Fisher and Deal served up a goal-feast at the Charles Ground, but it was the Fish who came out on top thanks in part to a stunning goal from Danny Maguire.
Fisher lost keeper Oshane Brown to injury before the match, and with no other goalie available right-back Aaron Seales donned the gloves for the second time this season. Fisher started reasonably well, with Billy Walton sending a long range shot over the bar. Harry Draper forced home goalkeeper Shanon Harris into a stunning reflex save as his head met a Danny Maguire free-kick on the 12 minute mark.
Deal were the better side after that chance though, and they found great success down the Fisher left with full-back Joe Reeves pushing forward and doubling-up on Ashley Henry-Brown. But it was a direct free kick that opened the scoring on 23 minutes, Danny Smith curling a left foot shot around the wall and just inside the near post.
Deal’s territorial domination continued, although for the most part they were restricted to wayward long range shots and Seales had little to do in the Fisher goal. And it was Fisher who struck next, Kieron Campbell attacking the box from the right hand side and finding Junior James in space by the penalty spot – James hit a shot on the turn that gave Harris no chance and the Fish were level five minutes before half-time.
Another set-piece just minutes later restored Deal’s lead. Defending the ball into the box has been an Achilles Heel for Fisher lately and tonight was no exception – again a ball to the far post was won by the opposition, and Connor Coyne planted his header past Seales.
There was still time for Fisher to come back, and Jay Garrick pounced on some hesitancy in the Deal defence and burst through one-on-one against Harris. His placed finish into the corner of the net came on the stroke of half-time and sent Fisher into the dressing room on level terms.
Manager Billy Walton made some half-time changes in an effort to reduce the space that Deal were being allowed in the Fisher half. Campbell was the unfortunate player sacrificed, with Charlie Gray coming on to bolster the Fisher left – he slotted into left-back with Henry-Brown moved to left-midfield. This left Fisher playing broadly a 4-4-2 and allowed Junior James to adopt a more central role, freed from defensive duties on the left.
The changes worked as Fisher immediately were better able to keep possession and importantly blunted Deal’s attack. With Fisher now on the front foot, James scored his second with a beautifully placed shot from fully 25 yards.
Danny Maguire should have had a chance to extend the lead from the spot, as Jay Garrick was taken out by a very late tackle in the box having got his cross away. Incredibly neither the referee nor his assistant, who was perfectly placed to see the foul, gave the penalty. The assistant, in response to enquiries from the felled Garrick, suggested somewhat unconvincingly that the Deal defender had got the ball.
The error by the officials was not to matter however. Maguire had been denied the chance to score from 9 yards, but showed that he could finish from far further out than that! Receiving the ball in space just ahead of the centre-circle in the Deal half, the Fisher skipper looked up and spotted Harris off his line. Quick as a flash Maguire executed an inch-perfect chip from 45 yards, leaving Harris helpless as the ball sailed over him and into the back of the net. An absolutely stunning strike from Fisher’s top scorer and Fisher were 4-2 up.
It had been all Fisher so far this half, but Deal were not done. Just five minutes later another far-post header from Coyne made it 4-3, and it was game on again. The match became a little fractious at this point – the referee’s leniency in the first half where numerous clear fouls went unpunished came back to haunt him, as players’ frustrations grew.
Fisher restored their two goal lead as Junior James claimed his hat-trick on 73 minutes. The striker received the ball in the box from Garrick, and twisted and turned his way past two defenders before sending a left-foot finish beyond Harris.
Game over? Not quite – Deal once again scored from a cross as we entered stoppage time, setting up a frantic finale. But Fisher were able to defend the balls that were pumped into the box and held on for an entertaining, and deserved, victory.
Fisher: Seales, P Hanifan, Henry-Brown, H Hanifan, Fleming, Walton, Campbell (Gray 46), Draper (Burrell 75), James, Maguire, Garrick
