Knaphill were beaten 1-0 by Fleet Town at Redding Way in the Combined Counties Premier Division South, as Sam Bartlett’s first-half strike proved the difference in a tight contest.

Fleet almost struck inside five minutes when TJ Taylor tried his luck from distance, the effort flashing just wide of the post.

The breakthrough came on 37 minutes. Liam Avery picked out the run of Brad Manning down the right, and his cross bounced up awkwardly inside the box. Bartlett met it first time, the shot taking a deflection off Michak Stanic-Stewart and looping high beyond Harvey Keogh into the roof of the net.

The Knappers nearly equalised after the break when Max Lohmeier’s long ball released Ben Mitchell down the right; he beat his man and whipped a dangerous cross across the box, with Ray Moore inches away from turning it home.

Knaphill kept pressing and on 69 minutes created their best chance. After a Fleet counter broke down, Keogh launched a long ball over the top that caught the visitors off guard. Moore raced clear one-on-one, but former Knaphill goalkeeper Sam Gray won the duel, sticking out a leg to deny the equaliser.

Knaphill carved out another opening on 86 minutes when Jack Phillips combined with Sid Cannon, the ball breaking kindly for Cannon just outside the box. His driven effort had power but flew narrowly over the bar.

In the 91st minute, Fleet almost sealed it. Jack Carrod was dispossessed by Taylor, who raced clear one-on-one with Keogh, but the Knaphill keeper stood tall and got a vital touch with his leg to divert the ball wide.

Tensions boiled over in the 92nd minute when Knaphill’s Daryl Cooper-Smith, having entered as a late substitute, was sent to the sin bin for dissent.

By James Carpenter