A sun-drenched return to the Kuflink Stadium for the Fleet saw the first opposition at home in the form of the title favourites Barnet and it was they who won their first game here since 2004 with a goal in each half proving enough.

There were three changes for the Fleet as Franklin Domi, Giles Phillips and Kwame Thomas came in for Toby Edser, Louis John and Dominic Poleon.

The Bees enjoyed some early pressure and last season’s top scorer Nicke Kabamba saw his effort kept out by Mark Cousins in the home goal after Zak Brunt split the defence. A corner delivery from Brunt was then headed wide by a fellow orange shirt.

Thomas earned himself a yellow card and then walked a tightrope in a tangle that Barnet appealed in vain to see a second card.

Despite the early threat from the visitors, the Fleet settled into the match and enjoyed possession of their own throughout the first half. Dominic Samuel found himself through on goal and ready to go one-on-one with goalkeeper Nick Hayes but he was pulled back by the offside flag.

An even closer chance came for Samuel when Ben Chapman linked up well but again, he had strayed just offside. 

Samuel went near again but this time his shot from distance went marginally wide of the far corner as he wrestled for the ball with his shirt being pulled most of the way towards the box.

Chapman was supplier again with a delivery into the area to find a leaping Thomas but again Hayes was relieved to see that travel just off target.

Fleet looked to be heading into the break on deserved level terms but Barnet grabbed the opener minutes before half-time. Quick feet along the edge of the box from Billy Clifford allowed Callum Stead time to drive a shot across goal and into the corner. 

Barnet upped the tempo in the second-half and enjoyed the greater possession for much of it. Idris Kanu let loose a shot from the corner of the box on the hour but steered it just wide while Stead pulled another effort wide and Cousins got in the way of a third opportunity.

The all-important second goal came for the visitors on 70 minutes, however, Stead grabbing his second with a quick switch of play enough to get across Cousins at the second attempt to send the ball over the line.

Fleet made a number of substitutions and one of those, Craig Tanner, made a chance for himself with a shot from 18 yards that was wide.

Home fans may not have welcomed seven minutes more with their team two goals down but a penalty in added time was awarded when Samuel was clearly pushed 10 yards out. Poleon stepped up to take to send Hayes the wrong way and claim his second late goal in as many weeks.

There wasn’t enough time left for Fleet to manage an equaliser and they gave away a couple of unnecessary free-kicks that allowed Barnet to wind the clock down to claim all three points.

EUFC: Cousins, O’Neill, Page, Cordner (John 78), Phillips, Wright (Fonguck 73), Kellermann (Edser 64), Domi (Tanner 73), Chapman, Samuel, Thomas (Poleon 46). Subs not used: Cundle, Berry
BFC: Hayes, Coker, Kabamba (Wilkinson 90), Stead, Kanu, Brunt (Chapman 86), Hartigan, Clifford (Tavares 67), Oluwu, Kenlock (Okimo 80), Kizzi (Collinge 84). Subs not used: Gillmore, Hall-Johnson.
Attendance: 1,636 (256 away)

Image courtesy of Ebbsfleet United/Dave Plumb