Match Report: FA CUP REPLAY – Fleet Town 4 Wincanton Town 1

Both sides made a couple of changes to the starting line ups from Saturday, including both goalkeepers. A fast start to the game, early chances fell to both sides, in the first minute a free kick for Wincanton was taken by Dan Wise who whipped the ball deep into the box where Jaime Irwin threw himself towards the ball but saw his diving header fly wide of the goal from close range as he got too much power on the ball when a glancing header would have been more dangerous.

After three minutes Fleet had their first chance, a cross from the right by Danilo Cadete towards Liam Pestle, as the ball was passing behind him, Liam turned to pull off a spectacular overhead bicycle kick but his effort passed wide of the goal. Fleet’s next attack came up the left and Dean Rule played the cross into the box which was caught by Wincanton keeper Dane Rigby as he came forward out of his goal. As the game settled down, chances dried up as both sides were concentrating on not making mistakes.

The only danger from Wincanton was coming from long throw ins, launched deep into the box but all dealt with by solid Fleet defending and being cleared away. Fleet were utilising the wings to try to get towards the corners and in behind the Wincanton defence to cross or cut in for shooting chances, although they won a few corners, they were not close to threatening to score.

Late in the half some better chances were created by Fleet, some interplay between Dean Rule and Tom Smith on the left set up a shooting chance for Matt Surmon but his effort was saved by Rigby. Up the right wing Nick Medcraft played in Danilo Cadete to cross to Dean Rule who headed wide. Dean Rule turned provider as his cross flashed through the six yard box to Chike Kandi who could only touch the ball wide. The game was still goalless when the whistle blew for half time.

The second half started with an early scare for Fleet Town when Darren McAlastair fired the ball from distance and it struck the top of the crossbar and bounced over, to safety. Fleet soon created a good chance of their own when Danilo Cadete ran down the right and crossed the ball to the far post where Dean Rule was waiting but his effort passed wide, the wrong side of the post. After an hour from a Wincanton attack the ball was played back to Darren McAlastair waiting just outside the box who struck the ball back into the roof of the net to put Wincanton ahead.

It only took Fleet three minutes to find a way to equalise, a long ball down the left was collected by Dean Rule near the corner flag, he cut in and drove towards the side of the box before firing a shot in, this took a deflection from a Wincanton defender to send the ball past Dane Rigby into the net to bring Fleet level. As time passed the thought of possible extra time started to come to mind, but that prospect disappeared on 76 minutes when Fleet Town were awarded a Penalty following a collision in the box, Dean Rule placed the ball and waited for the referee to deal with the complaints from the opposition and for him to get the players back outside the box, Dean Rule took the kick nearly straight down the middle as keeper Rigby dived away and Fleet were ahead.

With plenty of time to go Wincanton pressed forward looking for another goal and Fleet holding firm, keeping them out. The referee had already indicated the minimum six additional minutes to play, before Dean Rule went down following an unpunished challenge. After treatment it was decided he should not play on, so in 90+2 Fleet Town brought on Dan Bone for him. Within seconds a ball down the right picked out Dan Bone out on the wing he looked up, with no other Fleet players forward and seeing the keeper standing out on his side of the six yard box, Dan Bone took a shot towards the unguarded net and in the ball went to put Fleet Town 3-1 ahead in 90+3.

Wincanton continued to chase the game and Fleet had more players back to cover, leaving Dan Bone alone up front, with a Wincanton attack breaking down, a quick clearance high and deep by Fleet Keeper Callum Backhurst downfield, Dan Bone broke forward to be in a position when the ball cam down and perfectly positioned headed the ball up and over Dane Rigby who had come a long way out of his goal to try and get to the ball, the ball bounced slowly into the net for Dan’s second and Fleet’s fourth goal of the night in the eighth minute of added time.

With the crowd shouting for Bone to get a hat trick, he collected the ball in his own half and ran across halfway and hit a shot from about thirty five yards, but Dane Rigby made the save in the nineth minute of added time, soon Fleet were attacking again and again it was Dan Bone running into the box and fired a shot goalward which Dane Rigby got a hand to and deflected the ball past the post for a corner in the tenth minute of added time.

After this was cleared, there was still time for Wincanton to attack again before the final whistle blew to send most of the 281 in the ground home happy.