Match Report: Crawley Down Gatwick 1 Fleet Town 2

Fleet Town progress to the Fifth Round of this season’s Isuzu FA Vase with this victory away at Crawley Down Gatwick.

For the first time in three weeks, after the enforced winter break, Fleet Town finally got back onto the pitch for this much anticipated FA Vase Fourth Round Tie. Fleet Town started this game the stronger, taking the game to the home side, mostly down the right through Noah Hay, on his debut, but then the home defence got tight to him when he was looking to cross the ball into the danger area, which restricted his options. Fleet soon were able to win the first corner of the game, taken by Tom Smith into the six yard box, the home keeper Alex Bellingham was only able to punch the ball away, this fell to Ryan Case who immediately fired the ball back towards the goal but his effort flew wide of the target. Fleet’s next attack saw Chike Kandi receive the ball from the left and run straight up the middle until he went down under a challenge in the box, but despite all of Fleet’s pleas for a Penalty, nothing was given by the officials. A few minutes later a similar challenge on Tane Caubo outside of the box, resulted in a free kick being awarded to Fleet Town. The kick was taken by Ryan Case into the box was cleared by the home defence.

After absorbing this early Fleet pressure, Crawley Down started to settle into the game, getting more of the possession they created a chance for Lewis Gould which he could only shot wide. Fleet continued to look dangerous when they attacked, Dean Rule ran through from the right hand side and got his shot away, which took a deflection for another corner, which was easily dealt with. An attack down the left was played on to Tane Caubo, as he cut in he shot but this was collected by Alex Bellingham in the home goal. An attack up the left for Crawley Down saw Oli Leslie fire a dangerous cross into the box, which Fareed Hakeem-Habeeb got to first and was able to clear. Crawley Down built an attack up the right Lewis Gould knocked the ball back to Sam Schaaf who crossed the ball and Oli Leslie headed the ball goalward, but his effort was caught by Finlay Purcell in the Fleet goal. Crawley Down were given a free kick just over half way, lifted in to the box and met by Bolvwaitito Salaam, he headed the ball over. After Thirty-Five minutes Crawley Down opened the scoring a cross from Louis Bates was touched down into the path of Jack Ryder who fired the ball home to give the Anvils the lead. Following the goal there was a quieter spell in the action and a break for treatment to Fleet keeper Finlay Purcell, during which both sides gathered round their benches for any new instructions. When the fourth official raised the board for four added minutes the home side attacked and kept the Fleet goal under pressure as they pushed for a second goal before the break, but the Fleet defence stood firm and kept Crawley Down out to keep the score down to 1-0 at the break.

The second half started as the first half had finished with a Crawley Down onslaught pegging Fleet back in their own box. Only three minutes into the half the call came from the bench to make an early change with Nick Medcraft coming on to bolster the back line, replacing Noah Hay, pushing Dean Rule and Fareed Hakeem-Habeeb further forward. The change soon paid dividend when Fareed Hakeem-Habeeb ran through the home defence, his shot being blocked by Alex Bellingham and ran loose to a Crawley Down defender, who seemed to have space and time for a controlled clearance decided to just touch the ball behind for a corner to Fleet Town. The corner caused more panic in the defence and after a scramble the ball reached Dean Rule, his shot being deflected behind for another corner. This corner took a couple of touches on its way through the box where it reached Liam Pestle who made no mistake as he fired the ball home to level the tie up at 1-1 after Fifty-Six minutes and spark the first wild celebration amongst the travelling fans of the afternoon. Only seven minutes later Fleet Town completed the turnaround when Nick Medcraft cross met the head of Tane Caubo and the ball flew past Alex Bellingham to put Fleet Town 2-1 ahead and spark more wild celebrations behind the goal.

Crawley Down kept going, looking for an equaliser, they thought before Fleet could score again, but all they could do was show how good Finlay Purcell is between the sticks as he saved everything thrown at him. As play was stretched it left opening that both Dean Rule and Fareed Hakeem-Habeeb were able to run through but their final efforts were saved or just off target, when they both could and probably should have scored at least one each. As the minutes were running out Crawley Down were rushing their chances, too many long balls being picked off by Fleet or firing shots high, wide and not so handsome. The only groan of the afternoon came from Fleet Town supporters when the fourth official put up the board to show eight added minutes, which left time for subs Danilo Cadete and Dan Bone to cause Crawley Down problems, but Fleet could not find a third goal to kill the game off, at the back Fleet did enough to see the game out and stop Crawley Down finding an equaliser that would have sent the game into the lottery of a Penalty shoot out. The final whistle blew and set off more wild celebrations for the Fleet Town supporters at the match, as the players joined them to celebrate together, many were checking their social media at the same time for updates to the Penalty shoot out at the Walsham Le Willows v Whitstable Town match to find out who Fleet Town will be playing in the next round, which will be Whitstable Town.

The game away to Whitstable in Round Five is due to be played on Saturday 1st February, this means that Fleet Town’s scheduled league game that day away to Camberley Town will be called off and rearranged for later in the season.