Paul Hughes’ side continued their promotion push with a comfortable 4-0 victory at lowly Fleet Town courtesy of a Duncan Culley hat-trick and a late Toby Little strike that sees United move to within a point of leaders AFC Rushden & Diamonds albeit having played a couple more games.

Just one change to the United starting XI from the side that comprehensively beat neighbours Uxbridge a week previous, as Emmanuel Folarin came in for his first start in place of the injured Adam Cash.

With all the rain recently it was somewhat of a surprise that the game was on but credit must go to the home side as the pitch was indeed playable and it was United who got off to the perfect start with Fleet skipper Chris Wales earning a yellow card after 31 seconds for felling Toby Little in the box leaving referee Damith Bandara with little option but to award United a spot kick. After treatment for Little, Duncan Culley strode up and confidently sent ‘keeper Liam Beach the wrong way to give United a second minute lead.

The great start for the visitors was boosted further just seven minutes later as Culley struck again. Strike partner Manny Duku collected a pass in the left channel, moved into the box only to be forced wide by Beach, he then skipped past a challenge from Billy Stratford on the bye-line before pulling the ball neatly back the Culley who placed the ball into the top corner of the Fleet net from 12 yards.

The game settled into a bit of a midfield battle after the early salvo from United with further openings that were created before the break all falling to the visitors. Duku, Culley and Spyros Mentis all combined at the midway part of the half with the latter sending Duku through, his shot going narrowly wide from just inside the box.

With Tom Smith and his defence holding the home side at bay with comparative ease, the next opening not surprisingly fell to United in the 33rd minute as Laste Dombaxe fed the ball to Toby Little, his 30 yard effort being well held by Beach who grabbed the ball before it flew in the top corner.

The final chance came five minutes before the break as Duku was shoved over in the box by Chris Musgrove with referee Bandara again pointing to the spot. Culley strode up with a hat-trick beckoning only to be denied by Beach who dived to push the spot kick away to safety and the half closed out with United more than comfortable at 2-0.

United came out after the break looking to strike quickly once again as almost from the kick off Scott Donnelly and Dombaxe combined to send the ball left to Little on the left, his swinging centre was met by Duku who saw his header blocked at point blank range by Beach.

The 52nd minute saw the home side have their only strike on target of the whole game as Conrad Lucan intercepted a weak Folarin pass, he cut inside and hit a shot from 25 yards that Zaki Oualah covered easily diving to his left.

United continued to push ahead for another, Little fired in a free-kick from the right side that Duku flew at, meeting the ball with a diving header that went wide of the target and then just after the hour mark Culley completed his hat-trick, this time a Donnelly free-kick was played in from the right hand side, Culley rising highest to power a header past Beach.

Within seconds of the re-start things got worse for the hosts as a rash tackle on Duku by Wales earned the home skipper a second yellow card and subsequent red as Fleet were reduced to ten men for the remaining 25 minutes of the game.

The final 15 minutes saw United’s dominance continue, aided in part by the home side being reduced to ten men and an injury to ‘keeper Beach that saw his movement restricted. Donnelly collected the ball 30 yards out and hit a dipping drive that flew past Beach only to crash back off the crossbar this was quickly followed by under 18 skipper Jack Roper playing the ball left to Little, his centre was again met by a diving Duku but once again the ball ended up going wide of the target.

Just a minute later though United did have number four. Little stepped up to take a free-kick some 25 yards from goal, he played the ball low around the wall and with Beach static in the middle of the goal, the ball curled low into the bottom corner for his ninth of the campaign.

Four minutes from time Roper almost netted his first senior goal, the eighteen year-old midfielder collecting from Dombaxe before striking low towards the far corner only to be denied by Beach who despite his injury got down well to tip the shot wide of the upright and that was the last of the action in a comfortable United victory.

Report by Kevin Watts.

Photos by Ray Peploe.

United Man of the Match: Duncan Culley.