Fleet surrender points

Nationwide Conference

Manager's reaction to follow

GRAVESEND & Northfleet dropped out of the play-off places after surrendering a half-time lead to fellow promotion chasers Weymouth.

It is Fleet's first league defeat at Stonebridge Road since December 2 but on this showing it is difficult to see how.

On their second half display alone, the visitors were the better team and while Fleet had plenty of chances, they could not turn them into goals when they should.

For all their guile in midfield, the final ball was lacking and at times Fleet were guilty of making the wrong decision or over-playing rather than shooting on sight.

There were some stand-out performances in red especially from Luke Moore, who scored the goal, and Mark Ricketts who deputised as right fullback in a reorganised defence.

Liam Daish had to make the defensive change as skipper Paul McCarthy was unavailable through and up front, fit again Charlie MacDonald replaced Alex Varney.

The match started with Fleet enjoying the lions share of possession and it was easy to see why Weymouth were without a win since their new manager took over in January.

Jason Tindall's side looked nervous and without balance while Fleet were busy going forward.

Fleet's stand-in skipper Rob Quinn fired an early volley wide from the edge of the penalty area and Danny Slatter could have done better but to skew Jon Keeling's cross wide from close range.

After 20 minutes the game needed a goal to spark it into life and it almost got one when Moore's deft back-heel in the penalty area set up a MacDonald strike which was superbly tipped over the bar by Jason Matthews.

The roles were reversed moments later but somehow Moore failed to make the breakthrough when he headed MacDonald's sharp cross wide from six yards out.

Moore then charged down Adam Cottrell's attempted clearance and his cross was headed down by MacDonald for Quinn to fire meekly at the keeper when maybe the XX-goal striker should have headed for goal.

Mark DeBolla came to life on 30 minutes with a well-struck volley from 18 yards which needed a smart save before the opening goal finally came.

MacDonald was instrumental in the build-up getting to the by-line ahead of Tony James to lift the ball across the six-yard box for Moore to head home from close range.

It was the young striker's sixth goal of the season and capped a fine performance up to that point.

It could have been 2-0 going into the break when Fleet produced the best moment of football on the stroke of half-time.

A silky, one-touch move involving four players down the left led to MacDonald's effort from an angle being well blocked and DeBolla's rebound being well saved.

Immediately after the break, Weymouth made two changes and they were to be the pivotal moments of the game - James Coutts, on loan from Bournemouth, came on for Scott Dixon and Brian Dutton replaced the injured Daniel Phillips.

The visitor's talisman, in the shape of Raphael Nade, suddenly came to life bursting through three challenges and into the penalty area only to be denied a shot on goal by Keeling's excellently timed challenge.

MacDonald was unlucky not to divert DeBolla's clever ball into the six-yard box past Matthews and even more so when the rebound came off a Weymouth defender only to go the wrong side of the post from the striker's point of view.

Moments later the game was level when Ishmail Welsh stormed onto Nade's pass, albeit from a suspiciously looking offside position, beat Ricketts and crossed for the unmarked substitute Coutts to hit his first goal for the club.

Fleet responded with a Danny Slatter drive from 20 yards which was comfortably but they came closer when MacDonald latched onto Moore's daisycutter into the area only to see Matthews save with his feet.

Weymouth almost took the lead but Keeling was on hand to distract Nick Crittenden as the Terras midfielder tried to convert Welsh's cross at the far post.

But the reprieve was short-lived as Fleet fell asleep at the back to let Coutts dance through the defence and round Lance Cronin to slide the ball into the empty.

Fleet almost levelled on 67 minutes when Slatter's low cross was collected by Matthews at the far post as Moore bundled in - the referee saw no foul although had the ball crossed the line, one suspects the man in black would have had sympathy with the keeper and blown the whistle.

Moments later Keeling went down in the penalty area under Cottrell's challenge but the referee was deaf to any appeals.

Daish replaced Quinn with Joel Ledgister on 67 minutes with the instruction for the substitute to maraud down the right-hand side.

The fact he managed it only once and then had no support from which to continue the attack spoke volumes.

With 10 minutes remaining the home crowd, chanting for Onome Sodje, got their wish as the striker, who scored the winner at Kidderminster on Saturday, replaced Moore.

But he could do very little to save the game, especially when Ricketts up-ended Stuart Beavon for a Weymouth penalty on 88 minutes which, much to the protestations of wannabe ha-trick hero Coutts, was dispatched by Tony James.

With the game lost, Fleet fans began leaving and they missed very little in the closing minutes as their team stumble to the season's finishing line.

MATCH FACTS:

FLEET: Cronin, Ricketts, Opinel, R Smith, Quinn (Ledgister, 67), Long, DeBolla, Slatter, Keeling, MacDonald, Moore (Sodje, 80).

SUBS NOT USED: Varney, Mott, J Smith.

ATT: 1,098.