some early pleasantries as they bundled into one another at every coming together.
Fleet had a penalty shout when Clifford went sprawling on 12 minutes under Harvey Beckett’s challenge before a counterattack saw O’Neill’s deep cross to Greg Cundle open the Concord defence at the far post – but Cundle’s effort on goal was blocked.
Three minutes later Darren McQueen wriggled into a shooting position along the penalty area line and loosed off a shot that rose too high.
The grey shirts of Concord succeeded in getting in the way of those Fleet moves forward and it took another 10 minutes for the next solid effort, Shaq Coulthirst doing well to find room wide on the right to skim a low cross that just evaded the incoming Poleon. Fleet’s No.14 then laid a ball back to Bingham who struck into the goalkeeper’s arms.
Modeste finally succumbed to one of his numerous injuries as he was replaced 10 minutes before the break but the frustration continued for the Fleet, who saw Coulthirst robbed from Hollis’s precise pass.
Concord might have gone in at half-time – eventually – with that single goal lead after only four minutes of time were added but justice was done when Fleet used a portion of that to equalise. Superb work from N’Guessan to wrestle the ball from under a Concord foot on the edge of his own box was supplemented by a scintillating pitch-long run to the other box where he stabbed the ball wide for Bingham. Goalkeeper Mitch Beeney stopped his initial attempt but Bingham applied the finish to force it over with his head.
Fleet were on the offensive straight after the whistle and Clifford almost opened his account on 50 minutes when O’Neill found him in the box and his touch towards the goal was deflected behind. And he was even closer two minutes later when Cundle’s approach down the left resulted in the ball returning to Clifford 15 yards out and he curled a fine effort towards the top corner that cracked off the bar.
Clifford made way for Toby Edser just before the hour mark as O’Neill struck a free-kick just wide and then saw Beeney enjoy plenty of luck as he saved the defender’s next effort with his backside. Beeney also got down to Poleon’s effort as Fleet stepped things up in search of a second.
And the home side thought they had it on 61 minutes when Cundle edged a ball through for Coulthirst to run on to and he got his shot away, but it was deflected for a corner. A lovely move with O’Neill picking up from McQueen’s recovery and then spreading wide to Cundle deserved better but the former Concord winger floated it into the Plough End.
Fleet were sparking all over the pitch by now and they lit that on 67 minutes with another sweeping attacking move. Coulthirst’s quick thinking spread play wide for McQueen who cut inside and along the box in his trademark style before he was fouled. The ball found its way back out to O’Neill who carried things on to thread the ball into the middle and Poleon slammed it home to the delight of the fans in front of him.
A corner aside, Concord failed to trouble the Fleet back line and it was little surprise that the home side extended their lead on 79 minutes. It was Bingham’s second of the game, from the penalty spot, won by Edser after he was bundled over by Mo Kamara and 3-1 it was.
Anything Raks can do, Dom can repeat – and 10 minutes later O’Neill again supplied the ammo with another precise delivery from the right and Poleon was on hand to tuck it home for his second of the game and 21st of the season.
It stayed 4-1 to the final whistle but you would have bet your house on Fleet adding to that tally had the minutes allowed – not that the 1,329 crowd cared as they watched their side extend their lead at the top.
EUFC: Cousins, O’Neill, Solly, Hollis, N’Guessan, Clifford (Edser 58), Cundle, McQueen (Sterling-James 70), Bingham, Coulthirst (Domi 80), Poleon. Subs: Wright, Romain
CRFC: Beeney, Popo, Ramsay, Smith, Pollock, Beckett, Blanchfield (Kamara 68), Williamson, Bettamer, Kyei (Taveres 86), Modeste (Akanbi 36). Subs: Warner-Eley, Tuansaam
Attendance: 1,329
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