MATCH REPORT: Snodland Town 2-2 Fisher (Fisher win 4-2 on pens)

Snodland Town 2-2 Fisher (Fisher win on 4-2 pens)
Saturday 22nd November
Kent Senior Trophy Second Round

Attn: 128
Scorers: Festos Kamara (8 min), Alex Kozak (48 min)

Amidst atrocious conditions, Fisher advanced to the quarter finals of the Kent Senior Trophy, despite a late Snodland Town comeback, with keeper Dan Carpanini the hero in the penalty shootout win. Carpanini was one of eight changes to the Fisher starting line-up, with only Festos Kamara, Michael Sarpong and Don Macaulay having started the league game seven days earlier, but the strength of the Fisher squad shone through boosted by an impressive debut from new signing Alex Kozak and an inspired performance from the Fisher legend Carpanini.
With the light rain prior to the game becoming steadier as kick off approached, Fisher opted to kick up the slope and made an excellent start when they took the lead in the eighth minute. Good work from wing back Kelvin Bakare on the left saw his low cross ricochet off a defender’s outstretched leg and bounce back off the keeper with Festos Kamara on hand to tuck home the loose ball from close range.
Fisher were buoyed by the goal and pressed well for a second. A good driving run from debutant Kozak ended with his left footed shot swirling wide and Bakare was a constant threat on the left sending over a number of dangerous low crosses, one of which saw the home keeper pull off a miraculous close range stop to deny Kamara a second from close range and he then pulled of an ever better save to flick a glancing header from captain for the day, Jola Lahan around the post after Kozak’s fine delivery. At the other end a goal line scramble saw Snodland somehow unable to apply a final touch to push the ball over the line and Carpanini saved well from a good chance twelve yards out after Snodland had found a spare player in the box. Nathan Olawale then fired over for the hosts when racing clear from his own half with Don Macaulay’s pursuit doing just enough to hurry the winger and keep Fisher in front going into the break.
The second half saw Fisher get off to a perfect start after Kamara was felled just outside of the box and Alex Kozak, curled his low free kick around the wall, with the soaking pitch causing the keeper to loose his footing when diving and unable to get a strong enough hand on the ball to keep it out the net.
Fisher could not build on the two goal advantage though and bit by bit, Snodland forced themselves back it the game, with Carpanini being called on twice to save superbly at his near post before on the hour mark Snodland won a penalty, spotted only by the assistant, after the referee had originally waved away any claims. However, Carpanini was able to push the kick away and then see the rebound effort hit the inside of the post before Fisher scrambled it to safety. The pressure continued to mount though and with twenty minutes to go, Fisher’s back line finally succumbed as a deep delivery into the box was headed back powerfully into the far corner of the goal to halve Fisher’s lead.
The hosts frantically sent players forward in order to level the tie and send it to penalties, but Fisher looked to have weathered the storm, until four minutes into added time, when a long throw into the box was recycled and the resulting delivery saw another powerful header end up in the same spot as the first to level the scores.
Penalties were required and Donald Macaulay confidently dispatched Fisher’s first, before Dan Carpanini threw himself tohis right to punch away Snodland’s first and give Fisher a slender advantage. Festos Kamara cooly sent in his kick into the corner, with Snodland replying, and Michael Sarpong notched Fisher’s third with Snodland again replying with a successful kick. Alex Kozak slammed his kick emphatically into the roof of the net leaving Snodland needing to score to stay in the contest, but their kick sailed high over the bar and Fisher were through to the quarter finals to take place in January.