MATCH REPORT: Fisher 1-1 Faversham Town

Fisher 1-1 Faversham Town
Saturday 4th July
3 p.m. kick off
Pre Season Friendly

Match Sponsors: Available
Matchball Sponsor: Millwall Community Trust

Attn: 152
Scorer: Don Macaulay (73 min pen)

Fisher opened their preseason campaign with a one all draw against step four side Faversham Town. Having lost a number of players moving on up through the pyramid and with a couple of players still away on holiday there was a new look to manager Ajay Ashanike’s squad with a number of trialists on display.
The first half saw more of the familiar faces on the pitch with Don Macaulay, Flavio Jumo, Alex Kozak, Tyron Mbuenimo, Eric Koduah joined by new signings Temi Alaka and Alimamy Taylor-Kamara, with all putting in good displays as both sides rather cancelled each other out in a good midfield battle despite very high temperatures at St Paul’s.
Alex Kozak was Fisher’s likeliest player to break the deadlock forcing a comfortable safe from a long range effort and then seeing a well hit free kick from the edge of the box again saved by a well placed keeper. Kozak did have the ball in the net late in the half after Alaka had run onto a neat through ball and squared only to be denied by a late offside flag for the original run in behind. Taylor-Kamara showed a good willingness to get up the flank from full back suggesting Fisher may again be able to deploy the attacking fullback role they used to such good effect last season.
At the other end, Fisher dealt well with a series of corners and long balls into the box with trialling goalkeeper Zach Akinde showing confident handling throughout the half and the only shots with real power flew high over the Dockers End stand as the sides went into the break still level after former Fish Eniye Amgbaduba lobbed their best chance just over the bar having outmuscled his marker and burst through on goal.
Fisher opted to bring on all nine substitutes at the break with Faversham rotating players in pairs though the second half as the heat took its toll and the game opened up a little. The first action of the half saw replacement keeper Reuben Bull dive to his left to shovel away a well hit low shot from range. Rafael Garcia offered Fisher their best outlet with several jinking runs off the left opening up shooting opportunities. Flávio Jumo saw a shot from the edge of the box from one such move take a deflection that caused the Faversham keeper to react with a smart save as Fisher pushed for an opener.
The opener came on seventy four minutes as Garcia again picked the ball up on the left and dropped a shoulder to get goal side of the full back and bearing down on goal was pushed to floor from behind for a easy to give penalty. Don Macaulay confidently sent the keeper the wrong way as he hit the top corner with a well placed strike.
The lead was to last in only a few minutes as good work from Josh Adeyi saw his centre scooped home by danger man Tashi-Jay Kwayie. Faversham then set about finding a winner and Fishers goal led a charmed life in the remaining quarter of an hour. Only some very wasteful finishing and excellent blocks from Bull kept the visitors at bay as Fisher tired in the heat the game became a constant show of attack versus defence.
Fisher managed to see out the game though and earn a creditable draw with a side who will be aiming for promotion to step three next season. The first half showed a lot of encouragement for the rebuilding project with more to come as players return from holiday and new signings bed in.