MATCH REPORT: VCD Athletic 2-1 Fisher

VCD Athletic 2-1 Fisher
Monday 5th May
SCEFL Play Off Final

Attn: 720!
Scorer: Flavio Jumo (38 min)

Extended Highlights: AJH Vision – watch here
Photo Credit: Alan Coomes

Fisher’s promotion bid finally came unstuck, in the last minute of the SCEFL Premier Division play- off final, as with penalties looming to decide the tie, a cruel last gasp goal saw them fall to a 2-1 defeat at VCD Athletic.
Fisher arrived in the final courtesy of a pealty shootout win over third placed Whitstable Town, but on league standings faced an even tougher task as they took on second placed VCD Athletic, who had led the table for much of the season. It was a task made harder by the absence of play maker Charles Yiadom Konadu, succumbing to knocks taken in the run in. Salim Nassor coming in for the midfielder was the only change from the semi-final starting line-up, with goalkeeper Sam Amedu added to the bench.
Fisher started nervously, playing uphill into a stiff breeze, and the early pressure all came from VCD. Within six minutes that pressure told and having seen the ball moved around the edges of their area, Fisher struggled to clear and Bethel Gboda fed Ollie Freeman, whose low cross was calmly turned home inside the near post from eight yards out by Lee Bird.
Fisher looked shell shocked and struggled for fluency, but hard work from Flavio Jumo and Tyron Mbuenimo in the middle of the park saw them gain some possession which was used well by Salim Nassor, allowing more attacking threat down the wings, with Jack Gibbons joining in with Jake Lovell down the right and Courtney Barrington a constant box of tricks on the left. Fisher almost forced an equaliser when Nassor’s deep corner was nodded back across the box by Ange Djadja and Kesna Clarke’s shot on turn was headed off the line by a well-placed VCD defender.
VCD still posed a threat though and Connor Dymond’s shot from range forced a regulation save from Isaac Ogunseri as it flew into his mid-rift. On thirty eight minutes Fisher drew themselves level. Good work on the right saw Conor Darwish and Barrington feed Clarke and he slipped inside his man before playing the ball off for Flavio Jumo, who took the ball more centrally before hitting it on the reverse from the edge of the box, with a pinpoint low drive to beat the diving Walker seeing the ball nestle inside the post to the joy of the huge Fisher following behind the goal.
VCD almost took the lead back before the break when a free kick on the corner of the penalty. saw Dymond whip in a vicious curling shot that flew inches over, but the sides went into the break level.
The second spell saw VCD again start stronger and Ogunseri had to be alert to handle a deflected shot form Whitlock before Fisher got going. However, with the slope now in their favour Fisher did manage to push on and forced a series of corners, but lacked a killer delivery and their short routines proved fruitless with a tame effort skewed wide from Jake Lovell all they had to show from their spell of territorial dominance.
The game opened up and chances came and went at either end. Michael Fenn rattled the cross bar when steering a near post corner goal wards for the hosts and Kesna Clarke could not find the target when getting another shot on the turn away under pressure from a VCD defender.
Penalties looked to be looming as the game moved into the final ten minutes, but both sides still fancied winning it in regulation time. Fisher created a glorious opportunity with seven minutes left as Clarke was too strong for centre back Dexter Peters when running into the box and slipped the ball inside for Tyron Mbuenimo, but Walker made himself big as he came off his line and blocked the shot with an instinctive match winning save.
With the clock ticking over to the 89th minute Fisher hearts were broken. A ball in low from the right was only deflected into the path of Bird and he stabbed a low bouncing shot that Ogunseri could only parry away into the path of Sheppey United’s Dan Bradshaw, dual signed specifically for the play offs, who had reacted first and he tucked the rebound away with Ogunseri just unable to get enough on it to divert it over.
Fisher valiantly tried to battle back into injury time. Ange Djadja acting as a second striker was sent free down the right and his pace saw him beat the defender and keeper to the ball before being wiped out just outside the box by wild lunge, but the free kick was fired against the wall and the promotion dream was gone minutes later as the referee blew the final whistle.
Despite the defeat it was the Fisher fans who sang long and hard after the final whistle celebrating what has been magnificent season defying expectation in even reaching the play offs.