Santa leaves it late with the gift of a point against high flying Knaphill FC

We left it very late to salvage a deserved point against second-placed Knaphill, in front of a bumper holiday crowd of 514 at The Easy As HGV Stadium. The match marked Warren Burton’s first home fixture in charge since his appointment earlier in the month, and the result extended his unbeaten start to three games, with one win and two draws from his opening fixtures.

The opening exchanges set the tone for a tightly contested afternoon, with both sides well organised and much of the play concentrated in midfield. Neither team was prepared to take unnecessary risks, and space was at a premium as possession was frequently contested in the centre of the pitch. As the first half progressed, we began to enjoy more of the ball and looked increasingly threatening going forward.

Our pressure forced Knaphill into a number of fouls as they attempted to halt our momentum, and the visitors were shown a couple of early yellow cards. When Louis Collins was sin-binned after 34 minutes, we were presented with a ten-minute period of numerical advantage. Despite moving the ball well and pushing players higher up the pitch, we were unable to find the breakthrough, with Knaphill defending resolutely and limiting clear-cut chances.

As the visitors returned to full strength approaching half time, the balance of the game shifted. In the fourth minute of added time, Knaphill capitalised on a rare opening. Joe Throp picked up the ball just inside the penalty area and struck a powerful effort that flew past the goalkeeper and into the net, giving the visitors the lead at the interval. There was no time for us to respond before the referee brought the first half to a close.

Knaphill began the second half on the front foot, enjoying their best spell of the game. We were forced to defend for extended periods, but our back line stood firm, showing determination and resilience to keep the deficit at one goal. As the half wore on, frustration grew as we struggled to break down a well-drilled Knaphill defence, despite our increasing efforts to push forward.

Both sides turned to their benches as the game entered its final stages. We introduced attacking options in search of an equaliser, while Knaphill appeared content to protect their lead and slow the tempo of the game. With greater possession in the closing stages, we began to build momentum and give the home crowd renewed belief.

The task became even tougher in the 86th minute when substitute Chike Kandi was sent to the sin-bin, leaving us a man down for the closing moments. Even then, we continued to press and were rewarded deep into added time. A free kick in a dangerous forward position was delivered perfectly into the penalty area, where late substitute Sebastian Karczewski reacted quickest to convert his chance and score on his debut, sparking celebrations around the ground.

It was a moment of real character and determination, earning us a valuable point and maintaining our strong start under the new management.

Fleet Town starting XI

1 Sam Gray

2 Tom Drinkwater

5 Joe Dyett

14 Eoin Fraser

6 Liam Avery

9 Charlie Postance

4 Lewis Hillary

11 George Sellick

12 Brad Manning

19 Ollie Burke

20 TJ Taylor.

Substitutes

18 George Butler (on for Fraser)

10 Chike Kandi (on for Hillary)

7 Sam Bartlett (on for Sellick)

17 Seb Karczewski (on for Avery) ⚽