Farnborough held the Fleet to a draw to end February at the Kuflink Stadium.

Josh Wright was forced into a number of changes with Toby Edser Mustapha Olagunju and Dominic Samuel all out but that didn’t bother the Fleet in the opening minute. The home side went ahead after a mere 33 seconds as Ben Chapman’s cross was beautifully headed in down the middle of the goal by Kwesi Appiah.

After four minutes, shots came in quick succession from both sides. Farnborough scrambled in the hosts’ box to get a shot off from a Fleet back pass, but Matt Hall quickly smothered it. Seconds later down the other side of the pitch, Finlay Barnes went down in the box claiming a penalty. Appiah wriggled his way through the Farnborough defence to get a shot off, but it was wide and over.

Three minutes later, Hall saved a shot from Renny Smith after the Fleet gave the ball away just outside their own box.

Another dangerous attack down the left side came on 11 minutes when Chapman swung in a low cross but Ronny Nelson miskicked his chance.

After some poor defending from the visitors, Appiah was one-on-one with the keeper and tried to hook it over goalkeeper Tommy Reid but the Charlton loanee made a fine save.

Toby Bower sent a free-kick just over for Farnborough from 25 yards while a set piece at the other end saw Rakish Bingham clearing off his line from Lennon Peake.

Appiah nipped in behind the visiting defence again but his shot deflected off Reid before the Fleet were left to rue their missed chances. On 26 minutes, a recycled corner by Farnborough was crossed into the middle and it was Bingham who met it with a clinical header down to Hall’s right.

After a busy opening period, Boro succeeded in keeping the Fleet limited to possession football as the sides headed in level at the break.

Marcus Wyllie was introduced for Finlay Barnes while Billy Clifford also made an entrance for the visitors and the second-half continued much as the first had ended. Chapman whipped a ball from the left into the box four minutes in but Wyllie could only glance a header wide.

And the Fleet were shocked on 56 minutes when Bingham got his second of the game. The tricky Courtney Senior weaved through the Fleet defence and played a lovely through ball into the former Fleet striker who picked his spot out of the reach of Hall.

Boro celebrated for just two minutes. Gene Kennedy was upended 25 yards out and Seaman stepped up to bend an unstoppable free-kick beyond Reid.

Fleet adjusted shape with Maxx Manktelow brought into midfield and it was from another Seaman free-kick that Fleet came closest to a third goal on 70 minutes. Louie Holzman barged through the back of Aaron Cosgrave and Seamen’s outswinging set piece held up at the back post for Kennedy who headed the ball on to the bar.

Try as they might, the Fleet couldn’t force that third goal and a month marked by draws added one more to the total as March begins next Saturday against Torquay United.

EUFC: Hall, Passley, Ehmer, Nelson (Coker 74), Hessenthaler (Manktelow 61), Kennedy, Chapman, Seaman, Peake (Coley 74), Barnes (Wyllie 46), Appiah (Cosgrave 70). Subs: Dallison, Sandford.
FFC: Reid, Beacroft, Stickland, Robinson, Holzman, Tuck (Huke 81), Smith (Clifford 46), Bower, Sandah, Senior (Klass 75), Bingham (Bloomfield 75). Subs not used: Gabriel, Anthony.
Attendance: 1,197 (52 away)
Images courtesy of Ebbsfleet United/Dave Plumb/Tom Harris