Fleet made it 20 games unbeaten against Eastbourne Borough but the stats that really mattered included three points, two goals scored and zero conceded.

Craig Tanner’s breakthrough free-kick shortly before half-time set the home side on their way, with Dominic Poleon adding the sheen to the scoreline with a deserved second.

Dennis Kutrieb was able to welcome Sefa Kaharaman back to a league fixture lineup after he played against Bromley in midweek, while Elliott Romain partnered Shaq Coulthirst up front against an Eastbourne side shorn of regular goalkeeper Lee Worgan.

A head injury inside the first minute to Eastbourne’s James Hammond and Christian N’Guessan poleaxed straight from kick-off set the tone for an afternoon of knocks and injuries that kept Fleet physio Hannah Brown in particular busy. There was little else that could be descried as busy for the bulk of the first-half in what was a slow tempo early on, Eastbourne happy to stand off the Fleet’s probing, but the balls from midfield often drifting beyond their target or intercepted.

The visitors had a number of attempts on goal but most of them off target and lacking real power, so Louie Moulden was barely called into action. Chris Whelpdale and Charley Kendall both sent low shots across the Fleet six-yard box but they were harmless enough efforts.

Fleet claimed a handball in the box on 13 minutes that wasn’t given before Kahraman’s speculative effort from deep inside his own half had to be watched carefully by Conor Manderson as it dipped towards goal.

Eastbourne continued to send somewhat wild shots goalwards, Charlie Walker’s 25-yarder well over the bar after a promising break down the left on 16 minutes.

Romain nodded Ashley Nathaniel-George’s cross into the side netting, skimming the post as it went, before the Southend loanee turned supplier again with an excellent turn past his marker, feeding Coulthirst at the near post for another try just past the woodwork.

At the other end, a second advance down the left gave Kendall a run at Moulden but under pressure from Romain, he was forced into an early shot that the Fleet goalkeeper pushed around the foot of the post.

Frustration might have got the better of the Fleet as they couldn’t get much fluidity into the final third despite controlling the vast part of the first-half but then Tanner stepped up for a crucial interjection. It came on 40 minutes, more skilful play by Nathaniel-George earning a free-kick 25 yards out. After a brief discussion with Chris Solly, Tanner went for the reverse strike on goal and sent an unerringly accurate ball heading for a tiny gap in the top corner.

The second period saw Fleet establish themselves further but always with in-form Eastbourne potentially dangerous chasing the single-goal deficit. A Tanner back-heel released Coulthirst for a run and shot into the six-yard box before Tobi Adebayo-Rowling was carried off with what appeared to be a nasty knee injury after he came off worse in a clash for the ball with Greg Luer.

Poleon, on at half-time for Romain who’d been booked and spoken to the by the referee in the first-half, carved out a couple of excellent opportunities. The first came on 57 minutes when Tanner broke through the middle and Poleon’s confident run between two defenders ended with him driving a shot across goal.

Sido Jombati sent a header just wide after it was deflected before Tanner smashed a shot on target from the resulting corner after a one-two with Christian N’Guessan that was kept out by the foot of Trent Mahorn. Poleon then let fly from another corner after he’d fought off a defender but saw that one diverted behind as well.

Eastbourne’s best efforts came as Moulden was wrong-footed when N’Guessan’s boot deflected Luer’s goalbound shot to the opposite corner, Jombati needing to mop up to hack it off the line. Then Hammond tried an ambitious lob from the right flank that Moulden did well to tip over the bar.

From that corner, an excellent Jack Paxman interception released Ben Chapman whose first-time touch in turn found Poleon who ran at the defence but again his shot rolled inches wide. The ball went in much the same direction when Coulthirst got away on the break and sent his effort just past Manderson’s far post.

The goal Fleet deserved finally arrived eight minutes from the end. It was Paxman again with a neat shimmy to brush aside his man to send an excellent pass in behind the last defender for Poleon to run on to. He kept his head and his balance to bury the ball beyond Manderson for an unassailable 2-0 lead.

Coulthirst might have provided Poleon with a second that was blocked moments later but Fleet were home and dry by then, maintaining the 20-match, 20-year hoodoo over Eastbourne, and the three points were in the bag.

EUFC: Moulden, Chapman, Kahraman, Jombati, Solly, N’Guessan, Adebayo-Rowling (Paxman 53), Nathaniel-George, Tanner, Romain (Poleon 46), Coulthirst (Monlouis 87).

Subs: L.Martin, Haigh

EBFC: Manderson, Currie, Nippard, Dickenson, Rollinson (Gravata 69), Hammond, Luer, Walker (Allsop 76), Whelpdale, Mahorn, Kendall.

Subs: Perez, James, Shaw

Attendance: 944