A quick start by the Fleet was the platform for success in this first part of the Easter weekend as two early goals proved crucial against Tonbridge Angels.

With illness in the camp and only six substitutes named, the Fleet shook that off inside four minutes to break the deadlock. Matt Hall launched a ball forward that Kwesi Appiah met. He headed it towards Ben Chapman who darted forward and his quick feet allowed him to skip past the Tonbridge defence and fire a stunning shot from a tight angle into the top right corner.

And it was 2-0 with not much longer on the clock. A set piece in front of the Fleet fans from Charlie Seaman was whipped towards the far post and with Gene Kennedy and Appiah attacking, it was the Fleet skipper who was able to head home for 2-0.

Hall pulled off a superb save with his feet to deny a reply for the hosts from Sean Shields and he deserved the appreciation he got from his teammates following that stop.

Ronny Nelson came ever so close to securing a third against his former side with two headed efforts, one of those cleared off the line and the second off target. 

Tonbridge had a few direct runs through to the final third but didn’t really threaten again until Marcus Sablier headed Bailey Akehurst’s delivery straight at Hall, while the visitors picked up a few bookings as the referee began to dish out the yellows.

Into the second period and there was an early chance for the Fleet to mirror their first-half opening as Josh Coley’s low effort clipped the woodwork with Appiah on to the rebound but that went marginally wide.

Coley once again came close to securing the Fleet’s third. Tidy play by the Fleet allowed Seaman to link up with the forward but an important block from Ethan Sutcliffe denied that one. Seaman arrived for the loose ball but he couldn’t keep his shot low.

The Fleet dominated the ball and by keeping hold of possession, denied the Angels any sniff of a comeback which continued into the latter stages of the game.

However, the Angels began to find more room to attack in the final quarter-hour. With 12 minutes remaining Hall pulled off another spectacular save to deny a certain goal and although Tom Leahy turned the ball home as it came back out, the flag was up for offside.

Tonbridge did find a goal late in the game. There were three minutes left when Bunmi Babajide and Francis Mampolo combined for Leahy to fire home but it wasn’t enough for the Angels who had only three minutes of added time to find an equaliser. But Fleet, who had defended well when needed to, kept the ball upfield to secure another important victory and might even have added a third when Chapman slid in after Finlay Barnes dropped a ball into his path but that was saved.

EUFC: Hall, Passley, Dallison, Nelson, Coker, Seaman, Kennedy, Edser, Chapman, Coley (Barnes 80), Appiah (Samuel 72). Subs: Cosgrave, Olagunju, Wyllie, Sandford
TAFC: Rowley, Williams (Mampolo 73), Sutcliffe, Korboa, Baker (Leahy 51), Sablier (Pavey 32), Babajide, Thompson, Smith (Bakrin 90), Shields (Warren 51), Akehurst. Subs: Omole, Taylor
Attendance: 1,597
Images courtesy of Ebbsfleet United/Ed Miller/Tom Harris