Match report: Warminster Town 2-4 Fleet Town
Fleet Town gave a debut to this week’s new signing Luke Phair for the away trip to Warminster in the Second Qualifying Round of this season’s Isuzu FA Vase, for the first time this season, manager Jermaine McGlashan put his own name on the team sheet.
Warminster had the best of the early exchanges, with Jake Wright having the first chance shooting over the bar in the first minute. Fleet soon had two corners in quick succession, the later of these lead to Fleet being given a free kick in a dangerous position but they were unable to make a clear chance from it before the ball was cleared away.
After nine minutes Warminster had their first corner, the Fleet defence only half cleared the ball and it was whipped back into the box by the home side onto the head of Jake Wright but he could not direct his header and it flew wide of the goal.
On their next attack it was Jake Wright’s turn to be the provider, with his cross to Sam Wright but Sam’s shot flew wide. Jake Wright made another opening for himself but shot over.
On 21 minutes a quick break up field from Fleet was stopped by a challenge that saw a free kick awarded to Fleet, Warminster took their time to set a wall covering one half of the goal and their keeper Kieran Perrin positioned himself behind the wall, Mihail Marinescu crisply struck the free kick past the wall into the unprotected area of the goal, leaving the keeper motionless watching it ripple the net to put Fleet Town ahead.
Shortly after, Connor Young was through for Fleet, with only the keeper to beat he steered a shot past Kieran Perrin but hit the post and rolled along the goal line before being cleared. Warminster equalised on 31 minutes when Nick Taylor netted from the penalty spot, Callum Smart in the Fleet goal dived the right way to just touch the ball but could not keep it out.
Fleet then had to manage a ten minute spell a player short in the Sin Bin, during this period Fleet re-took the lead when Jermaine McGlashan ran forward up the middle of the pitch to the area and buried his shot in the corner of the net on 37 minutes. Fleet only held the lead for a minute, Warminster levelled again when Tyson Pollard headed a cross past Callum Smart. The game reached half time at 2-2.
The second half was only three minutes old when a cross from Jermaine McGlashan picked out Connor Young to score into the corner of the net and Fleet were ahead again.
Sam Wright made an opening for Warminster, but his weak shot was straight at Callum Smart to save. After 69 minutes Fleet doubled their lead when a 25 yard rocket of a shot from sub Naz Miah flew over Kieran Perrin into the roof of the net. Fleet kept the pressure on, a cross from Mihail Marinescu was headed narrowly wide of his own goal by Warminster’s Mike Reaney, for a corner.
The next attack saw Mihail Marinescu cross again, this time met by the head of Connor Young, but the ball passed wide of the post. Luke Phair took a free kick for Fleet just inside the Warminster half, the ball reached Chris Zebrowski in the box, who headed wide.
Fleet had one late scare to survive when Warminster hit the post with a shot from distance, but were able to see the game out and hold on, thanks to Warminster missing all their early chances, to win 4-2 and secure a place in the first round proper of the competition.
FLEET TOWN:
1 Callum Smart, 2 George Mackie, 3 Callum Mackie, 4 Luke Phair, 5 Liam Pestle, 6 Callum Rosier, 7 Jermaine McGlashan, 8 Alvin Walters, 10 Connor Young, 11 Chris Zebrowski, 12 Mihail Marinescu.
SUBS
14 Naz Miah (on for Rosier 55 mins), 16 Sam Marks (on for McGlashan 65 mins), 19 Joshua Nunes (on for Walters 52 mins).