Fisher continued their recent good on Saturday when they recorded their third win of November in all competitions – all of which came against Rochester United.
Fisher made a less than glittering start to the game, with a combination of misplaced passes, a slow, bumpy pitch and bleak weather conditions, leading to a forgettable opening ten minutes. Rochester took the lead in the 11th minute. Steve Rothery found space in the box and sent a headed effort to the left of Jack Kelly, who was falling to his right.
The goal seemed to give Fisher a much needed wake-up call, and they very nearly equalised within 60 seconds but a superb defensive header was enough to deny the Fish and keep Rochester ahead. Fisher then settled down and began to play the Fisher way, holding possession in midfield with comfort. Former Fisher keeper Joe Hagan was in goal for Rochester, and he did well when called upon.
But the pressure told and Fisher finally equalised in the 34th minute courtesy of a sublime high strike from returning striker Junior James. James received the ball just inside the box, shimmied with his left foot before beating Hagan with a fine finish.
Although both sides had chances to take a lead into half time, the scores remained level until the break.
Right from the off in the second half Fisher went looking for goal, and the first chance of the half fell to Troy Abbey, who did well to shrug off two defenders but could only send his powerful shot wide of the target.
Later in the half a great reverse pass from Piers Hanifan released Abbey again. This time he managed to get his shot on target but the Hagan was well placed to collect the ball. Try as they may, Fisher just couldn’t break through and take the lead until they were awarded a corner in the 80th minute. Hagan called for the cross but it sailed over his head, and when Rochester failed to clear at the far post Tom Carr scrambled the ball over the line to give Fisher a well-deserved lead.
Now looking to seal the points, Fisher continued to press forward but as had been the case for large spells of the game, they couldn’t turn their dominance into a goal. They paid the price in the 87th minute when Rochester’s Ashley Cooper scored from short range to bring the hosts level.
The equaliser could have been a fatal blow for the Fish but they refused to settle for a point. In stoppage time Junior James broke free of the defence and calmly slotted his well struck shot past Hagan to earn Fisher their third league win of the season, their third win over Rochester United in all competitions, and their third win in November.
Fisher: Jack Kelly, Aaron Seales, Piers Hanifan, Harvey Hanifan, Tom Carr, Billy Walton, Danny Maguire, Kieron Campbell (Harry Draper 82), Junior James, Mike Daramola (Junior Fatai 74), Troy Abbey. Unused Sub: Shaquille Richards
