Fisher took the lead but a freak own goal and poor second half display meant home side Holmesdale deservedly took all three points.
Charlie Helps returned to the Fisher backline, with Frankie Warren returning to his midfield role and Danny Hunt started up front alongside Mark Sisson. Holmesdale featured five players with Fisher connections in their matchday squad – Mark Lewis, Ernest Simon, Dexter Babalola, and keeper Dan Teeley all faced their former team, with Adrian Ma on the bench.
The Fish got off to a flying start, dominating possession and with the game played almost entirely in the Holmesdale half. Teeley got down smartly at Hunt’s feet to deny the striker as he advanced on goal, and Danny Tipple was put through on goal but sent his shot wide.
Fisher continued to create chances and shortly after Tipple had sent another shot wide, Teeley could only palm out a Chris Hubbard shot and Sisson couldn’t quite divert the ball home – what might have been a nudge in the back from a defender not helping his cause. But Sisson got on the scoresheet just before the half-hour mark. Jamie Turner sent in a free kick that Ken Jarrett-Elliott knocked down, and Sisson sent a cool finish past Teeley to put the Fish 1-0 up.
At this stage in the game it looked like being the first of many, so dominant were the Fish, but a freak goal just two minutes later turned the tide. As a long ball was sent towards the edge of the Fisher box, Billy Hensman advanced and Jarrett-Elliott positioned himself under the ball. Unaware that Hensman had left his line, Jarrett-Elliott cushioned a header backwards – past the stranded Hensman and into the empty net.
The goal was hugely unfortunate, but it served to encourage the home side who from this moment on looked like the better team. Hensman smothered the ball on the edge of the box to deny the Holmesdale attack, and at the other end Simon and Prescott-Kerr were forming an impressive partnership in central defence. There was time for one more excellent Fisher move before half-time though, a series of one touch passes between Hunt, Sisson and Nathaniel Bell ending with Teeley making a flying save to tip Bell’s shot around the post.
The second half was almost all Holmesdale. Chris Hatt went on a tremendous run beating two men, only to see Hensman get his fingertips to the ball. From the resulting corner, Kyle Demetrius made a tremendous goal line clearance to keep the scores level. Holmesdale right-back Curtis Williams went on another mazy run and was foiled by more last ditch defending.
Fisher nearly took the lead against the run of play, as Turner crashed a volley against the crossbar on 72 minutes. But it was pretty much one way traffic although as the minutes ticked away and Holmesdale missed a tremendous chance the Fish held out hope of holding on for a point. But with seven minutes to play Holmesdale took a decisive lead. Another corner led to another goalmouth scramble, and this time there was no denying Dale as Ricky Spain hammered the ball home.
Fisher never looked like recovering. A poor day was compounded as Steve Strotton converted a penalty to make it 3-1, and Warren collected two yellow cards in the space of two minutes leading to his second red card of the season.
There is no doubt that Fabio Rossi and his Holmesdale team deserved the win, and they are a vastly improved side on the one we saw at Champion Hill earlier this season. For the Fish, this was less than ideal preparation for the visit of Kent Hurlimann Football League leaders Herne Bay next Saturday and there is plenty to work on in training.
Fisher: Hensman, Demetrius, Tipple, Warren, Helps, Jarrett-Elliott, Hubbard (Wilson-Joseph 74), Turner, Sisson (Afolayan 65), Hunt, Bell (Humpris 74). Unused Subs: Monan, Walton
Attendance: 46
