Fisher dominated the game and secured a long-awaiting win as they eased past VCD and into the quarter-finals of the Kent Senior Trophy.
As manager Steve Firkins faced a selection crisis before kick-off, with several players unavailable, the subsequent performance and win was even more impressive. Firko had to cope without Jordan Clark and Carl Gibbs (suspension), Ope Aromona (injury), Juan Figueroa-Ball (cup-tied), and Adam Wadmore (work commitments). In came Billy Hensman to keep goal, and Fisher youth team product Bryan Zepo to play on the left of a front three. Winston Kentebe and Ben Frempah continued their partnership in central defensive.
VCD have undergone a change of manager and are somewhat in transition, though new boss Tony Russell had no shortage of quality available to him as he was able to field former Dulwich Hamlet players Dean Carpenter and Ray ‘Razor’ Powell, as well as former Beckenham keeper Nick Blue – rated by many as the best custodian in the league. Razor, popular with Fisher fans after a spell with the club earlier in his career, played at right-back and came up against the youthful Zepo.
It was the home side who pressed early though, winning two corners before Fisher had ventured beyond the halfway line. The Fisher defence stood firm, and gradually the visitors began to impose themselves on the game and win the territorial battle. Marvin Alebiosu was the first to test Blue, his long range shot saved comfortably.
Twenty-five minutes in, Huseyin Budak was next in line to try to beat Blue, his vicious half-volley was palmed on to the post as Fisher dominated the game. Alebiosu again forced a save, but Blue could do nothing about a curling shot from Zepo taken from the left-hand edge of the box – with the keeper rooted to the spot, Zepo watched as his shot agonisingly cannoned off the post and was cleared to safety.
Fisher passed up a tremendous chance to open the scoring at the end of the half, when Badar Mohamed won the ball on the right as VCD looked to play out from the back. Mohamed slotted in an unmarked Alebiosu, but with just the keeper to beat the attacking midfielder could not secure the goal is first half display deserved as he screwed his shot wide.
Fisher fans have got used to hard luck stories lately, so could be forgiven at half-time if they thought that the profligacy shown in missing those first half chances might come back to haunt the visitors. But the second half began as the first ended, with Fisher firmly on top and creating chances.
Jordan Green began to feature more on the left of the attack, and he set up Mohamed with an excellent opportunity to open the scoring – but the striker missed the target and the game remained goalless. When Fisher’d breakthrough came, it was ironically following a brief period of VCD pressure as the home team won a corner. Fisher cleared the corner and the ball was picked up by the impressive Jamie Taylor, who raced towards the centre-circle with the ball. Seeing Zepo ahead of him, he played a perfectly weighted through ball to the teenage striker. Zepo held off the attentions of the defender, took two touches and then slotted home decisively past Blue from the edge of the box.
VCD looked to respond and Fisher now had some defending to do. The back four dealt well with VCD’s attacking threat, and Hensman was an assured presence behind them. The home side did create chances though – an outstanding last ditch tackle from Femi Olugbemi was required to stop a shot on goal.
Fisher were presented with a chance to double their lead from the spot, after Mohamed was tripped from behind in the box. Budak stepped up and fired confidently to his left – only to see Blue pull off an excellent save to push the ball on to the post. Fortune favoured the Fish though, as the ball rebounded to Zepo who again took a touch before firing another perfectly judged shot past Blue for his and Fisher’s second goal of the game.
With just over ten minutes left, Fisher still had work to do at the back and Hensman pulled off an excellent save with his feet to maintain the clean sheet. Fisher made sure of the victory on 85 minutes, as Mohamed met a Taylor corner at the near post and he steered his header beyond Blue and into the roof of the net.
This was an excellent and confidence-boosting win for the Fish and it saw the team safely through to the quarter-finals of the Kent Senior Trophy where they will face league-leaders Erith & Belvedere.
Fisher: Hensman, Olugbemi, Lewis, Taylor, Kentebe, Frempah, Green, Budak, Mohamed (Salem 88), Alebiosu, Zepo
Attendance: 49
