Fleet’s fortunes took another dive on Tuesday night as they were outplayed by fellow strugglers, Hastings Utd, and are now in danger of being cast adrift at the foot of the Eastern Division table.
Defeat in yet another must-win game leaves Fleet still with only a single win in almost four months, and with ten matches to go, are now fast running out of chances to pick up the much-needed points.
Fleet should have started favourites on Tuesday, having already beaten Hastings earlier in the season, but once again, boss Mick Catlin had to go into a crucial match without the services of influential wingman and leading scorer, Shaun Hale. There were also two last minute withdrawals through illness by Anthony Millerick and Ed Hare, both regulars in the first-team line-up.
The under-strength Fleet side had the worst possible start when the Hastings scored from one of their first attacks, striker Carl Rook netting in the 4th minute, after a mix-up in the Fleet defence.
Gradually Fleet settled into their patterns of play, and soon front-men, Richard Mealey and Eddie Smith were causing problems in the Hastings defence. Smith, in particular was again in good form and but for a fine save from Hastings keeper, Dan Knowles would have squared things after 10 minutes, with a powerful volley from 10 yards out.
Fleet continued to threaten and on the half-hour Mealey looked certain to score after running on to a fine pass from skipper Ian Saunders, only to be brought down by Knowles just outside the area. The referee wasted no time in ordering Knowles off the pitch, and the home side were now down to 10 men.
Four minutes later Fleet capitalised when Smith’s neat header from a Steve Black free-kick, found the target, easily beating substitute keeper, Greg Nessing.
Fleet then looked likely to take control of the game, but instead a defensive error by right-back, Ben Buckland allowed Hastings wingman, Chris Honey through, and he scored with a powerful shot into the bottom corner of the net.
A goal down at the break, Fleet still looked likely to further capitalise on their man advantage in the second-half.
But again it was 10-man Hastings that looked the more dangerous, and appeared to have added to their score five minutes into the half, when Rook’s powerful 25 yard shot hit the underside of the bar, and was just scrambled away by an increasingly desperate Fleet defence. Fleet keeper, Calvin Sparshatt then had to make a couple of fine saves to keep his side in the match, as Hastings went all out to seal the game.
Disaster then struck for Fleet in the 59th minute when mid-fielder Craig Anstey was ordered off the field after retaliating to a bad challenge from Hastings’ Kieran Startup.
No longer with the man advantage, Fleet then struggled to create any further chances, as the Hastings strikers continued to press for further goals. They weren’t long in coming, Rock netting his second in the 74th minute after yet another error in the Fleet defence.
The game was more or less over when Rock scored again with 6 minutes left on the clock, to complete a valuable hat-trick for his victorious side.
Fleet Town: Sparshatt, Buckland, (sub, Byfield, 65 minutes), Blakely, Leworthy, Dalton, Saunders, Black, Anstey, Mealey, Smith, Boyle, (Scammell, 70).