The Fleet continued their goal fest against Welling United this season by coming from behind to find the net four times at a sunny Park View Road to keep up the pressure in the play-off places.
And it was certainly a sunny mood for the visitors who boasted four different goalscorers as Alex Finney, Rakish Bingham from the spot, Shaq Coulthirst and substitute Dominic Poleon got in on the act.
The Fleet made two changes from the previous league game against Hungerford Town, with Finney back in the starting lineup plus Coulthirst, replacing the suspended Joe Martin and Lee Martin.
The early exchanges were mired in midfield with Harvey Bradbury the chief target for Welling’s supply line and he brought a save from Louie Moulden early on. Fleet’s first effort of note came on seven minutes, Coulthirst turning from Sido Jombati’s pass to fire into Coniah Boyce-Clark’s arms.
But the Wings were ahead with their next attack and it came from the Fleet’s left, a cross from Maxwell Statham slung over and Tom Derry covered ground to get there to force his header past Moulden.
Welling’s lines were well organised and they refused to let Fleet’s passing draw them out of shape, with Craig Tanner’s 15th minute run and shot denied by Taylor Curran on the edge of the home box. A minute later Chapman’s break down the right teed up Coulthirst with an inviting cross but the former Barnet man couldn’t get the necessary power on a header, though he sent it on target.
Welling didn’t offer too much as an attacking force but Bradbury’s ball into Dipo Akinyemi on 29 minutes fell kindly for the Welling No.9 and his effort cannoned off Solly before running to Moulden and safety. Bradley Stevenson’s run from midfield also looked promising for the Wings but he eventually ran out of steam as Fleet got men back.
And the visitors were back in it on 37 minutes when a free-kick wide to Chapman was hoisted into the six-yard box. Bingham got on the end of it to send the ball goalwards and although Boyce-Clarke got a hand to push it on to the post, Coulthirst and Finney were on to it, the latter forcing it over the line.
Fleet forced another goalmouth scramble minutes later, Coulthirst, Romain and Bingham all seeing their successive shots blocked. But Welling weren’t quite done and Marcus Sablier volleyed a good effort through the middle that Moulden held well.
And having seen that shot gathered, Fleet turned their poor start around by taking the lead on 43 minutes. Paxman slipped a ball inside for Tanner to run on to – he advanced towards the byline where he was unnecessarily upended by Ade Shokunbi. The referee pointed to the spot and Bingham scored from it to send Fleet in at half-time with a lead.
And they extended that lead within three minutes of the restart. Paxman received a pass on the left and made the short switch to Coulthirst. He turned and although his shot wasn’t the most powerful, it was low and on target, bobbling over a foot as Boyce-Clarke watched it go by him.
Coulthirst had another two efforts go close, both blocked in the six-yard box, straight after his goal. And then Boyce-Clark got a firm hand on the line as Chapman fired across Welling’s bows from out wide as Fleet, buoyed by confidence, poured forward.
Substitute Poleon was barely on the pitch 10 seconds when he hared clear of Statham from Tanner’s pass forward but forced wide, Fleet had to rebuild and Bingham’s effort was thwarted.
Derry’s run through on the break saw him tangle with Solly on 67 minutes and although Fleet claimed a stamp on their skipper, the Welling player was only cautioned.
A more serious incident occurred seconds later when Bingham just failed to get away from Taylor Curran as he sped through on a pass. The Welling defender did enough to clear but seemed to suffer a freak injury in doing so and play was held up as a stretcher was sent for.
A superb one-touch move starting and ending with Bingham on 75 minutes threatened a fourth goal as Welling couldn’t live with the movement but the ball just wouldn’t drop to enable a shot on the target.
Not that Fleet were waiting long for number four. It came on 78 minutes and great vision from Moulden from a kick upfield coupled with equally great running from Tanner outwitted the Wings defence. Tanner couldn’t quite find a path to goal himself but he squared it for Poleon who still had plenty to do to shake off two defenders and bring the ball under control before striking it past a third defender and the goalkeeper.
Fleet might have added another when Romain fired over in time added on but it was the Wings who were the ones to find the net again two minutes past the 90 with a well-taken second when Shokunbi fired low to Moulden’s right following a spell of Wings pressure. It was a consolation for the home side who have seven games left to preserve their South status but for the Fleet, it was a much-deserved three points and once recovered from the early setback, there was little doubt where the three points were headed.
EUFC: Moulden, Finney (Wood 72), Jombati, Solly, Chapman, N’Guessan, Paxman (Mekki 86), Tanner, Romain, Coulthirst (Poleon 62), Bingham. Subs: Haigh, Domi
WUFC: Boyce-Clarke, Barnes, Statham, Shokunbi, Bradbury, Akinyemi, Sablier (Wells 53), Derry, White, Curran (Pearce 72), Stevenson (Matthews 68). Subs: Allen, Burnett
Attendance: 951
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