MATCH REPORT: Sutton Athletic 1-2 Fisher

Sutton Athletic 1-2 Fisher
Saturday 5 September 2026
SCEFL Premier Division

Attn: 120
Scorers: James Bessey Saldanha (69 min), Festos Kamara (90+2 min)

A goal deep into added time from Festos Kamara earned Fisher all three points and the first away win of this season as they edged past Sutton Athletic by the odd goal in three. Fisher welcomed back James Bessey Saldanha into the starting line-up after injury kept him out of last week’s draw at Chislehurst Glebe. There was also a place for Mekhi Clarke, replacing Euan Mutale who left to sign for Folkestone Invicta after last week’s game.
Fisher started the game in positive fashion and could have been ahead inside ten seconds when Temi Alaka got onto a long ball forward from the kick off, but his lobbed effort from a wide angle lacked the required direction. Mekhi Clarke Then saw a powerful drive beaten away by the home keeper after Fisher had worked the ball across the penalty area to find him in space on the right. At the other end Sutton’s main threat came from deliveries into the box from dead balls and long throws but Zacharias Akinde in the Fisher goal was confidently coming to punch to help out his defence and ensure the threat was contained. When Sutton did get in around the Fisher back line Akinde made a good save at his near post pushed the ball away for a corner. Both sides pushed for an opening goal. Sutton put a couple of efforts over the bar with headers from corners and saw a shot flash past the far post and Fisher went close with Clarke dragging an effort past the near post having cut in off the left and Aaron Archibald saw a back post header just drop the wrong side of the near post.
Fisher were dealt a blow just after the half hour mark when Alex Kozak had to limp off with a knee injury to be replaced by Rafael Garcia. Both sides would have gone into the break thinking the points could be there’s with a little more quality in the final third.
A further change for Fisher at half time saw Festos Kamara come on in place of Aaron Archibald with a reshuffle seeing Conor Darwish drop into centre half. This allowed Fisher to play the ball on the floor more than they had during the first period, but it was the introduction of Charles Yiadom Konadu halfway through second half that really saw Fisher get their passing game going and enabled them to play higher up pitch. Kamara got up well to see a header just pass over the bar and a great dinking run from Jack Gibbons just couldn’t find a final delivery as he got deep into Sutton penalty area.
The goal Fisher deserved finally arrived in the sixty ninth minute. Having earned a corner on the left hand side, it was taken short and then quickly pushed to James Bessey Saldanha, who was lurking outside the penalty area. Despite being closed by outrushing Sutton defenders, he nudged the ball to his right and then slammed an unstoppable drive into the roof of the net through the crowded penalty area. Fisher continued looking to seal the game of a second goal and thought they had the perfect opportunity when Temi Alaka twisted and turned past his defender inside the penalty area and appeared to be brought down, however the referee decided he had initiated the contact the Fisher winger was booked simulation.
As the game moved into the last quarter of an hour Sutton made changes and their two pacey young substitute wingers started causing problems that had not existed before. With six minutes left Fisher were pegged back. Garcia was left in heap on halfway as he attempted to shield the ball and with Fisher wanting a free kick play was waved on by the referee and a good move released Sutton’s left winger who cut into the box and pulled the ball back to be turned home by Elijah Abraham from close range. Fisher were not to be denied though and went pushing for a winner. Kamara arrived at the back of the box after another good run forward from Gibbons but was unable to keep his effort down. Deep into added time Fisher got the goal they craved. A fine run from Garcia saw him get past the right back and into the box. His pull back deflected into the path of Festos Kamara and switching it onto his left foot he slipped the ball under a posse of defenders and keeper to see it roll into the far corner to the delight of the Fisher supporters behind the goal.