MATCH REPORT: Fisher 1-3 Phoenix Sports

Fisher 1-3 Phoenix Sports
Tuesday 7th October
SCEFL Premier Division

Matchball Sponsor: Millwall Community Trust

Attn: 166
Scorer: Own Goal (90+14 min)

A disappointing night for Fisher saw them slip to a 3-1 defeat under the floodlights at St Paul’s against Phoenix Sports. Fisher made changes to their side from the weekend, with Michael Sarpong coming into midfield with Don MacAulay reverting to fullback to allow Jack Gibbons to play on the wing.
The early exchanges were fairly even, with plenty of good play in midfield from both sides, although Fisher were looking to go slightly longer with balls over the top for Jake Lovell in a centre forward role to chase. The game’s first real chance came after good play from Tom Jones in the centre of the park saw him skip away from a couple of tackles and feed Jack Gibbons on the left, from where the skipper cut inside, but saw his fierce shot palmed away by Boakye in the Phoenix goal. Midway through half the visitors took the lead after Fisher failed to properly clear a long ball into their box and it was recycled to Will Efambe on the left, who sent in a rapid low drive across Tommy Taylor into the corner of the net.
Fisher responded well and continued to see a lot of ball and following some further good play in midfield Tyron Mbuenimo was fouled on the corner of the box with Tom Jones seeing his curling effort palmed away. A series of corners also amounted to nothing, as Fisher were denied any clear cut chances by a well organised visiting defence.
The second half saw Fisher make an immediate change with Adejola Lahan withdrawn and debutant Mirko Jovanovic coming on in attack with Lovell reverting to the wing, Macaulay to centre back and Gibbons back into right back. However no sooner had the half started than there was a long delay of almost fifteen minutes, after the Phoenix midfielder Harry Smart dislocated his knee in a challenge, requiring him to be stretchered off after lengthy preparation to get him ready to be carried off.
Understandably from the restart the game became a little subdued and it was Fisher who carved out the game’s next few chances, with the Lorenzo Duncan firing just wide and substitute Jovanovic’s header only inches from creeping in at the near post. But with Fisher pressing for an equaliser, Phoenix picked them off on the counterattack to add a second, working the ball out to the left from where Ben Morrison cut inside and sent the ball low into the far corner. As on Saturday, Fisher now required a two goal comeback and set about their task with vigour in their best spell of the game, only denied by some amazing goalkeeping from Boakye. First he pulled off an amazing double save, clawing away a goal bound header from Duncan on the line, in Gordon Banks style, and then blocking the fiercely hit effort from Jovanovic as Fisher recycled the ball back into the box. Djadja and Mbuenimo then saw back post headers pass just wide, before Jovanovic’s low shot on the turn was again denied by Boakye clawing the ball back on the goal line as it looked to have beaten him down to his right.
As the game moved into the first of the fourteen added minutes Phoenix wrapped it up. A quick break saw them find Lyle Della Verde, who was given too much space twenty five yards out and smashed an unstoppable effort into the top corner to make it three.
Little of note bar a flurry of cautions happened in the remaining minutes until with virtually the last action of the game, a ball into the box was turned into their own net by an unfortunate Phoenix defender to give Fisher a consolation goal. The final whistle saw the clinical finishing of Phoenix win the day and Fisher left to rue an inspired late second half keeping display from giving them a second comeback draw inside a week. Fisher now have a two week break from league action, as cup football returns, with home games in both the Kent Senior Trophy and the FA Vase on the next two Saturdays.