Trophy Draw kind to Fleet as Player and Manager take monthly accolades

After beating Gloucester City at Stonebridge Road on Saturday, the Fleet have been handed an away tie against fellow Kent side Whitstable Town in the second round of the FA Trophy. The Oystermen currently play in the Ryman League Division One South and sit 19^th in the League.

The draw went national this round with clubs as far as Gateshead and Barrow AFC potentially awaiting the Fleet but, just like every other cup tie so far, the draw was kind to the reds giving them a short journey.

Whitstable have beaten Sittingbourne, Potters Bar Town, Hythe Town, Carshalton Athletic and Hendon to get this far. Although it's a tough draw for the Oystermen, they will be giving it all they have on Saturday 14 December in front of a healthy crowd at the Belmont Stadium.

The two sides have met just once in competitive action over the years, with the Fleet running out 3-0 winners in an FA Cup Qualifying tie. The most recent meeting between the sides came last season in round one of the Kent Senior Cup. The Fleet came out on top in this match, winning 5-1 at the Belmont Stadium with Nathan Elder bagging four.

In other news today, Steve Brown picked up the Skrill South Manager of the Month award for November as the Fleet picked up five straight wins in Skrill and FA Competitions as well as progressing in the Kent Senior Cup.

The Fleet beat Bromley and Gloucester City in the FA Trophy as well as beating Concord Rangers, Basingstoke Town and Hayes and Yeading United in League action. Over the six games in the month, the boys in red managed to hit a total of 17 goals, conceding just three in the process. The victories in the League have pushed the Fleet up to third in the table, their highest position of the season so far, and they're improving with every game that passes.

Brown has got the players working for each other and confidence is sky high at the moment; the Fleet fear no one.

To complete the double award, on-loan striker Michael Thalassitis picked up the Player of the Month award for November as he bagged four goals in five matches. The Stevenage man hadn't been having the luck but after starting, and scoring, against Concord Rangers on November 02, he's started every game.

The Fleet are at home on Saturday in the Skrill South as they play Whitehawk before returning to cup against against Whitstable the following week.