Three tough bank holiday Points at Godalming
Godalming Town 1 Fleet Town 2: Fleet Town made it two wins in less than 48 hours as they battled to a hard-fought 2-1 victory away at Godalming Town, consolidating their position at the top of the League table.
Playing on a very bumpy pitch and against a Godalming side determined to respond after a heavy home defeat just two days earlier, The Blues knew from the outset that this was going to be a very different challenge from Saturday’s victory over Camberley Town.
The hosts started with a defensive shape and seemed determined to make themselves difficult to break down. Fleet enjoyed plenty of the ball during the opening stages but found it difficult to turn that possession into clear-cut opportunities against a well-organised Godalming defence.
The breakthrough eventually arrived on 28 minutes when Ollie Burke was brought down inside the penalty area and the referee pointed to the spot. Alex McAllister stepped up and confidently converted the resulting penalty to give Fleet a deserved 1-0 lead.
Just three minutes later came the undoubted highlight of the match.
Connor Holland, fresh from scoring twice against Camberley on Saturday, picked up a loose ball well outside the Godalming penalty area before unleashing a spectacular strike which flew into the bottom corner of Stephen Douglas’s net. It was a superb goal from Holland and suddenly Fleet had opened up a 2-0 advantage.
At that stage it looked as though The Blues might take control and go on to record a comfortable victory, but Godalming had other ideas. The home side dug in, competed for everything and worked hard to prevent Fleet from extending their advantage.
Their determination was rewarded on 39 minutes when an inswinging corner was met by Elliott Creely, whose header found its way over the line despite a valiant attempt from Billy Oram to clear the ball.
That reduced Fleet’s advantage to 2-1 and ensured the game remained very much alive as the two sides headed into the half-time break.
The second half became a much tighter affair, with both teams perhaps beginning to feel the effects of playing their second League game in just three days over a demanding Bank Holiday weekend.
Fleet continued to enjoy the majority of possession but found a dogged Godalming side increasingly difficult to break down. Clear opportunities were at a premium as the hosts worked tirelessly to stay in the contest and looked for opportunities to find an equaliser.
There was a nervous moment for The Blues when Aaron Burchett challenged inside the Fleet penalty area, prompting loud appeals from the home side for a penalty. The referee was unmoved and waved away the protests, with one Godalming player subsequently spending time in the Sin Bin for his reaction to the decision.
As the game moved into its closing stages, Godalming pushed forward in search of a late equaliser and Fleet were forced to show the other side of their game.
Very close to the final whistle, The Blues were indebted to goalkeeper Harry White, who produced a fine save to preserve the lead before McAllister completed the job by clearing the follow-up off the line.
It was a hard-fought away victory for Fleet against a determined and dogged Godalming side who made The Blues work for every one of the three points. Having played twice in less than 48 hours, Fleet showed plenty of character and resilience to see the game out and come away with another important League win.
The result consolidates Fleet’s position at the top of the table, with Knaphill now moving into second place after Redhill dropped points at Chipstead.
Once again, The Blues were backed by a fantastic travelling support, helping to boost the attendance to almost double Godalming’s crowd from just two days earlier. Another excellent show of support and another valuable three points for Fleet as their impressive start to the season continues.
