Fisher brought their losing run to an end, but had to settle for a share of the points against Lordswood after a string of controversial refereeing decisions.
The match saw transfer deadline signing Aaron Jeffery make his debut on the left side of midfield, while Ken Jarrett-Elliott stepped into midfield to partner Ellis Wilson-Joseph.
The game started slowly as both sides struggled to get the ball down on the dry and hard Champion Hill surface. Lordswood had most of the early pressure, and they made the breakthrough on 12 minutes. Fisher blocked a free kick on the edge of the box, but the ball was played back in as both attackers and defenders looked to clear the box. Rob Norman was running the other way from just outside the penalty area, and he couldn’t miss as the ball reached him with only Fisher keeper Billy Hensman to beat.
Fisher defenders looked in vain for an offside flag – in truth, on a day of erratic decisions, this was a hard one to call as Norman ran from deep while the Fisher defence raced in the opposite direction.
Lordswood should have had a second minutes later as a corner was only half-cleared and the ball was played back in sparking a goalmouth scramble which somehow ended with the ball being deflected behind. It was all Lordswood at this stage as Fisher’s support began to grow frustrated.
Implored by manager Steve Firkins to get the ball down and play, rather than look to the long pass, the Fish gradually came back in to the game and the imperious Jarrett-Elliott began to dominate the midfield. Just after the half-hour mark Danny Hunt forced visiting keeper Matt Byott into a save, but the ball fell to Jeffery just yards out. Byott got out quickly to slide in and block the ball with his feet, although the two footed nature of the challenge may well have been harshly penalised if it had been made by an outfield player.
Lordswood still posed a threat and Hensman saved well from Richard Styles. It was then the visitors’ turn to show frustration as they had a goal disallowed for offside – the ball took a deflection off a Fisher leg, but the Lords attacker had been offside at the original play of the ball so Fisher fans felt that the assistant had flagged correctly this time.
Fisher pushed forward and a flowing move involving Jarrett-Elliott, Jeffery and Hunt ended with the Fisher striker’s shot saved low down by Byott. Both sides were beginning to get frustrated by an erratic refereeing performance, epitomised as Fisher broke forward and saw Danny Hunt played through on the left of the box in a dangerous position – only to hear the referee blow for a free-kick to Fisher back in the centre-circle.
Richie Monan then had a shot saved and send another wide as Fisher looked to get back into the game. They did so on the stroke of halftime. Awarded a free kick on the edge of the box, Jarrett-Elliott send a low shot past the wall and the outstretched glove of Byott to bring the Fish an equalising goal.
Fisher didn’t let the half time break halt their momentum, and they were ahead on 48 minutes. Richie Monan sent in a beautifully flighted inswinging corner, which beat the crowd at the near post and was met by the onrushing Danny Taylor who planted a bullet header into the net for his first Fisher goal.
It was so nearly three shortly afterwards, from another excellent Monan corner that cause chaos in the Lordswood box. But the Lords were not done, and they came back into what was becoming a very entertaining game. Hensman saved well from Nathan Taylor, while another shot fizzed over the bar.
Lordswood then equalised in controversial fashion – again the ball was played back into the box after being half-cleared, this time to an unmarked Chris Eather who appeared to be a good yard offisde. Eather didn’t hestitate and buried the ball, and with no flag raised he wheeled away in celebration.
Fisher defenders meanwhile enquired of the assistant why the flag had not gone up. The referee intervened, and showed centre-half Billy Walton a yellow card – followed immediately by a second yellow card, and a red. The decision felt extremely harsh – effectively two punishments for one offence – but there was no changing the referee’s mind and the Fish faced the rest of the game with ten men.
Jarrett-Elliott dropped back into the defence, and performed superbly as the Fish saw out the rest of the game in relative comfort. His man of the match performance showed his versatility, and willingness to play whichever position the manager asked him too, and he was responsible for a vital interception late in the game as Lordswood looked to play a forward through – Jarrett-Elliott calmly putting his body in a position to shield the ball, turning, and clearing to a Fisher shirt.
In the closing stages, it was the Fish who looked most likely to get a late winner. Jarrett-Elliott headed over from a corner as the ten men piled on the pressure, and Jeffery was denied a debut goal by a clearance off the line.
In the end the points were shared, and both sides had contributed to what was an excellent afternoon’s entertainment. The match officials too had, perhaps unwittingly, added interest to the game. And the Fish can be happy with a performance that deservedly brought an end to their losing run, prior to the tough trip to champions-elect Herne Bay this Saturday.
Fisher: Hensman, Dixon (Rose 86), Bruniges (Aromona 46), Jarrett-Elliott, Taylor, Walton, Monan, Wilson-Joseph, Chattey (Holley 81), Hunt, Jeffery
Attendance: 97
