FA Vase Second Round

Fisher 2 - 1 Balham
Saturday 8 November 2025 - 15:00

Fisher 2-1 Balham
Saturday 8th November
FA Vase Second Round

Matchball Sponsor: Millwall Community Trust
Photo Credit: Dave Anderson – Full Album here

Attn: 186
Scorers: Rafael Garcia (46 min), Tom Jones (76 min)

Fisher won through to the third round of the FA Vase, for the first time in their history, thanks to a 2-1 win over Combined Couties League Primer Division South side, Balham, at St Pauls.
Despite the absence of Don Macaulay and Sha’mar Lawson, Fisher were able to name a strong side with starts for Rafael Garcia, Michael Sarpong, Lorenzo Duncan and Adejola Lahan and a welcomed return on the bench after a six week-long injury for Festos Kamara.
From the outset Fisher appeared to be in control of the tie with the work rate of the midfield earning plenty possession, which was used well to spread the ball to either flank. However, for all the promising build up play, the first half dominance was let down by a lack of a killer final ball and some wayward finishing. Michael Sarpong drew a good save from the keeper as his fierce rising drive looked to be heading for the top corner after a flowing moved teed him up, but this was one of few  efforts on target as Fisher’s front line peppered the fence at the Pond End with Garcia, Kesna Clarke and Tom Jones all firing over or just wide with attempts from outside the box, when perhaps one more pass or a more patient approach would have set up a clearer chance.
A series of corners and free kicks in dangerous positions also amounted to little and as the sides filed off at half time with the game still goalless, Fisher must have been puzzling as to what the needed to do to actually find the back of the net, along with the confusion of how such dominance had not led to a healthy lead.
That was all to change a minute into the second half though, as Fisher again quickly got on the front foot. Good hold up play from Kesna Clarke saw him spread the ball to Rafael Garcia on the left of the area and the former Everton Under 23 winger, cut inside his marker before drilling a reverse shot into the near top corner with his right foot, with it kissing the inside of the post on its way in. Given the first half dominance, the early goal should have unlocked the game and allowed Fisher to kick on and add further goals to make the tie safe, but somehow they conspired to allow Balham back into the game.
A long ball into the Fisher box did not appear to be particularly dangerous, but some defensive hesitation and the perseverance of the Balham forward, saw him get the wrong side of the back line and in attempting to get the ball back Ange Djadja was deemed to have held the striker and a penalty was awarded. Isaac Ogunseri guessed correctly in going to his right, but Piers Oldland’s well hit kick had too much power, despite Ogunseri getting a hand on it and nestled in the corner to level the game.
With penalties looming, Fisher made attacking substitutions with David Mata and Festos Kamara coming on in a bid to avoid the lottery of a shoot-out. It was a move that paid off as with fifteen minutes to go, Clarke was felled after good work on the left from Mata and Tom Jones found the radar that was missing in the first hal with a magnificent free kick into the top near corner giving the keeper no chance.
This time Fisher were in no mood to relinquish the lead, and Kamara almost added a third when acrobatically attempting to hook home Lovell’s cross from cross range but failed to make clean contact, with only a defender on the goal line to beat. Fisher had done enough though and despite a late flurry of yellow cards saw the game out in added time with little fuss, to secure a historic place in the third round for the first time in their twenty first Vase campaign.

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