Fleet Town tame Bulls to claim a well-earned point
FLEET Town earned a point against third-placed Jersey Bulls on Tuesday night last week in the Combined Counties League Premier South.
The first attack came from Fleet when Dan Bone intercepted the ball in midfield and took it down the left wing to play in a dangerous cross, which was cut out before reaching its target player.
Jersey threatened on five minutes when a cross from the left found Adam Trotter in space to shoot, but his effort was deflected away for a corner, which came to nothing.
A couple of minutes later, Miguel Carvalho cut in from the left and shot across the goal but it passed harmlessly wide of the right post.
After 12 minutes a period of pressure from Fleet led to Bone combining with Louis Blake to shoot and Jersey were forced to concede a corner, which was then dealt with by their defence.
After a long spell where the ball stayed around the middle of the pitch with both sides giving possession away after only two or three touches, Brad Manning collected the ball about 35 yards out and ran unchallenged into the box before getting his shot away, which rose up and over the bar with just the keeper to beat.
Jersey were then getting more of the ball but their attacks were snuffed out by Sam Marks playing a sweeper role in the centre of defence in the first half.
Deep into added time a free-kick for Fleet was played into the box and found Manning in position to shoot, but his effort again passed over the bar and the game reached half-time still 0-0.
Fleet brought on Josh Nunes at half-time to add another body to the back line, although Jersey were having more of the ball it was just before the hour mark before Joel Haliday was forced into a serious save having to get down low to a Jonny Le Quesne shot. Ten minutes later Fraser Barlow was in space for Jersey, in a dangerous position, but scuffed his shot 20 yards wide.
On 72 minutes Fleet hit a long pass from defence over the top and it fell perfectly in the path of Bone, who took the ball forward into the box before calmly slotting it past Pierce Roche into the net to give
Fleet Town the lead. Ten minutes later, from a Jersey free-kick, the ball took a couple of touches as it bounced around before Ben Le Rougetel stuck out a leg and stabbed it into the roof of the net from inside the six-yard box to level up the match.
Jersey then soon had a chance to win the game but Barlow’s effort was well saved by Haliday.
Fleet created late chances from balls into the box from Marks and Tommy Taylor but nobody could convert them and the game finished in an honourable draw.
Fleet’s game at league leaders Farnham was postponed on Saturday due to a waterlogged pitch.
The Blues are at home to Redhill this Saturday.