An early goal could have ruined Fleet’s pre-match plans but Josh Wright’s side more than deserved a draw if not more for a hard-working and creative performance in the club’s first visit to Horsham.

Dominic Samuel’s 16th league goal of the season and 18th in all early in the second-half was the equaliser in an entertaining last 45 that kept a good Horsham side defending for a large part.

The difficult start to the match came just four minutes in when an interception in midfield put Rhys Murphy through on goal and with only Hall to beat and a quick change of feet, the Hornets’ forward placed the ball the other side of the Fleet goalkeeper.

The Fleet reacted well and a flurry of chances arrived with Ben Coker and Finlay Barnes trying their luck. Josh Passley delivered a dangerous cross to force an important intervention from goalkeeper Lewis Carey while Coker’s free-kick from a promising position came back off the wall.

Charlie Seaman came the closest with 18 minutes on the clock when an effort from inside the box required Carey to tip the ball over the bar.

Another chance minutes later saw great movement from the Fleet play in Toby Edser and Carey once again had to get his fingertips to the ball.

Horsham settled again to contain the Fleet threat but Edser had another chance late on in the half, finding space to run at Carey but his attempt to ease the ball into the corner trickled wide. Seaman closed out the half with a pacy shot again denied by the gloves of Carey.

The Hornets went into the break with the crucial advantage but the Fleet came out strong in the second-half to cancel that out, although Jack Bates thumped a shot just wide for the hosts. The equaliser arrived with the first solid chance of the half on 53 minutes. An excellent run down the right by Seaman saw him get an inviting ball across the box and Samuel arrived at the back post in space to stab it home.

Barnes tried his luck with a low shot towards goal but that one went just past the post as the Fleet pressed, with their tails up.

However, in an entertaining half, the hosts found their way up the pitch and thought they’d found a second through James Hammond but a foul ruled that out. And they were also looking for a penalty when Greg Luer claimed he’d been hauled down.

A debut for Marcus Wyllie came when he replaced Barnes and he almost got himself off the mark within minutes when a close-range header from a tight angle was cleared for a corner.

Carey continued to be busy in between the sticks making an important save to stop Kwesi Appiah from heading the ball home at close-range and it was agonisingly close for Wyllie again in the dying stages as a great ball by Josh Coley picked him out but his first-time shot missed the target.

Appiah also appeared to be pushed in the box late on as he went for a header but the referee didn’t notice and a point and a goal apiece it finished.

EUFC: Hall, Passley, Coker, Nelson, Olagunju, Kennedy (Chapman 75), Hessenthaler, Seaman, Edser (Coley 87), Barnes (Wyllie 68), Samuel (Appiah 72).

Subs: Ehmer, Peake, Sandford

HFC: Carey, Elliott (Pattenden 87), Innocent, Sparkes, Philpot, Strange, Gravata (Bates 36), Aguiar, Hammond, Murphy (Brivio 64), Luer.

Subs: Brooks, Gorman, Furber

Attendance: 846

Photos: © EUFC, Ed Miller