Fisher’s winless run finally ended – and in emphatic style as they dominated from start to finish at Winch’s Field and came away with a deserved three points.
It was a strong Fisher side that took the field on Saturday, missing only Adam Wadmore and the suspended Billy Walton. Skipper Frankie Warren dropped into defence to partner Theo Larbie, while Ken Jarrett-Elliott moved to left-back and Richie Monan reprised the successful central midfield role that he had played at Deal the previous week.
From the off, Fisher were on the front foot, taking the game to the hosts on a bumpy pitch at the home of Herne Bay. Their reward for a positive start came after ten minutes, as Aaron Jeffery showed tremendous skill to control a long pass then cut inside in a single movement. His cross found Danny Hunt at the far post and he was left with a simple finish to put Fisher 1-0 up.
Fisher continued to dominate the game. A Hunt cross just evaded Kane Chattey, and on the half hour mark Monan found Ope Aromona on the left but his shot was saved by Connor Quinn in the City goal. It wasn’t all one-way traffic though, and Danny Firkins had to be at his best to keep out a point blank header from Jake Gess.
Hunt had a chance to add his second as he latched on to a Chattey through ball, but his dinked finish past Quinn went agonisingly wide of the near post. Hunt and Chattey’s partnership is beginning to bear fruit for the Fish, and Hunt was back to his best during this game as he worked the channels and didn’t give the City defence a moment’s peace.
Fisher’s second goal came as a result of Hunt picking up the ball wide on the left. Beating his man, he slid a perfect pass to the unmarked Ellis Wilson-Joseph on the edge of the box. The midfielder’s placed finish gave Quinn no chance as it slipped just inside the post, and Fisher went into the half time break 2-0 up.
It was 3-0 just two minutes after the restart, Ope Aromona floated in a cross-shot from wide on the left that evaded everyone, including Quinn who could only turn and watch as the ball ended up in the top corner of the net. With Fisher 3-0 up and looking comfortable it appeared that the game was effectively over. City had other ideas though, and they exploited some slack marking in the Fisher defence to get back in the game. Richard Sinden was allowed space to pick his spot, though it was still an excellent lobbed finish that beat Firkins and gave City some hope.
Fisher regrouped, however, and the game became scrappy as the away side were content to hold what they had. Steve Firkins brought on Danny Taylor as a stand-in striker, and just as the visiting fans were trying to work out what the burly defender was doing in such an advanced position the move paid dividends. Quinn was unable to claim a Fisher corner, and from the resulting scramble Taylor slammed the ball home from no more than a yard to put Fisher 4-1 up and secure the three points.
As the game went in to injury time, Stefan Dixon – who had had another fine game at left-back – was given his marching orders by the referee as a mistimed tackle meant that he picked up a second yellow card. City then grabbed a second goal from the resulting free kick, though there was no time for any further action and the Fish could celebrate a long-awaiting, and fully deserved, three points.
Fisher: Firkins, Dixon, Jarrett-Elliott, Wilson-Joseph, Larbie, Warren (Bruniges 84), Jeffery (Holley 84), Monan, Chattey (Taylor 74) , Hunt, Aromona
Attendance: 94
