THURROCK VICTORY SETS UP DAGGERS CLASH

After the hard fought game played at Bromley on Saturday the spectators must have been expecting more of the same.

The game marked skipper Jimmy McFarlane’s 500^th game for the club and what better way to celebrate than with a victory in the FA Cup.

In the opening minute of the game Kris Lee won a header after a long clearance by Paul Gothard and the ball fell for Tresor Kandol who was denied by the keeper. The visitors were slower to start and this allowed Fleet the better of the play and after just 19 minutes they went ahead. Bromley keeper – Danny Harwood made an important save from Cliff Akurang to concede a corner. Dave Collis sent in a great near post delivery for Tresor Kandol to head home.

This set back stunned the visitors into action and they were denied twice by the brilliance of Gothard in the Fleet goal.

The midfield contest was as one would expect in a cup tie, very committed with Paul Linger and Steve Heffer looking the stronger on the day. Martyn  Lawrence set of on one of his characteristic runs only to be heavily challenged half way into the Bromley half of the pitch.

The resultant free kick was drilled forward by Collis, which Paul Linger raced onto and smashed the ball home to make it 2 – 0 after 38 minutes.

Fleet stepped up a gear in the second half and applied even more pressure on the Bromley defence. A Steve Heffer header went inches over and Akurang made Harwood work hard in between the Bromley posts.

Twenty minutes from time substitute Terry Bowes put the tie out of reach of the visitors when he scored the all important third for Fleet.

Moments later Akurang was denied by Harwood but the game was played out in the visitors half of the pitch.

A fitting tribute to Jimmy McFarlane and of course this victory sets up a mouth watering tie with Dagenham & Redbridge in a fortnights time.