A clean sheet and a first penalty of the season followed Ouss Cissé’s first-half header to open 2024 with a bang for the Fleet.

Defensively, the home side had to stick to their task as in-form Wealdstone enjoyed lots of possession but Fleet also had the chances to extend the scoreline.

There were four changes made by Dennis Kutrieb, including the return of Chris Solly who was finally able to mark his 100th appearance for the club in style.

The first chance of the match fell to the visitors when Charlie Barker dispatched a shot from distance, bringing a strong hand from Mark Cousins. Play settled with Wealdstone showing their confidence in possession but they were unable to break the Fleet defence down despite that. 

The visitors claimed another chance on 17 minutes when Sean Adarkwa got goal side of Joe Martin but Cousins’ glove did enough to prevent the opener, the ball going out for a corner.

The Fleet’s first chance of the match came in the 21st minute. Josh Wright broke to feed Hayden White and he cut back to Dominic Poleon who unleashed a shot from inside the box. That was saved by Marcus Dewhurst and Toby Edser then tipped it back towards McQueen whose volleyed effort was blocked.  

The opening goal came on 34 minutes after the Fleet were awarded a free-kick on the edge of the area after Poleon was brought down. Edser stepped up to whip it into the area and only half-cleared, Ouss Cissé was there to meet it and head the ball home.

Dominic Samuel came ever so close to clinching a second for the Fleet moments later after Poleon and Edser broke upfield but he headed Myles Kenlock’s cross over. 

Fleet began to slow Wealdstone down and just before half-time Samuel countered and had a great opportunity to play Poleon into the box but his pass wasn’t quite so measured and bounced away and out of danger.

The second half saw Wealdstone once again push upfield and play the ball around but Fleet defended deeply and in numbers and there was little real opportunity at the start for the Stones. The visitors made a strong appeal for a penalty on 54 minutes before Poleon was able to get away at the other end but the ball was just too far ahead of him to take around Dewhurst and Edser’s follow-up was sent behind.

Goalkeeper Dewhurst almost kicked a back-pass against Samuel as Fleet began to push back against their visitors and then the home side earned a penalty in the 64th minute when Samuel was brought down by Barker along the byline as he attacked from the right. Poleon had to ignore Dewhurst’s movements along his line to find the corner of the net and double the Fleet’s advantage.

Wealdstone went more direct to try to get back in the game and Cousins had to keep out a couple of threatening chances. He got his fingertips to a corner that Edser headed off the line under pressure from Tahvon Campbell and Sam Bowen’s 30-yarder was then pushed over the bar by the Fleet keeper.

Substitute Luke O’Neill could have earned a third goal with a placed shot deep into added time but the game was as good as won by then – and a few seconds later, a most welcome three points was the Fleet’s.

EUFC: Cousins, White, Kenlock, Martin, Solly, Cissé, Wright (Chapman 76), Edser, McQueen (O’Neill 81), Samuel, Poleon (Bingham 70). Subs: Tanner, Clifford
WFC: Dewhurst, Cook, Barker, Kretzschmar (Andrews 75), Obiero (Ferguson), Ilunga (Campbell 62), Bowen, Mundle-Smith, Henry, Adarkwa. Subs: Barrett, Mason
Attendance: 1,511

Image courtesy of Dave Plumb and Ebbsfleet United