Fisher were put to the sword early on at VCD on Tuesday night, falling three goals behind and never looking likely to recover despite enjoying much of the possession.
The Fish have suffered defensive woes all season, and Tuesday was no exception. The opening twenty minutes were all VCD, and they took the lead on five minutes through an unmarked George Mitchell after Fisher failed to clear a corner. Marc Powell, debuting in the Fisher goal, pulled off a remarkable flying stop to keep out a James Duckworth volley but VCD scored from the resulting corner through James Brown.
VCD notched a third through former Erith & Belvedere man Paul Gross on 24 minutes. While the Fish will be disappointed with the space he was allowed before heading home, it was an excellent flowing crossfield move from VCD. By this point the Fish had rarely got out of their own half, but they did come into the game towards the end of the first half – Kane Chattey forced the home keeper into a point blank save from a corner and Fish were able to exert some pressure. But half time came with the side still 3-0 down.
Fisher continued to improve after the break. Debutant Ope Aromona, introduced on the left as a substitute, demonstrated a willingness to take on and beat his full back as he put in an excellent 45 minutes. On the other flank, right-back Stefan Dixon also impressed with his commitment in the tackle and footballing ability further forward, and it was his cross that found Billy Walton in space but his header went just over the bar.
Aromona was at the heart of a Fisher penalty shout, as his cross was mis-controlled by a defender who allowed the ball to bobble up and hit his arm. The referee played on and the Fish suffered a sucker punch as VCD broke and scored a fourth goal through Mike McKenna.
Fisher continued to push for a consolation, and Chattey thought he had scored it late on only to see his effort ruled out for offside.
A poor result for the Fish, although with better football played in the second half and strong performances from Aromona, Dixon and Richie Monan there were at least some positives to take into Saturday’s home clash with Lordswood.
Fisher: Powell, Dixon (Green 83), Bruniges, Walton, Jarrett-Elliott, Taylor, Monan, Wadmore (Rose 75), Chattey, Hunt, Fearon (Aromona 46). Unused Subs: Holley, Hensman
Attendance: 84
