A comeback to remember handed the Fleet the points in what was the 17th win in 20 against St Albans City. It was the sort of second-half performance that will be remembered come the end of the campaign for its tenacity and doggedness after a first-half in which the hosts had assumed control.
And for the lovers of statistics, tonight’s result saw the Fleet equal both their entire points and goals total from all of last season… and it’s only February!
Dennis Kutrieb went with three changes for this potentially tricky encounter, Billy Clifford taking a more advanced role with Josh Wright tucking in behind him and Ben Chapman also earning a recall in a wide position.
Cheered on by their first four-figure evening crowd of the season, the Saints set about the Fleet quickly with some slick, quick movement through the middle. Colchester United loanee Chay Cooper should have opened the scoring as early as the fourth minute from Zane Banton’s pass when he was in space to fire off an effort that Mark Cousins helped on its way behind.
Cooper was more accurate two minutes later, however, as Fleet didn’t heed the earlier warning. As the home side stepped forward quickly once more, Cooper skirted clear of his nearest challenger to hit a precise, weighty effort beyond Cousins.
Fleet had to dig in defensively and Chris Solly mopped up at the back to sweep another St Albans counterattack clear as Cousins found himself out of position.
Gradually the visitors wrestled a little more possession out of their hosts and Chapman had two chances to cross, one effort floating just behind the goal and the other fizzing straight across it and just out of Dominic Poleon’s reach. Christian N’Guessan also sent an effort over the bar as the Fleet struggled to register a potent attack.
Saints skipper Kyran Wiltshire hit a ferocious half volley goalwards from 35 yards on 33 minutes, his connection from the high ball perfect but his aim a little off and it flew just wide.
Rakish Bingham’s clever turn and run to release Poleon was the first time the Fleet really switched into gear up front but that opportunity was cancelled out by the offside flag and Poleon was denied again by the assistant referee when a defensive error seemed to play him in on goal.
A scramble in the Fleet’s six-yard box three minutes from the break was survived to keep the margin at just the one goal and the visitors might have pinched an equaliser when Wright struck from 15 yards with only Michael Johnson in front of him but his shot lacked much power and the goalkeeper was able to clutch it to him.
Fleet needed to find some way to exploit St Albans’ well-drilled rearguard who withdrew five men across the back whenever the red shirts got forward and with little wastage in their passing game, the home side would have been confident of finishing the job in the second half.
Kutrieb’s men had different ideas after the break, however, and showed they were up for a second-half fight within a minute of the restart, Bingham firing on target but Johnson equal to it. Joe Neal then smacked a good effort into the side netting at the other end as the tempo of the game increased.
That suited the Fleet, whose passing range and accuracy grew, with Chapman having an increasing influence down the left. A surging run from defence by Jombati on 54 minutes released Omari Sterling-James who got to the byline and skimmed a low ball along the area for Poleon but he couldn’t quite connect.
With both sides preparing changes three minutes later, the Fleet were back in it. This time the attack came from the other flank, Chapman finding the pace and space to canter along the byline. Wright touched it on to Poleon who was lurking to apply the precision finish into the bottom corner.
In the aftermath of that equaliser, Kutrieb sent on Toby Edser and the substitute provided the coup de grace on 65 minutes. Chapman was once more instrumental, taking down the other substitute Franklin Domi’s ball forward. He turned it back inside and there was Edser to pounce for his second goal in as many games.
St Albans weren’t quite done and having brought on Poleon’s nearest challenger in the goalscoring stakes, Shaun Jeffers fired one just wide as the yellow shirts mounted a response. With the game increasingly stretched, Luke O’Neill teed up Bingham for another effort on goal but Johnson made a good reaction save as the Fleet’s No.9 tried to turn that one home.
For a spell towards the end of the game, Fleet came under some tough pressure but the defence was outstanding, with Jombati always ready to provide a leg in and Solly sublime with numerous challenges. Two in particular stood out after Munashe Sundire’s piledriver that Cousins parried and the Fleet skipper was on hand to ensure the rebound couldn’t threaten his side’s lead.
And with six minutes left, another Saints attack was launched into the box; with five yellow shirts poised to meet it, Solly rose highest for a pinpoint header to clear.
It wasn’t just the defence, with Domi making one superb tackle in particular, aided by the likes of Bingham and Sterling back to help out. That weathered the storm and the final five minutes plus four of added time were played out without undue concern to hand the Fleet another memorable away win.
EUFC: Cousins, O’Neill, Jombati, Solly, N’Guessan, Wright (Domi 58), Chapman (Cundle 79), Sterling-James, Clifford (Edser 58), Bingham, Poleon. Subs: McQueen, Coulthirst
SACFC: Johnson, Stanley, Wiltshire (Sundire 58), Adebiyi, Clark, Blackman, Banton, Mukena, Moore, Neal (Jeffers 63), Cooper (Weiss 71). Subs: Dawson, Smith
Attendance: 1,108
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