Fleet fans got the three points they wanted and another three goals to follow on from the weekend as back-to-back wins kept Josh Wright’s side in fourth place. Despite falling behind, Mustapha Olagunju’s equaliser brought the visitors to life and they ran out easy winners in the end.

Kwesi Appiah had the first chance of the game with a looping effort from the edge of the area which Rohan Luthra collected comfortably whilst Matt Hall made a commanding save to deny Matt Burgess from an acute angle. Dom Samuel came close with a headed effort still inside the opening 10 minutes but he couldn’t keep it low enough.

Fleet were working the ball into the channels for Charlie Seaman to cross but just past the 10-minute the home side took the lead when a stunning strike from Adam May 25 yards out clipped the inside of the crossbar and flew on into the roof of the net.

Encouraged by that, Eastbourne looked for a second. Hall did well to stop Alfie Grout doubling the Sports’ lead as the Fleet keeper kept that close-range effort out with his feet. 

The Fleet began to get on top, however, and just before the half-hour point, Finlay Barnes clipped the outer woodwork before Ben Chapman’s attempted shot was tipped over by Luthra.

A number of set pieces proved dangerous from the Fleet and from one of those, the ball fell perfectly to Olagunju who took a touch and executed a real striker’s finish to level things up.

Fleet turned the game on its head quickly with another goal on 36 minute. Charlie Seaman’s first shot from the edge of the area was headed back to him and he took another bite, this time seeing his shot squirm out of Luthra’s grasp who fumbled it over the line.

Fleet didn’t leave it long in the second-half to seal the game. Tidy forward play allowed Josh Passley to link up with Jake Hessenthaler and as space opened up before the midfielder, he ran on and fired past Luthra to make it 3-1.

Three came very close to being four moments later. A misplaced kick from the Eastbourne goalkeeper left him out of position and Appiah picked out the loose ball and sent it towards an empty net but Luthra got across to scramble it clear. He ended up in the net himself but managed to push the ball out.

The Fleet continued to capitalise on a shaky Eastbourne defence as a heavy touch from Carter let Samuel attack the final third but his lob over Luthra took a deflection for a corner.

Eastbourne had some moments in attack of their own and they came close to reducing the deficit with a goalmouth scramble but the Fleet defended their lines and although the home side mounted another couple of forward movements, the visitors were comfortable enough to the end.

EUFC: Hall, Passley (Fielding 70), Olagunju, Nelson, Hessenthaler, Chapman, Seaman, Edser, Barnes (Kennedy 76), Appiah (Coley 70), Samuel (Cosgrave 79). Subs: Peake, Wyllie, Sandford
EBFC: Luthra, Quick, PItblado, Corbett (Lintott 45), Armitage, Burgess (Trusty 82), Eastmond, Carter (Fairnie 76), Grout (Skieters 84), May, Alexander. Subs: Taylor, Turner, Hobden
Attendance: 791
Images courtesy of EUFC: Ed Miller/Tom Harris