Fisher started their London Senior Cup campaign with a resounding win over Midlands South side London Tigers, paving the way for a second-round tie at home to Bethnal Green United.
Fisher always looked comfortable against the north-west London side, and while the Tigers had reason to rue a number of refereeing decisions that went against them the result was not really in doubt once Frankie Warren met Danny Tipple’s left-footed free-kick to head the Fish into the lead on 12 minutes.
Tipple had another chance to deliver a set-piece when Tigers keeper Joseph Woodley was harshly judged to have handled the ball outside his area, but his fine delivery from the right-hand side of the box was not met by either a Fisher or Tigers boot and flashed wide. Fisher did go two up on 36 minutes however, Richie Monan drilling home a fine finish to beat Woodley. Monan, starting up-front as Fisher’s striker injury crisis left Steve Firkins with few other options, had an excellent game and demonstrated his versatility as he led the line.
The scores could have been level at that stage, as a flying Danny Firkins save protected Fisher’s lead after a fine move from a Tigers side who looked to play football throughout.
Fish fans were feeling confident at half-time, and the game was effectively sealed by a bizarre sequence of events just after half-time. With the game about to restart, two Tigers players came flying down the tunnel in a desperate bid to join their nine colleagues on the pitch for the second half. The referee, about to blow to start the half, motioned for them to wait at the side of the pitch then blew his whistle. A split-second after the whistle had gone, Tigers left-back Gregory Ngeno continued his run onto the pitch – at which point the ref stopped play, and pulled out his book. With Ngeno already a recipient of the yellow card in the first half, his night was over and Tigers were forced to play the second half with ten men.
Fisher went 3-0 up after a penalty decision that the Tigers contingent felt was soft following a challenge on Monan in the box. With Jamie Turner rested on the bench, Ken Jarrett-Elliott stepped up – and fired his spot kick straight at Woodley who blocked the shot. Unfortunately for Woodley, the rebound went straight back to Jarrett-Elliott who made no mistake this time, slotting past the now stranded kepper.
Monan’s second, and Fisher’s best goal of the night, followed. Receiving the ball in space just outside the area, Monan struck a fierce first-time left-foot shot into the far corner of the net that gave Woodley no chance. Isa Bangura marked his first appearance of the season with a goal, again a fine finish from the edge of the box as Fisher exploited the space left by the tiring ten men.
There was time for two more goals in injury time. Turner, on as a sub, finished an excellent move with an easy finish from six yards. And then a further penalty was despatched, this time by Monan who completed his hat-trick – the fifth Fisher player to have bagged a three-goal haul this season.
The win will leave the Fish brimming with confidence ahead of the big derby at Beckenham Town in the FA Vase this Saturday.
Fisher: Firkins, Banton, Tipple, Warren (Bangura 67), Helps, DeGraft-Johnson, Hubbard, Wilson-Joseph (Turner 70), Monan, Jarrett-Elliott (Quan 61), Taylor. Unused Subs: Murphy, Demetrius
Attendance: 85
