MATCH REPORT: Fisher 1-0 Hollands & Blair

Fisher v Hollands 1-0 Blair
Sat 9th August
SCEFL Premier Division

Matchball Sponsor: Millwall Community Trust

Attn: 204
Scorer: Kesna Clarke (68 mins, pen)

A solitary goal from the penalty spot was sufficient for Fisher to take all three points against a hard working Hollands and Blair side and remain in second place in the SCEFL Premier Division. Despite back to back wins, manager Ajay Ashanike shuffled his pack, with Flavio Jumo and Tom Jones both missing from the midfield allowing starts for Rafael Garcia and Charles Yiadom Konadu, and Tommy Taylor took over between the sticks, replacing the injured Sam Amedu. Ange Djadja also returned to the fold on a dual registration from Cray Wanderers.
On a hot and sunny day, both sides made a lightening start, with Taylor having to gather a dangerous low cross into the box and at the other end and Kesna Clarke sending an effort wide of the inside the first two minutes. Fisher quickly settled into a good rhythm, with Charles Yiadom-Konadu enjoying himself in the midfield, seeing plenty of the ball and unleashing his usual tricks and dummies allowing him to flash an early curling effort just wide. Michael Sarpong also a powerful free kick rise just over as Fisher searched for the opening goal.
With both sides playing some good football, curiously their best chances game from scruffier efforts, with Echem screwing a low effort just wide of the post after a couple of fortuitous deflections allowed him space to turn in the box and Kian Scott saw a similar effort at the other squirm just wide of Taylor’s upright. Fisher also had to put in several excellent blocks as a spell of Blair pressure saw the ball bounce around the edge of the Fisher area.
Fisher should have gone into the break ahead after a good short corner routine allowed Jack Gibbons to send over a peach of a cross that Sarpong, having jumped highest could not quite keep his header under the bar. Further chances for Echem, who again saw his low, stabbed effort drift wide of the far post and a powerful shot on the rise from Rafael Garcia came and went meaning Fisher went in at half time without the goal their industry warranted.
The second half continued in similar vein, with Fisher in the ascendency and some dazzling footwork from Charles Yiadom Konadu saw him cut in from the right and rifle off a fizzing, dipping shot that rattled visiting keeper Dan Ellis’s crossbar. The midfield maestro was pulling all the strings and causing havoc in the Blair defence with every touch and a well-placed free kick saw Ellis have to gather Gibbons’ header. Another mazy run saw a thunderbolt effort just get enough of a deflection off a defender’s boot to take it wide as Yiadom Konadu revelled in the sunshine. From the resulting corner Fisher took the lead. A deep delivery evaded everyone and the unlikely figure of Ange Djadja picked the ball up wide on through and danced into the area and in true Yiadom-Konadu fashion, where his quick feet drew the foul and saw the referee point straight to the spot. Kesna Clarke stepped up and sent Ellis the wrong way to finally give Fisher the lead with just over twenty minutes to play.
Fisher were now in full flow and some of the attacking build up play was a joy to watch, with a stinging Clarke effort drawing a good save from Ellis and Yaidom-Konadu drawing gasps from the crowd as he skipped past tackles in the box only to see his shot rise over the bar. At the other end Hollands and Blair were still a threat and it took a good block from Djadja to stop them getting a shot away on the right after a good break and a well flighted cross flashed wide of the post without anyone finding a touch.
In the dying moments of normal time Fisher had a great chance to wrap up the points when good work from Echem saw him slip the ball inside to substitute Lorenzo Duncan, but with the only Ellis baring an open goal, he sliced his effort wide of the post. It wasn’t to matter as Fisher saw out the injury time despite a penalty claim for the visitors to take the points and remain in second place in the embryonic league table.