It was all square for the first ever visit of a solid and well-drilled Cardiff Met side who came back from a goal down to equalise in the second-half of this pre-season game.

An early free-kick for the Fleet saw Jake Vokins’ effort saved by Cardiff Met’s trialist keeper. Minutes  later, Daniel Ogunleye had sight of goal and in a challenge in the six-yard box, he was stopped by an instinctive save from the keeper.

Dom Samuel was lively up top forcing the goalkeeper into action on a number of occasions and his shot in the 14th minute fell into the keeper’s arms in another strong tussle in the six-yard box. 

Play settled from the 15-minute mark with both sides battling it out in midfield, though the Fleet enjoyed the main possession and controlled much of the game.

Samuel’s next effort from range resulted in the Fleet earning a corner just past the half-hour mark. Vokins swung that into the area, it was headed on by Camron Gbadebo and all it needed was a touch which was provide by Fleet’s trialist who prodded the ball home from close range.

The Fleet defence was forced into action at the other end of the pitch late on in the half and the visitors should have scored when an attack down the left got round the back line but the low delivery across goal had nobody on the end of it. 

Half-time substitute Kwesi Appiah provided early pressure as he sent a ball into the area that picked out Samuel but his attempt was grasped by the goalkeeper once again.

Ben Chapman carried the ball into the area but that chance fizzled out following a tackle in the area from the visitors, who were strong in defence and managed to snuff out several more Fleet attacks.

Cardiff Met found an equaliser when Fumpa Mwanwe took advantage of Will Buse’s intercepted kick out just before the hour mark.  

Fleet stepped up the pressure in the closing minutes, with Appiah linking up with Ogunleye only for the young striker’s effort to drift wide of the mark. That was one of several chances but the Cardiff back line kept the red shirts at bay.

EUFC: Buse (Hall 77), Vokins, Trialist, Gbadebo, Hessenthaler, Kennedy, Edser (Appiah 46), Chapman, Box, Ogunleye, Samuel. Subs: Passley, Nelson, Manktelow, Walker.

Attendance: 415

Photos: ©EUFC/Ed Miller, Tom Harris