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Alton 1 - 1 Fleet Town

05 Aug 2024

This FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round game between these North East Hants neighbours ended all square on the opening day of the 2024/25 season and goes to a reply.

Throughout the 99 minutes (no extra time on the day) played, three passages of play set the tone and eventually decided the final result.

In the first six minutes of the game the visitors found themselves a player and a goal down. George Bowerman robbed a hesitant central defender on four minutes and was pulled back when heading for goal. Straight red card and no complaints from Fleet.

On six minutes Owen Tanner reacted quickest to a corner to confidently slot home.

The visitors then dug in as the home side used the width of the pitch to stretch the 10 men. The clearest chance of the first half fell again to Bowerman, debutant Adam Poynter delivered a lovely cross from the right but the bounce appeared to deceive him and he was only able to bundle the ball wide from close range.

A cautious start to the second half from both sides eventually came to life. In a 10 minute spell Alton created three great opportunities. Darnell McDonald left his defender in his wake and delivered a super cross from the left, the ball flashed right into the danger zone, the attacker was first to the ball but could only lift the ball over the bar from close range.

Next it was Tanner again at his clever best. His near post flick from another corner rattled the upright before being cleared.

Shortly after another debutant Thomas Hill held his head in his hands. He ghosted into the box to meet another Poynter cross, he caught it sweetly and it arrowed toward the top corner but somehow the Fleet keeper got a hand to the strike to push it over the bar.

With the game entering the late stages the visitors gambled forward and it was to be two refereeing decisions that ultimately effected the result. As the clock ticked toward 90 minutes an unnecessary challenge just inside the box on a Fleet attacker looked very much like a penalty but he waived away their appeals.

The game then went on for another nine minutes before an attacker took a tumble in the box. There didn’t look to be any contact but after what seemed like an age the referee pointed to the spot. If the ref was concerned he had got the initial penalty appeal incorrect it appeared to the majority of the large attendance that he waited for an opportunity to correct it. Penalty confidently despatched and onto that replay.

Match Highlights from Academy TV