Kent Football League

Fisher played their full part in this entertaining Kent Premier League clash but a series of wasted chances and extremely poor luck meant another fruitless afternoon for the away side. As scores of non league games fell victim to the weather, the excellent drainage at the Erith Stadium ensured the surface remained firm despite a deluge of rain prior to kick off. The fine pitch could do little about the wind however and Fisher found themselves playing against 60 mph gusts in the first half as well as a clinical Erith Town side.
Manager Gary Lisney was forced into two changes prior to kickoff as injuries begin to take their toll on the Fisher squad. Bryan Glover (flu) and Adam Lisney (Back Spasms) were forced to sit out on proceedings, replaced by Luis Sprosen and George Kamurasi in the Fish goal. Defenders David James and Luis Rosen were also recalled to the starting XI, Simon St Aimee and Mark Lewis dropped to the bench as Lisney set about finding a way to sure up a leaky Fish defence. The changes seemed to backfire almost immediately as Town took the lead with their first forage into the Fisher half. With the wind on their backs Adrian Deane was afforded too much time on the edge of the box and picking his spot easily drove the ball past a static Kamurasi.
The blustery conditions continued to cause havoc with Fisher finding it near impossible to clear their lines. On more than one occasion attempted clearances and goal kicks could only find the touchline 20 yards out as the ball was caught in midair. This threatened to ruin the game as a spectacle but both sides still managed to play some nice stuff although at sporadic intervals. With a quarter of an hour gone Wayne Grant and Elstrom Die began to assert themselves on the Erith Back four and the latter missed two guilt edged opportunities in quick succession. Wayne Grant beat the offside trap and squared the ball for Die on both occasions but the Fish top scorer had an afternoon to forget, fluffing his lines with the goal gapping.
Erith showed Fisher how it’s done with effectively the last kick of the first half, Sam Prett receiving a squared ball in the box before duly slotting the ball home. The Fish, now with the wind in their favour for the second half, were still very much in the game but alarmingly for Gary Lisney’s men the gusts died down and the ball’s flight became unaffected. Prett rammed home the advantage 11 minutes after the interval with the significant touch from a corner.
To their credit Fisher never let their heads drop and almost completed the most unlikely of comebacks. Die was thwarted once again on the hour mark, former Fish stopper Tim Roberts producing an excellent save diving to his right from a close range effort. A minute later the away side thought they’d got back into the game when Roberts failed to hold the ball from a cross but the ball trickled along the goal line before Town cleared to safety. Lloyd Boateng made no doubt on 70 minutes though with an early contender for goal of the month, the defender picked up the ball 30 yards out, took a touch before unleashing an unstoppable pile driver that flew into the top corner. On 75 minutes, Luke Coleman who until then was having a quiet game, then popped up with a second contender. The forward was played through down the right channel and without taking a controlling touch volleyed the ball first time into the far corner from 25 yards, Roberts once again grasping at thin air. With Lisney’s side chasing the game, the Fish were forced to take risks throwing men forward. On 85 minutes a relieved Erith Town effectively sealed proceedings, Kamurasi spilled a long range effort and James Taylor netted the loose ball.