MATCH REPORT: Jersey Bulls 2-0 Fisher

Jersey Bulls 2-0 Fisher
Saturday 16 August
FA Cup Preliminary Round

Attn: 563
Extended Highlights: – Courtesy Jersey Bulls: watch here

Fisher bowed out of the FA Cup at the Preliminary Round stage, after losing a close encounter over on the Channel Islands, with a late breakaway goal as they pressed for an equaliser, sealing a 2-0 defeat against Jersey Bulls.
A scarcity of flights necessitated an overnight stay for the Fisher squad at Gatwick Airport, prior to a very early Saturday morning flight for the midday kick off. With Jacob Katonia picking up an injury midweek and Omari Williams unable to travel with no ID, Fisher were forced to name coach Michael Williams on the bench, with the squad having to be listed earlier in the week to meet travel conditions. Fisher reverted to a 433 formation for the first time this season with Chibueze Echem dropping to the bench.
The early start seemed to affect both sides and whilst the early passages of play were both competitive and combative there was a lack of quality on show, not helped by a gusting wind. However, on the fifteen minute mark the game came to life, with chances at either end. An overlapping run on the left saw a low cross into the Fisher penalty area, but Tommy Taylor pulled off a fine save from Barlow’s effort and immediately afterwards Yiadom-Konadu pushed a fine low pass through for Kesna Clarke to run on to, but as he rounded the outrushing keeper, the flag went up, with the ball rolling into an empty net, with Clarke correctly adjudged just offside at the start of his run.
The game continued to be tight and well contested in midfield, but it was the Bulls who looked to create slightly more and ten minutes before half time their sustained pressure paid off. A Fisher break down the right was dispossessed had a long diagonal pass found the Bulls right winger and his low cross bobbled through a couple of deflections before finding Giles at the back post to sweep the ball home.
The half ended with the Bulls on top as Fisher had to defend well to stop them adding a second and resulted in a change of formation for the second-half with Echem coming on for an off-sorts Yiadom-Konadu. With Rafael Garcia starting to tread a thin line with the referee after an earlier yellow card he was also quickly substituted in the second spell with Kelvin Bakare entering the fray. Fisher were now playing with more purpose and looking more of a threat going forward, although Don Macaulay had to block a low cross with players queuing up behind him to convert.
Fisher made more changes with Lorenzo Duncan and Ed Sata replacing Flavio Jumo and Michael Sarpong in midfield to keep up the work rate of their high intensity pressing game. However, this was to backfire when minutes later Fisher were forced to bring on coach Michael Williams as the final substitution following a terrible injury to Chibueze Echem, who was accidentally felled as he cut in the right hand side of the penalty area. Whilst first contact from the defender was with the ball a trailing leg tangled with the forward’s ankle resulting in a triple fracture and severe ligament damage for the unfortunate striker.
Fisher tried hard to overcome this set back and laid siege to the Jersey goal with Duncan a particular threat, seeing one effort fly over the bar and then wriggling in along the byline whereupon his pull back was almost turned in by the unlikely figure of Michael Williams playing ancillary striker. Fisher continued to press forcing a series of corners and having a number of shots charged down but leaving themselves short at the back, were caught on the counter several times. Ange Djajda made two excellent last ditch tackles and Dos Santos fired wildly over the bar when clear before Taylor made a miraculous save to keep Fisher in the game from yet another quick break as Fisher threw caution to the wind in sending players forward. Deep into injury time Fisher continued to press for the equaliser with little breaking for them as the ball bobbled around the Jersey box and in the 94th minutes a hacked clearance allowed Dos Santos to run free the length of the Fisher half and wrap the game up.
A brave effort by the fish against higher league opponents coupled with the difficulties of the journey but it will be the jersey balls and not Fisher who enter the first qualifying round draw.