Dartford came from behind to earn a win in this second friendly of pre-season courtesy of a penalty and a somewhat contentious winner as Fleet hit the woodwork twice.
Adopting the same approach as at Canvey in terms of a team per half, Josh Wright made four changes to his first-half side against a Dartford team managed by former Fleet player Ben Greenhalgh.
On a hot evening with the temperature only just below the 30°C mark, Fleet came out quickly and Toby Edser hit the upright with a shot supplied via Jake Vokins’ delivery inside the first two minutes.
Charlie Seaman turned provider a few minutes later when his free-kick was turned home by Dominic Samuel but the flag was up as last season’s top scorer had strayed offside.
Olly Box, on his return to Princes Park, was engaged in a competitive duel with Sammie McLeod for much of the half and he showed plenty of willingness to get on the ball on his former home ground.
The Darts grew into the game and Camron Gbadebo had to be on hand to block a dangerous attacking move before Dan Smith hit another wide when he really should have tested Will Buse.
Both goalkeepers were happy to watch chances drift past their respective targets as Seaman’s low shot drifted off target before Buse got in the way of another Smith effort late on. It was a 45 minutes that typified an early pre-season game, particularly in such warm conditions, and was very similar to the two halves of football played at Canvey at the weekend.
The second-half was certainly much brighter as far as the Fleet were concerned with Aramide Oteh’s strong running causing problems once more, while James Vennings and Harvey Walker got their side high up the pitch on numerous occasions.
Vennings tested former Fleet goalkeeper Ryan Sandford with a free-kick three minutes after the break before the visitors seized the initiative with a goal on 51 minutes. Fin Barnes found the room out wide on the right to size up his opportunities in the middle and Gene Kennedy made himself available for the cross, firing it coolly home to make it 1-0.
Ben Chapman’s pass into Oteh was cleared out of the six-yard box before Kennedy had a very similar chance to his goal minutes later from much the same position… but this one bounced just wide. Chapman then aimed for the top left corner with a curling effort that wasn’t far off.
A second goal seemed on the cards when Daniel Ogunleye opened up the Darts defence to supply Oteh, whose shot across Sandford stayed out, and Ogunleye was blocked before he could convert the loose ball.
Dartford eventually weathered Fleet’s domination of the second-half and Max Fiddes went close before Greenhalgh, on as a half-time substitute, arrowed an excellent shot towards the target that Matt Hall did very well to scoop away from his line.
However, the home side were back in it on 72 minutes as substitute Louie Atkins sent Hall the wrong way from the penalty spot. And the Darts completed the comeback by securing a winner six minutes later when one of their trialists pulled Vennings’ shirt to shake him off the ball. The referee, however, waved play on and the Dartford man carried on to place a shot past Hall.
Fleet had a couple of openings in the final 10 minutes as Ogunleye, Barnes and Oteh all tested the Dartford defence, while Oteh was inches away from connecting after a cross was whipped into the Darts box and he instead collided with the post, requiring treatment for a few minutes.
The post also denied the Fleet a late equaliser that would have repeated the scoreline from last season’s friendly as an Oteh shot from the left of the box cannoned off the upright and away to safety with Sandford beaten.
EUFC First-Half: Buse, Vokins, Gbadebo, Trialist A, Hessenthaler, Manktelow, Edser, Seaman, Peake, Box, Samuel.
EUFC Second-Half: Hall, Passley, Nelson, Tizzard, Kennedy, Vennings, Walker, Chapman, Barnes, Ogunleye, Oteh.
Attendance: 612
Photos: © EUFC/EdMiller