Match report: Bridon Ropes 2-3 Fisher

Bridon Ropes 2-3 Fisher FC

Fisher made the short trip to a foggy Meridian Sports Ground on Wednesday night to face Bridon Ropes in a re-arranged league fixture. The Fish were out for revenge after Bridon Ropes had come from behind to win 4-2 in the reverse fixture at St Paul’s. Neil Hunter took the reins with gaffer Dean Harrison away in Italy, and welcomed Toyo Adeshina back into the starting line-up after a long lay-off. Dwayne Agyemang and Trey Small, who both came off the bench on Saturday against Lewisham Borough, started in place of George Ede and Jack Bullock.

The match started at a furious pace under the floodlights, with the ball going from end to end. On 10 minutes, a low cross from the Bridon Ropes left split Nic Taylor and the Fisher defence, and rolled invitingly across the face of goal, but there were no takers for the home side. Just two minutes later, the first moment of class in the game was enough to break the deadlock. Trey Small put the Bridon Ropes centre back under pressure midway inside his own half. The defender got to the ball first, but couldn’t keep a hold of it and Small nipped in to steal the ball away. He laid it off to Rob Brown who dribbled past his man then cut in from the right wing, steadied himself just inside the D then fired off a shot in off the right hand post. A great finish! 1-0, Rob Brown, 12 mins

Shortly after the goal, Richie Hamill became the first player to enter the ref’s book after a full-blooded challenge caught his man on the halfway line. The surface was slippy and the tackles began to fly in as tempers flared! Rob Brown tried his luck again from 30 yards out in the middle of the pitch, but his low effort was held by the keeper on 17 minutes. Ramsamy then hit a fierce shot which whistled just past the keeper’s right hand post a couple of minutes later.

The sides exchanged yellow cards, with the Bridon Ropes left back following Pat Geddis into the book, but the next goalscoring opportunity did not come until the half hour mark. Trey Small found himself in space on the left hand side of the box, but was brought down by the keeper before he could shoot. The ref had no hesitation in pointing to the spot, and Richie Hamill showed no hesitation in converting! See it again here: https://twitter.com/FisherFC/status/984149926484627456 2-0, Hamill (pen), 31 mins

Fisher were now well on top in the game, the second goal seeming to give them extra confidence. Dwayne Agyemang tidied up a loose ball at the ball, then marauded down the left wing before dinking a nice ball over the top of the defence, but none of his team-mates read the pass. Two minutes later, Jamie Brown skipped past the right back like he wasn’t there, before standing the ball up to the back post. A defender got a head to it but the ball dropped invitingly to Trey Small whose shot found the side netting.

Jamie Brown then won a free kick after being pushed into touch with both hands by the left back, rugby-style! He took the free-kick himself, which was punched by the keeper. Wanogho tried to send it back towards the net but his shot was blocked. Bridon Ropes then broke at pace, and Pat Geddis did brilliantly to intercept (not for the first time in the game).

Half-time: Bridon Ropes 0-2 Fisher FC. A controlled first half from the Fish, who were well worthy of their lead against a feisty home side.

If Fisher had enjoyed much of the play in the first half, it was a different Bridon Ropes side which came out for the second. After three minutes, they won a free kick 25 yards out to the right of goal. The shot hit the wall and went behind for a corner. Trey Small headed the corner out, but the ball was returned into the box and headed over from close range. Two minutes later, the home number 9 went on a mazy run before his shot was deflected, wrong-footing Nic Taylor. Toyo Adeshina was there to see the ball out for a corner.

Fisher’s first sniff of goal in the second half came after 53 minutes, when only a desperate sliding tackle on the edge of the box denied Trey Small a sight of goal. Small was then booked for a trip moments later, before a Bridon player joined him in the book after a late tackle on Hamill. It seemed unlikely at this stage that all 22 players would see out the 90 minutes!

On 56 minutes, Bridon forced another corner, this time down the Fisher right. A free header inside the six yard box was sent harmlessly over – a real escape for the Fish. Shortly after, yet another interception by the unflappable Geddis allowed Hamill to float a lovely ball to Jamie Brown, who cut in from the right and hit a low shot which the Bridon keeper held low to his left.

However, it was Bridon who made the breakthrough in the half. A quick counter attack after that Jamie Brown chance led to a curling shot from a long way out tucking into the left hand side of the net. A very good strike. 1-2, 58 mins

The fog was rolling in and visibility was much reduced for the hardy spectators on an unseasonably cold night. Fisher tried to make a change on 65 minutes, but no-one could work the electronic board (which had already shown 2000 minutes of additional time in the first half…). On 67 minutes, Trey Small finally did go off, replaced by the fresh legs of Kiemon Robinson.

Fisher were coming back into the match, and a typical weaving run by Jamie Brown saw his first shot blocked by a defender, then his follow-up blocked by the keeper who dived at his feet. Robinson then had a shot from outside the box which the keeper could only parry to Jamie Brown, who teed up Hamill but his shot from just inside the box was blocked.

Fisher ought to have had a third on 73 minutes, Hamill dancing down the left wing, round the right back and then cutting back from close range to Robinson who tried to control the ball before shooting, but rather snatched at it and his touch was too heavy, allowing a defender to clear. On 76 minutes, Bridon had a second free header from inside the six yard box after a corner from the Fisher right, but fortunately it was headed over a second time.

Fisher decided to make a change, bringing Tim Moffat on for Calum Crawley on 78 minutes. Two minutes later, Hamill sent a screaming piledriver just over the Bridon Ropes bar. With five minutes of regulation time remaining, Rob Brown came so close to his second on the night. He beat several men after cutting in from the right hand side of the pitch, before being tackled on the edge of the box but his perseverance allowed him to win the ball back again. His shot beat the keeper but slipped past the left hand post.

Fisher didn’t have long to wait for the third goal. If at first one Brown does not succeed, try, try again with the other Brown! Jamie replicated Rob’s chance just a minute later, cutting in from the right then shooting past a despairing keeper into the bottom left hand corner of the net. Superb finish by the winger! 3-1, Jamie Brown, 86 mins

However, no sooner had Fisher extended their lead than Bridon Ropes pinned them back a second time. Almost straight from the restart, the ball was lumped forward into the box, there was a scramble and the ball was poked home. 3-2, 88 mins

Fisher looked to protect the lead in the last two minutes plus the four minutes of additional time added on, winning a free kick, then a corner, then another free kick down the left wing and on all three occasions walking the ball into the corner. There was still time in the last five minutes for a Bridon player to be booked after conceding that free kick, for Jamie Brown to be booked for a trip, and for Toyo Adeshina to be booked for time-wasting over a throw-in, but after 95 minutes the referee finally blew the full time whistle!

Full-time: Bridon Ropes 2-3 Fisher FC. Fisher really had to work hard for the three points after a much improved second half showing form the home team, but overall the men in orange were worthy of the three points. An exciting and entertaining game which was a real advert for the division!

Man of the match: the intuitive partnership between Rob and Jamie Brown continues to dazzle week after week – a goal apiece this week – but the award goes to Pat Geddis who put in innumerous block, interceptions and crunching tackles. He has really come on over the course of the season and worked tirelessly throughout the game.

Bridon Ropes 2-3 Fisher
Wednesday 11 April 2018
SCEFL First Division
Meridian Sports & Social Club, Charlton

Fisher:
Rob Brown 12
Hamill (pen) 31
Jamie Brown 86

Bridon Ropes:
Nathan Simpson 58
Adam Smith 88

Attn: 70