2/5/2008

Sport

Fleet play-off heartbreak after late blow

by Chris Harris

THERE are few tougher ways to suffer defeat in football than in the cauldron  that is the play-offs.

And there are a few more heartbreaking ways to lose in the play-offs than in the last minute of the game.

Devastatingly for Fleet Town, they have managed to do both in consecutive seasons, and there was a horrible sense of deja vu at Calthorpe Park on Thursday night.

Exactly a year to the day from last season’s crushing injury time defeat at Tooting & Mitcham in the play-off semi-final, Fleet’s dreams were dashed again after another late blow.

This time Uxbridge were the perpetrators, as Dave Thomas smashed home a 92nd minute penalty to end Fleet’s promotion hopes and spark frenzied celebrations among the small band of travelling support.

It was a bitter pill for Andy Sinton’s men to swallow, having finished ten points clear of an often over-physical and aggressive Uxbridge side. But that is the nature of the play-offs.

After the game Sinton cut a dejected figure, admitting that his side simply failed to perform when it mattered most.

“I’m devastated to lose it, and it does bring back bad memories,” he said. “But to be honest I’m more disappointed to lose it in the way we did. It was the biggest night of the season and the players did not perform.”

Fleet came into the game on a run of nine wins in ten games, but Sinton was forced to make a key change to his back four, with Mark Paterson unable to make the kick off. Steve Hemmings came in at centre back, whilst winger Darren Campbell was also unavailable, and Phil John was only fit enough to make the bench.

A heavy downpour just before kick-off set the scene for a difficult game on the infamous poor Calthorpe pitch, and when Uxbridge keeper Louis Wells comically slipped with his first goal kick, it was clear that it was going to be a tricky night for both defences.

After eight minutes the visiting skipper, ex-Chelsea star Mark Nicholls, was booked and from the resulting freekick James Field tested Wells with a whipped effort.

Field then forced the keeper into a scrambling save, but in truth there was little in terms of quality football as both sides struggled to get the ball down and play.

There was a lot of long balls aimed at Ben Wright and Mark Anderson up front, and a set-piece was always the most likely chance of a goal.

After 28 minutes that proved the case, as Field curled in a right wing freekick and Wright brilliantly got across his man and glanced in a superb header for the opening goal.

As the referee handed out bookings left, right and centre, clearly failing to take into account the treacherous conditions, the half dragged by, although Nicholls should have pulled his side level when he volleyed inches wide from the edge of the area.

Fleet needed to impose themselves on the game from the outset of the second half, but it could have hardly have begun in a worse fashion, when Hemmings was booked for clumsily pulling down Lee Tunnell in the box after a long, hopeful punt.

The referee had no choice but to award the penalty, and after eventually working out where the spot was hidden in the Calthorpe mud, Paul Smith did superbly to dive to his right and save Nicholls’ spotkick.

Fleet fans would have hoped that the reprieve kick-started their side, and on the hour mark came the game’s pivotal moment.

Wright broke down the right and played in Anderson, whose shot was well saved. The veteran striker held his nerve to roll square to Wright whose shot was blocked brilliantly by the defender. But the ball came back to Wright and after making space for the shot he seemed certain to score, only to see his effort saved by another heroic block on the line.
On such moments games can turn. Had Wright converted either chance it would have been 2-0 and arguably game over. But he didn’t make it count and two minutes later, Uxbridge were level.

Nicholls managed to pull the ball back to Kevin Warner who volleyed powerfully at goal. Paul Smith made a stunning save, but Tunnell was quickest to react and he rammed the ball home for the equalising goal.

As the game wore on, Uxbridge began to look the stronger side, but it was finely balanced until the 81st minute, when Nicholls broke forward and played in substitute Jon Dyer. Hemmings raced across to cut the pass out, but Dyer nicked it past him and the big centre back scythed him down and was given his marching orders with a second yellow.

It was a ‘backs to the wall job’ for Fleet after that, and it was clear that the visitors scented blood.

They started to commit more bodies forward as Fleet settled for hanging on and pinned their hopes on surviving through until extra time.

But it wasn’t to be, and from another long ball into the area, Tunnell managed to pull the ball down surrounded by Fleet defenders. As he skipped away he was brought down and Uxbridge were awarded a second, and potentially critical, penalty.

This time Nicholls handed the responsibilty to his young left back and with 92 minutes on the watch, 19-year old Thomas stepped forward and rammed the penalty past Paul Smith to earn his team the most dramatic of victories.

Fleet desperately piled forward after that, but time was against them, and the referee’s final whistle moments later brought to an end an impressive, but ultimately fruitless, league campaign for another year.

Fleet: Paul Smith, Salmon, Jack Smith, Noakes (Eddie Smith), Hemmings, Damien Smith, Howell (Paterson), Field, Smart (John), Anderson, Wright.

For a full match report, match facts and more reaction from Sinton, pick up a copy of Tuesday's Mail.

First printed in: Aldershot News and Mail