MATCH REPORT: Stansfeld 1-4 Fisher

Stansfeld 1-4 Fisher
Saturday 14th February
SCEFL Premier Division

Attn: 105
Scorers: Alex Kozak (50 min), Lorenzo Duncan (55 min and 71 min), Festos Kamara (81 min)

Fisher moved up to the fringes of the play off places after a dominant second half performance against Stansfeld in the first Bermondsey Derby of the season. A knock in training ruled out Jacob Katonia with Flavio Jumo coming in on the wing and Tuesday’s debutant Jake Adams was away, necessitating Conor Darwish switching to centre back with Lorenzo Duncan taking the left back slot. There was the welcome sight of Charles Yiadom Konadu back on the bench.
Despite relentless rain through the week, a rare dry sunny day and terrific work from the ground staff gave a good playing surface as Fisher took first advantage of the slope. However, it was the hosts who made the better start and won two early free kicks in dangerous areas just outside the box but sent both well over the bar. At the other end Fisher’s forwards were being strangled by a committed defence and were not helped but too many over hit through balls falling away down the slope. As the half wore on Fisher started to gain control, forcing a number of corners but nothing would fall kindly with Don Macaulay heading over when rising to meet the best delivery. Flavio Juno looked well set when put in down the right channel, but his low drive only found the side netting as the sides went into the break still goal less.
After such a cagey first half there was a feeling amongst the crowd it would take an error or a mark of quality to unlock the tight game, but few could have predicted the open nature of the second half. Just four minutes in Fisher took the lead, as some good midfield passing saw Lawson feed Jumo on the right where he was able to outsprint his marker and send in an early low cross that found Alex Kozak arriving in the penalty area to give the keeper little chance of keeping out his side footed effort from the edge of the six yard box. Any hopes the goal would allow Fisher to ease to victory were quickly dispelled as within two minutes they were reduced to ten men as Sha’mar Lawson reacted to what appeared to be a kick out in back play to him and his ill-disciplined reaction was seen by the referee who immediately showed a red card, but after speaking to both assistants was not able to take action against the unseen instigator.
Despite the numerical disadvantage, Fisher redoubled their efforts and quicky gave themselves a two goal cushion as Festos Kamara’s good hold up play allowed the ball to be pushed out into the path of Lorenzo Duncan who swept in a fabulous strike out of the reach of the keeper and clipping the underside of the bar into the top corner.
Again though Fisher made their task harder than in should have been as what seemed a less than threatening situation on the right saw a cross deflect and swirl awkwardly with Isaac Ogunseri only able to palm it away as far as the unmarked Glen Bain who took his time to get the ball onto his right foot before squeezing it past Ogunseri on the line. Fisher then had to withstand a period of Stansfeld pressure, but with the energy of Tyron Mbuenimo and Charles Yiadom Konadu on as a substitute in midfield were able to keep the ball well and move it around sufficiently to keep their hosts at arms-length. On seventy minutes Fisher regained their two goal advantage as a flowing move down the left allowed Lorenzo Duncan to swap passes inside the area with Kamara and cut inside to blast home from eight yards, for his thirteenth goal of the season with eight of those coming from open play at left back! The introduction of Rafael Garcia saw some heavy challenges come in on the tricky winger with a rather odd scenario of an advantage being played and before the ball went dead a second challenge coming in from the same player which resulted in two yellow cards and the sides evened up at ten apiece. Garcia was to then become architect for a fine fourth goal as he jinked in from the left touchline and pulled the ball back to Festos Kanara who slammed home left footed. Fisher knocked the ball about with aplomb for the remaining ten minutes to comfortably see out the game and move into seventh place with games still in hand on many of the teams above.