Fisher fell to derby defeat against Beckenham, as a bright start gave way to defensive errors.
The Fish couldn’t capitalise on early possession, and Beckenham made them pay as they pounced on hesitant defending to seal a comprehensive win. Steve Firkins had been forced into a defensive reshuffle as illness prevented Richie Monan continuing his fine form at right back, and Charlie Helps missed the game through injury. George Kendall returned to replace Helps while Frankie Warren filled in on the right.
Fisher were on the front foot from the off and they enjoyed the lion’s share of the ball in the opening fifteen minutes. Peter Afolayan’s persistence won him the ball in the area but his cross from the byline somehow evaded everyone and Beckenham were able to clear to safety. Jamie Humphris also looked lively as he exploited the space between the defence and midfield to good effect. All too often however the final ball lacked quality as the Fish perhaps tried too hard to play the perfect pass, and chances were hard to come by.
Beckenham began to enjoy more of the ball, and Jake Hobbs sent a free kick win after 16 minutes. Hobbs missed another chance to open the scoring when he fired a bouncing ball wide five minutes later. The warning signs were there for Fisher, as the game became scrappy, but they were not heeded and Beckenham went a goal up after half-an-hour. Nick Curran escaped the attention of the Fisher defenders, and he received the ball in space on the edge of the area. Seeing Fisher keeper Joe Hagan off his line, Curran sent a superb chip over Hagan’s head and into the net.
Fisher looked to respond and Jamie Turner’s free kick just evaded Kendall’s head, before the lively Chan Quan shot over the bar. Turner had a great chance to equalised on 40 minutes, as he controlled the ball on his chest and shot but the ball went wide.
At 1-0 down, Fisher were very much in the game but two defensive lapses just before half time saw Beckenham take a decisive lead. Alfie Nunn pounced on a miscommunication at the back and slotted home to make it 2-0, then after Fisher wasted an attacking free kick Beckenham broke down the right. Hagan couldn’t hold on to the resulting shot, and Curran was left with a tap-in for Beckenham’s third.
Firkins sacrificed defensive midfielder Jamie Taylor at the break to hand Mike Jones a belated debut – Jones, who registered with Fisher in pre-season, was snapped up by Bromley but returned to the Fish with his first team opportunities limited at the struggling Conference South side. Jones made an immediate impact in an advanced midfield role, though chances remained few and far between.
Afolayan was put through on goal but just pushed the ball slightly too far wide as he rounded the keeper which allowed a defender to get back and block his shot. Humphris set up Jones with a great flick, but Jones sent his shot wide of the post.
Beckenham put the game to bed on the hour mark, Hobbs firing a free kick on target from wide on the left which evaded both the wall and Hagan’s dive to make the score 4-0. Fisher continued to push forward, and a Turner free kick that struck the outside of the post was the closest the Fish came to scoring on a day when visiting keeper Nick Blue was not required to pull off a save of significance. Billy Walton should have at least tested Blue when he met a corner with a free header 6 yards out, but he couldn’t get a clean connection and the ball sailed wide of the goal.
A poor performance from the Fish, who will need to pick themselves up quickly in time for the stern test posed by Canterbury City who visit Champion Hill on Saturday.
Fisher: Hagan, Kendall, Tipple, Taylor (Jones 45), Walton, Warren (Wilson-Joseph 87), Quan (Demetrius 82), Turner, Afolayan, Humphris, Hubbard. Unused Subs: Sisson, Bell
Attendance: 142
