The Fish bowed out of their first ever FA Cup run at Lingfield, undone by poor defending in a game they had chances to win.
The Fish were let down by their defending at set pieces, and a strong Lingfield side took full advantage to ensure they were the team to progress to a big away tie at Horsham.
Fisher started brightly, only to find themselves yet again the victims of a crucial early refereeing decision. Frankie Warren was just a couple of yards away when the ball was smashed towards him, but referee Mr Slaney ruled that he had somehow made a deliberate movement to the ball and pointed to the spot. Danny Firkins was sent the wrong way by former QPR and Brentford striker Nicky Forster and the Fish were 1-0 down.
However Fisher rallied, and went on to dominate the half. After 13 minutes, Steve O’Donnell was challenged from behind in the box as he shaped to shoot from six yards. Despite O’Donnell’s feet being taken from him the referee, from some distance behind the action, waved play-on. Undeterred, the Fish continued to press and forced a number of corners and free kicks although they were unable to fashion any chances from their set pieces.
Finally, just before half-time, Fisher got the goal their play deserved as O’Donnell escaped the attentions of Ian Pearce to steer a powerful header into the roof of the net.
Shortly after the break, Fisher had a tremendous chance to take the lead as Chris Hubbard dribbled past two Lingfield defenders and keeper Rob O’Hara, but he couldn’t quite pull his left foot shot back enough from a tight angle. The second half was far more even that the first, Lingfield now looking dangerous going forward. From a corner on 71 minutes, Lingfield gave the Fish a lesson in how to take and finish a set piece, Forster nabbing his second after the cross had caused panic in the box.
Firkins kept Fisher in it with a flying save to his left after Harry Simtin’s impressive run and shot, but Simtin was not to be denied for long and he stabbed home a loose ball from the resulting corner. Steve Firkins threw on Peter Afolayan and Mark Sisson as Fisher chased the game, but Simtin’s second on 88 minutes sealed the tie for a powerful and experienced Lingfield side.
So Fisher’s first FA Cup run in our new guise comes to an abrupt end. But there is much to look forward to in the next few weeks as we return to league action against Holmesdale on Tuesday and then face Ash United at Champion Hill in the FA Carlsberg Vase on Saturday 10th September.
Fisher: Firkins, Banton (Afolayan 84), Tipple, Warren, Wilson-Joseph, DeGraft-Johnson, Jarrett-Elliott, Turner, O’Donnell, Hunt (Sisson 87), Hubbard (Bell 52) Subs: Kendall, Walton, Bangura, James.
