Kent Football League

Elstrom Die’s second-half strike handed struggling Fisher a surprise win against title-chasing VCD Athletic.
It looked as if ill fortune would once again cause early Fisher promise to flounder, as VCD gained a controversial first-half lead against the run of play. However, moments before half-time a sweeping Fisher move ended with Elstrom Die driving a low ball across goal for George Savage to pull the Fish justly level.
A battling second half saw Vickers reduced to ten men and the home side grabbing a winner, Die this time on the end of Dwayne Cowan’s cross.
Despite the victory – their first in the league since the win at Beckenham in December – Fisher remain in the bottom three of the table on goal difference, but Gary Lisney’s side will have been boosted by the manner of their success. Many might have expected a one-sided affair after Fisher’s recent run of form and the title aspirations of the visitors. Instead, the home crowd were treated to a fantastic display of determination and positive attacking football from Fisher from the outset.
Fisher were the better team in the first quarter of the match and before VCD’s opener had looked the sharper of the two sides, enjoying the majority of possession and looking solid and tough in midfield.
It was against the run of play then that Vickers took the lead on 17 minutes. A loose ball ran through to Lisney’s goal from midfield taking a deflection off George Savage before Lisney scooped up the ball. To the astonishment of the home crowd, the referee interpreted it as a back pass and gave an indirect free-kick. Despite Fisher’s best attempts to keep it out – with 9 players making a wall along the goal line – James Duckworth smashed a low shot which ricocheted through the wall to give the away side the advantage.
Fisher reacted strongly and continued to look dangerous on the flanks. The lively Elstrom Die, who led most of Fisher’s attacking forays, ran on to a threaded pass from Louis Sprosen and flew down to the bye-line before whipping a ball across goal for Savage to poke home at the back post.
Lisney’s side had started brightly at Tunbridge Wells last week but came away from the Culverden Stadium with a heavy defeat and without a point. This week it was clear they were intent on not letting their good early work go to waste, with the sides very much even at the halfway stage.
VCD emerged from the break back on the offensive, but Fisher were to gain an edge as the visitor’s went a man down. It was the VCD bench’s turn to berate the officials as a second yellow card was issued for an unfortunate handball committed after a loss of balance. Deep into the second half Fisher grabbed the lead when a breakaway sent hard working target man Dwayne Cowan down the right flank and he pulled across keeper and goal for Elstrom Die to smash into the empty net from 2 yards.
VCD were rocked and boss Ricky Bennett threw men forward in search of an equaliser. The closest they came was from a set play, with a fierce header rattling the Fisher woodwork. Lisney made an outstanding acrobatic double save in the dying stages, effectively ensuring the points for the home side and the final chance of the game fell to Fisher substitute Steve O’Donnell who did well to make space for a shot but drove a powerful shot straight at the keeper.
When the whistle blew there was delight and relief among the Fisher players and fans but glum faces among the VCD contingent whose title aspirations were handed a massive blow at Champion Hill.